Octopus Overlords

Seems Wyze is making video doorbells now, and the price is almost too cheap to believe (pre-order price $29.95). But there's some blah blah about it needing a special "doorbell transformer" (about 20 on Amazon?) unless your door already has the wiring. Well... My doors don't.

What do you guys think?

If you live in the Bay area and need a way to mitigate porch piracy, I'd say you're likely better off using an Amazon locker or just having your packages delivered elsewhere (as suggested in this NBC news report about whether Ring doorbells really deter crime). Because even if you do happen to get video of porch pirates tea-leafing your stuff, nowadays they'll almost certainly be wearing masks making them more difficult to identify and the chances that S.F. law enforcement are likely to do much, if anything, with it are slim to none.

I don't even have a porch to lay stuff on. My door is right up against the sidewalk. It's more about door ringers.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:37 pm If you live in the Bay area and need a way to mitigate porch piracy, I'd say you're likely better off using an Amazon locker or just having your packages delivered elsewhere (as suggested in this NBC news report about whether Ring doorbells really deter crime). Because even if you do happen to get video of porch pirates tea-leafing your stuff, nowadays they'll almost certainly be wearing masks making them more difficult to identify and the chances that S.F. law enforcement are likely to do much, if anything, with it are slim to none.

i stopped having delivery of packages to my apartment a long time ago - mail and package theft is rampant in my area and my mailbox is not secured.

if i use Amazon (which i don't use that often, and i'm cutting down my support of that company even more), i use the lockers.

so i used to have packages delivered to my office, but that's ... not an option at this time. have to figure something out.

Well, several companies have released or are about to release porch lockboxes

I was reading some of the comments on that second link and saw what I thought was a pretty good idea. One guy just has a box out front, big enough for packages and weather tight. It doesn't lock, just has a lid. But, as he says, anyone who is driving around looking for packages to pilfer would see this storage box out front every day and if they took the risk to run up and open it, most times it would be empty, so they would have little incentive to take the risk. We use something of the same idea, we have a planter next to the door and most times the delivery folks put the package behind the planter. That box idea sounds pretty smart.

If I was going to have my own porch box/locker I'd first install it keeping it unlocked. Then I'd put something worthless yet disgusting smelling in it. Then I'd let it sit there like that for long enough of a time so that potential thieves could sneak up and peek inside it. Once enough time has passed, word on the street will be that I use that box to store disgusting smelling worthless items. No one will try to steal anything from it. Now I can clean it out and use it for its intended purpose. Modern problems require modern solutions.

You're so cute.

I just went with laser turrets. We lost a few fedex guys before I got the visual identification algorithms down, but it's all good now... as long as nothing comes via DHL anyway.

A bit annoying, but I had been looking for Wyze Home Starter Kit for a long time, as neither Amazon nor Wyze has any in stock. It's basically a bundle that has 2 smart plugs, 3 smart bulbs, 2 door sensors, an IR motion sensor, and the Wyze Cam V2, and a 32gb microSD for the cam, for $50 or so.

That's actually an incredible deal, given that the Cam itself is $20, a 32gb microSD is $7. 2 smart plugs are $15. Smart bulbs are generally $10 each (not the super-duper Hues) but let's say it's more like, $25 for 3, and we're ALREADY well over the $50 mark, and we haven't even counted motion sensor and door sensors yet.

Now I got an email that they are on sale at Home Depot (!?) for $50. But Home Depot won't ship, pickup only.

CNET reviewed a beta unit of Wyze Video Doorbell. While $30 is a great price point that's like a quarter of Ring, the performance is quite spotty.

On the other hand, I just pre-ordered their Watch... A smartwatch for $20. (plus shipping and tax it's almost $30, but still... Should be better than the generic crap on Amazon from no-name makers? We shall see..)

I dont even have a doorbell never mind a Ring one. No one ever stops here. Well 1 guy did a couple months back. A neighbor who ran out of gas right at my driveway. Other than him not a person has been here in nearly 2 years.. Before that only a cousin who passed away in 2017 would drop by before he got too sick maybe 5 times in 10 years.