Startup: Blink Sells A Million of New Security Camera Tech

Author: John Honovich, Published on Sep 05, 2014

A semiconductor company has launched its own security camera offering, selling over $1 million from a crowdfunding campaign that it bills as "the first ultra-affordable, totally wire-free smart HD home monitoring and alert system."

Despite the hype, the architecture has a number of key weaknesses. In this note, we break them down including comparisons to Google Dropcam and Netgear VueZone.

* ************* ******* *** ******** *** *** ******** ****** ********, selling **** $* ******* **** ********************* **** ** ***** ** "*** ***** *****-**********, ******* ****-**** smart ** **** ********** *** ***** ******."

******* *** ****, *** ************ *** * ****** ** *** weaknesses. ** **** ****, ** ***** **** **** ********* *********** to ****** ******* *** ******* *******.

[***************]

Blink **********

************* ** ******** ******* ***, ** *****, *** **** ******* (called **** *******) ** **** **********.

*** *** *** *************** ***:

  • *****'* ***** **** ** ******** * '**** **** ** ******* life', *********** *** **** ** *** ***** ****** ** *** camera.
  • *** ******* **** (~$** *** ******, ***) *** ** ******* monthly **** (**** ****** ******).

****'* ***** ***** *****:

Key **********

*** ******** / ******* ***** ******** *** * ****** ** critical *** **********:

  • ** ********** *********
  • ******* ****** ***** ********* ***** ** *** *********
  • ****** ** ******** ** ****** *** *********** ** ******* ***** events
  • ******* ******* ******* ******* ******** ******* (**** ~* ***** ***** of ***** ******** ********* *** **** / *******)
  • **** ***** **** *********** (*** ******* ** ***** ******** **** type ** **** ** *** / *******, *******, **** ******* significantly **** *****, * ******* **** *********)

****** ****, ******** ***** ***** ** ** *****, ** *** demand ** ******** ***** ********** *****. ***** ********* ***' ** range *** ************ **** **** ** ** **** ******* ** real ***** ************, ***** *****, ************ *** ***** ******** ******* may ****** ********.

Compared ** ****** ******* - ***** *** *******

*** *** *** ********** **** ***** *** **** ******* ** elimination ** ***** ****** *** ***** **** (*******'* ****** **** is $*** ** $*** *** ****** **** $** *** ***** minimum *** *********).

*******, *** **** *******, ******* ****** ********** *********, ******* ** always ****** **** ****** *** ** **** ** *** ****, no ******* ***** ********* *********, ******** ***** **** *****.

*** ******* ** **** *****, **** **** **** ** ** willing ** ********* **** ***** ******** *** **** **** ****** be ****** ** *****'* ***** *****.

Compared ** ******* ******* - **** ********, * ***** *****

**** ** ********** ***** ***** ** **** ** ** *** same ***** ******** ********* ***(********** *******) **** * ***** ***. *** / ******* ****** ******* powered, ******** ******* **** * **** *******. ******* $**+ ******* in *******, *** **************** ***** *** *** ********** **** ** *******.

*****, ** ********, ****** ******* ****** ********** (**** ** **) and ********** ***** ****** **** ******* (********* ** $*** *** a *** ****** / **** ******* **). *******, ******* ****** triple *** ******** ***** *** ****** *** ********* ******* (**** 15 ***** ***** ** ******* ****).

Great ** ********

****** *** ***** ** ***$* ******* ******* ** *** *********** ********, ***** ****** * *** ** ********** *********. **** **** 6,000 ****** ********** *** ******** ** ********* ****** *** ********, this *** ******* ***** *** ********** ** * *****.

******* *********, ** *** ********* **** ****** *****, **** ******** ************** ********* *****,*******,******, ***.

*** ******** ******* ****** *** **** **** & **, * poster ***** *** ******* ****** ******, ***** ***** ******* *** titled, "*******! ** ********** **** ********** ****** **** ******* **** ****," ***** ******* *** * *********.

Money *** ****** ** ** ******* *****

***** ***** *** * *** ** ** ** *********** (*** own ********* *** ******* ******* ** *+ ****** ****), ** has *** ********* ** *** *****.

*****'* ****** ******* ********* *************, * ************* **** **** ********* ****** $** ******* ** ******* ****. **** *** ***** ***** *** **** (***-***) ** ***** ***** ****** ******.

******, **** ** ** *********** **** ******, ** ******* ** competing **** *** *** ******** ****, ** ******** ***** *** camera ******. ** ******* ** ** **** ** **** ********** a *********** ***** ** **** ************* ******* *** **** ******** or **** ********** ** ********** ***** ******* *********.

Comments (9)

Mert Ulas

| 09/05/14 11:03am

* ********** *** ***** **** *** ******* ********** *** *** be ** *** ********* ****** *** ******* ****. ***** *** other "******** ******** & ****** *******" *** * ***** *** different ********. *** ******* ******** **** *** **** *** **** video ************* ** ***** ***** ** ***** * ***. ** know **** ** ********** ** *** ***** ** **** ** the **** ** **** ** ****, *** *** **** ** the **** **** ** *** *** ** *** ***** *** only ******** ****** ** ****** ** **** ***** ** * movement. *** ***** *** *** **** ******* ** ******* ***** we **** ** ****** ***** ******. ** **** ***** ******* are ****** ***? ** ** ******** ******* ***** ******, **** you *** ******* **** **** **** *** ** ** ** front ** **** **** ******** *** ** **** ***** *** and **** *** ****** ******** **** ******* ******. ******** *** baby *** * ***** ******** ** **** **** *** *** at ****. *** ********* ** ******** *** ******* ** ****** any ***** ** **** **** ******* ***** ******** ** * huge ********* ** **** (***** ******* *** ****** ****)

** * ******* ***** ******** **** ** **** ******, **** more ***** ******** *** **, **** ** ***** ****** (**** cry ** ***** *****), *********** *******, *** ******** *** *** quality *******, ***.

