This home security system can 'see' through walls
Meet Aura
"It used to be that security systems could protect only what was right in front of them," said Geoffrey Fowler at The Wall Street Journal. But Aura, a $500 home security system, can "see" through walls and around corners so you don't have to fill your house with cameras or place motion sensors near every door.
The device spots intruders through disruptions in the invisible radio waves that make up your home's Wi-Fi network. "These are like ripples in a pond, flowing through walls and bouncing around in pretty regular patterns, until something — or someone — gets in the way."
Aura's software is smart enough to differentiate normal disruptions — like a spinning fan or family pet — from potential threats, but it can still be tripped up by a home's layout or an especially active Fido. Also, unlike security cameras, "it won't produce photographic evidence for the cops."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Will auto safety be diminished in Trump's second administration?
Today's Big Question The president-elect has reportedly considered scrapping a mandatory crash-reporting rule
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
One great cookbook: 'A Girl and Her Greens' by April Bloomfield
The Week Recommends Vegetables deserve the best. In this chef-author's hands, they achieve their ultimate potential.
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published