Canary: less is more
What an upstart startup can teach the big boys about innovation
I last talked about Canary in July 2013, shortly after I became a backer of the company on Indiegogo, and it seemed to me at the time to offer a number of elements that could make it a good home-security option.
That crowdfunding campaign, which ended on August 26, 2013, raised almost two millions dollars on top of the initial request the company made for 100,000 dollars. As tends to happen with crowdfunding, there were delays in delivering the product: in my case, including the overseas delivery to Spain, almost a year. But the company went out of its way during that time to keep us all informed about its plans, making sure that I never felt as though I had thrown my money away.
Looking at my email intray for that period, I see that I received a total of 67 messages about my products, including those sent by Indiegogo, many of them explaining in great detail that due to the amount of money Canary had raised it had decided to add a higher-resolution camera and other options. My financial contribution wasn’t used until September 2014, after very politely asking me if I was still interested in the device, a very different experience to the “I’ve paid, where’s my stuff?” feeling that some crowdfunding projects can prompt.
About a month ago, I received my device, for which I had paid 199 dollars, plus postage. I was extremely impressed. Great packaging, very similar to Apple, with a design that made sure each of the products fitted, from the unit itself to the charger and the smalles of cables. Furthermore, an adaptor for a Spanish plug: somebody in the company had gone to the trouble of finding out where the products was destined and put an adapter in the courier package.
Configuring the device was very easy: download the app and follow the simple instructions. My router is located in a place in my home that offers great visibility for the device’s camera, and so I decided to hook it up directly to the router with a cable rather than via WiFi. Next came verification using an audio cable (also included in the kit), which worked fast and easy, and we were ready to go. The other members of the household were signed up, and it was ready to be tested.
All I can say is that it does what it says on the box. I couldn’t ask more from a home security system of this type, and what’s more, the design is intelligent. I have alarm systems in both my homes, and my impression of both is that they are poorly designed by careless companies. It seems paradoxical that given the high cost of the service it works so poorly and has developed so little over the time I’ve had it. I never saw Canary as a replacement to such a system, which is linked to the local police station, but I am now discovering that it is, and what’s more, I wish the people at my security company would take up some and develop some of its features. And I’m not talking here about cutting-edge technology, simply common sense.
To cite just one example: my current alarm system requires me to carry around a magnet on my key ring to deactivate it when I come home. The only problem is that it doesn’t work properly, setting off innumerable false alarms.
How does Canary get round this? It knows whether we’re home or not from the GPS on our smartphones, arming or disarming itself as required. If it detects any movement, a sudden increase in the temperature that could be fire, or damp (flooding), it sends us a message. We can then turn on the camera, which has a great wide angle lens that works with very little light, and see what is going on. When we come home, the app turns the system off. And if you’re worried that your phone might run out of battery… buy a spare one! Any minor niggles are far outweighed by the benefits.
I’ve been using it for a month, and haven’t had one false alarm other than warnings when somebody comes into the house that isn’t signed up, or when the GPS on our phones fails. Any warning can be answered with a quick “Everything’s okay.” If you wish, you can provide information about the reason for the alarm, such as a pet, curtains moving in the wind, sunlight reflecting in a mirror, etc. The system learns from this information and tries to avoid future false alarms. The service is free for up to four units with a total storage of 12 hours of video, with a monthly price plan for more sophisticated options.
Can I trust this device in the same way I would a complete alarm system? That’s a bit like comparing apples with oranges. If my current alarm goes off, the company calls me first, and in theory sends the police round in reasonable time. If my Canary alarm goes off, and I see burglars in my living room I will have to call the police and convince them that I have a device that is not officially approved but that yes, there are burglars in my living room. If somebody breaks in via, say a bedroom, the Canary might detect the noise and warn me, but I may not be able to see the wrongdoers until they go into the living room.
There is a siren option, but setting this off would only bother my neighbors and allow the burglars to find the device, which is otherwise very discreet. So we’re not talking about comparable services. Canary isn’t going to detect if your doors or windows have been forced open or if the electricity has been cut off. But I have to say that if I weren’t prepared to pay for the alarm system I have, I would still feel that my home was reasonably safe, and certainly much more so than with no security system.
I should say at this point that I have no relationship whatsoever with the company. I have never considered myself a “product blogger” and I rarely review stuff. When I do, it is because something has genuinely attracted my attention. If you want reviews of the Canary, you can find them on sites like C|Net, GigaOM or Engadget. In my case, I have simply bought something on a crowdfunding site, and even taking into account the delays, my experience has been extremely positive.
Home security is not a subject to be taken lightly, and in no way am I recommending replacing the alarm systems provided by specialist companies for device and an app. Nor am I even suggesting readers buy the Canary, that’s not my job. What I am saying is that I am impressed by a how a startup has developed a product through crowdfunding that incorporates so many innovations in such a minimalist way and applying a great deal more common sense that some companies I know that have been in the security business for many years.
My advice to anybody in the home security business would be to buy this product and examine it closely. They could learn a great deal from its design and workings, as well as benefitting from Canary’s approach to customer relations.
(En español, aquí)