* **** ***** **** ****** ** ***** ** ******* ** well, **** *** ******* **** ********** ******* ** ** *******.

John Honovich

IPVM Admin | In reply to Mert Ulas | 09/05/14 12:31pm

"***** *** ***** "******** ******** & ****** *******" *** * niche *** ********* ********."

**. *** ***** ******** ******** & ****** *******, ******* **** Dropcam, ** *******'* ******, ** *-**** ** ********, *** ******* continuous *********, ********* **** *******, ***.

"*** ******* ******** **** *** **** *** **** ***** ************ of ***** ***** ** ***** * ***."

****** *** ***** *** ******* ** *** **** ******* *** wants ** ***** ** ** ***** * ***, **** **** it *** ******* *** ***** ** ***** ** * ******* a ***.

**********, * ***** **** *** * ****** *** *** ******* hype ** ***** ** **** **** *****, **** *** ***** realize *** ********* ******** *** *********** ********* **** *** *** there.

Mert Ulas

| 09/05/14 11:13am

**** ******* ** *** ***** ** **** ** ******** ****** sensors **** **** ** **** ** ******** ** ******. *** be ** *** ****** ** **** **** **** ******* ******* inside *** ******* ** ***** **** ** ******* ** *** fridge (***** ***** ***** ***** *********) *** **** **** **** to ** ** ******** ***** (** ******** ***** **** ******) If **** *** ** **** *** ** *** ***, ** 5 ***** *** ***** *** ** **** ** ** ***, and **** **** **** ** **********.

*******, ** ***** ********, **-****** ** ********* ********* ******** ** like. ******* ** *** ****** ** ******* **** ** **** for **** ***** ****** *********** (*** ****** *********) ****** **** for ********.

Undisclosed 1 Integrator

| 09/06/14 07:26pm

**** ** * ***** ****** *** *** ************ *****. **** move **** **** ****.

John Honovich

IPVM Admin | In reply to Undisclosed 1 Integrator | 09/07/14 12:05am

************ ** ** *********** *** ****. ****: **** *** *** outdoor *****. ** **** ***** ** *** ******, ** **** progresses, ** **** ** *** ****'* **** **** ****.

Undisclosed 1 Integrator

In reply to John Honovich | 09/07/14 02:11am

***** * ***** *** ***** *****... * **** **** ** the ********** ****. **** *****, ***.

Jeremiah Boughton

| 09/11/14 03:51pm

**** **** ***** **-***** *** *******. ***** ***** ****, * wonder ** **** **** ** *** *** ****** ** ********* 24/7. **** ******** *******, **** ***** **** ******* *** **** it ***** ** *** ****** ** ******* ** * ***** with *** ******* **** ******** ****** *********. *** *****, * have *** ****** **** ******* ****** ***. **** ** ***** to **** ******** **** *****...***** ******* ******** **** *** *** draw *********** **** *** **** *** ******* ********.

*** **** ********* ***** ******* ** *** ****** ** **/* recording ** ** ********* ** **** ******.

John Honovich

IPVM Admin | In reply to Jeremiah Boughton | 09/11/14 03:54pm

"*** *****, * **** *** ****** **** ******* ****** ***."

***** *** ******* ** **** * *********, ****'* ************** ;)

**** **** **-***** *******, *** ******* ** **** *** ****** needs ** ** ** ** **** ***** *** **** *** on, ** ***** ******* *** ******* *******. ********** ** ***** the ******* **, ** **** *** **** ** ***** *** big **********, ******* ** *********. ** * ******* *********?

Jeremiah Boughton

In reply to John Honovich | 09/11/14 04:27pm

**** **** **** ** ****** * "***** ****" *** *** a ******* ******* ***. **** **** ***** ****** **** ********* even **** * ******** **** ******* ***** **** *******.

* **** ** ******** **** ***** **** ********* *** ***** come *** **** * ******** **** ****** ******** **** *** average *** *****. ******* *** ** ***** ******* *** ******* 24/7 ** ** *********. ********* **** **** *** ******* *** only ******* ******* **** ** ****** ** *** * "***** plug" *******. *****!

* **** *** ***************** * ***** ***. *** **** *** ****** ***** ******* like ****** (** *******), *** **** ***** ******* (****** *** homes)? * ***** ** *** *********** **** **** * ***** or * ***... *** **** ***'* **** **** ***** ** wanting ** **** ***. **** ******** *********** ** **** *** party ******. ********** * *** ****** ****** **** ***** *** camera *** *** ***** ***. (**** **** ** ******** *** main ********)

*** ***** ********* ******? *'* *** * *** ****** ***, *******, * ** like *** ********** **********.

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