Latest news with #RingDoorbell
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm obsessed with ‘no wires' Ring doorbell that lets you easily find anything in seconds – & I didn't need to drill
Sean Keach, Head of Technology and Science Published: Invalid Date, SOMETIMES the best tech is just the stuff that's easiest to use. That's always been Apple's style – and Amazon has managed the same feat with its top-notch Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus. 11 It's not the catchiest name, but this is one of the best smart home gadgets on the market. Ring video doorbells hardly need an introduction. They sit next to your front door, waiting for motion and then filming it for your smartphone viewing pleasure. More of my neighbours have them than not. It sounds a bit 1984, but they let you dodge people selling solar panels – and there's a speaker for telling delivery drivers not to leave your package upside down in the rain. And naturally we all hope that they'll put off trespassers and even burglars from trying their luck too. But one thing has always turned me off Ring doorbells: drilling. Hate it. It's faff. What if you don't have a drill? What if you don't want to drill? It's a layer of annoyance I just don't need in my life. Enter: the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus. My hero. My £129.99 hero. I've been trying it out for weeks now, and I'm convinced it's one of the best products I've ever owned. Warning to criminals as new Ring doorbell AI feature makes it even easier to catch you STICK TO IT Normally a Ring doorbell connects to your house in two ways, neither of which I love. The first is through the wires that would connect a regular doorbell, giving it power. And the second is through screws, which turn into holes that you've drilled in your wall. They're both layers of friction that I don't love, which is why I do love the Battery Video Doorbell Plus. For a start, it doesn't need any wiring. It has a built-in battery that needs a recharge every four to eight months. I've been using mine for nearly two months, and the battery has dropped by about 30%. So that feels about right. This doorbell can be drilled to the wall, but I picked up Ring's sticky mount for £17 (buy here). It slaps straight onto the wall (though you do have to press it down for five minutes), and then you're sorted. Now if I ever want to remove my doorbell setup, I don't have to disconnect wires or fill any holes. I just yank it off the wall and away I go. Set up is easy. The doorbell connects to the Ring app on your phone and away you go. EASY VIEWING So what else does it do, besides attaching to my wall in a simple and effective way? At its most basic, you can get it to notify you when someone presses the doorbell or comes onto your property. Motion Zones make it easy to avoid detecting movement on the street – you can just draw on the app's video feed to block out areas you don't want monitored. And you can set up Privacy Zones to shut out your neighbouring properties too (or your own windows, if your front door is set back). Two-way audio lets you chat to visitors. And it the doorbell can even detect whether it's seeing a person – or an animal, or car. Automated replies work like an 'out of office' for your home, telling couriers that you're away and to leave the post at the door. And you can have different settings depending on whether you're at home or away using a 'geofencing' feature. It's got night vision. Even colour night vision. And Smart Video Search lets you type in phrases (like 'red car') to spot specific moments. You might even find crooks with a search like 'person in garden last night'. It'll find basically anything you're looking for in seconds. Very clever. The video quality is very sharp. It's officially 1536p HD. But a more useful description is: you can easily see details even at a distance, and it's effective even in poor lighting. 11 It has a broad field of view, so you shouldn't miss a thing. You can always mount it with a slight tilt too, if needed for awkward porch/garden layouts. The other accessory that I snapped up to improve my Ring experience was a Chime. It's basically a speaker for your doorbell, if you want something more traditional than just phone notifications. You plug it into the mains, and leave it there. They cost between £20 and £30 (buy here), and they're decent – but by no means necessary. A-DOOR IT The doorbell's main benefit is peace of mind. Your house has all of your stuff. Your precious belongings. Your front door is the gateway to that treasure trove. Knowing who is at your door – no matter where you are in the world – in some ways feels priceless. It resolves the issue of not being able to contact delivery drivers while you're away, or the fear that suspicious antics are going on while you're on holiday. And I think it gives your neighbourhood a more general feeling of safety. It's neighbourhood watch in the literal sense. And maybe it's not technically a feature, but I love seeing surprise clips of my wife pulling funny faces at the camera for me to watch later. It turns a boring part of our lives – opening and closing the door – into a fun scrapbook of easily-missed memories. It's also had some tangible perks. I couldn't for the life of me find my cap the other day. It was only be reviewing Ring footage that I could see I'd left home with it earlier in the week – and came back without it. I never did find that cap. But I knew I'd lost it in a place I'd never get it back. So it gave me the peace of mind to buy a new cap, rather than going through the cupboards and drawers again for the sixteenth time. CASHING ON The main downside is that some of the best perks are locked behind a subscription. The £129.99 fee for the doorbell only gets you the gadget itself, plus basic benefits like notifications for a doorbell press. If you pay £4.99 a month, you get 180 days of Video Event History and package alerts. Then there's Standard, which is £7.99 a month and adds in doorbell calling, extended live views, cover for all of your devices, and all of the Basic perks too. There's a Premium plan for £15.99 a month that wraps in 24/7 recording, continuous live view, and Smart Video Search. The one you pick comes down to your own needs, but you can probably get by with Basic. Anything less and I think you're missing out, personally. RING IT UP? This is a brilliant device. It's not the cheapest Ring doorbell (or even video doorbell generally), but it's easy to use, very effective, and has no-nonsense set up. Now I've got it, I can't imagine not having one. And I suppose that's one of the best endorsements a gadget can get. The Sun says: Easily worth the £130 fee – but you'll need the monthly subscription to get the best value from it. A genuinely life-improving gadget that I'd struggle to give up. 4.5/5 All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase. 11
Gizmodo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
The Ring Doorbell Is 50% Off, Plus You Get a FREE Ring Indoor Cam for Early Prime Day
Amazon's Prime Day deals have arrived early, and this year the bargains aren't just for Prime members: anyone can reap deep discounts on Amazon devices including the top-selling Ring family. The ring battery doorbell is a current top seller in its category and is on sale for $99. It's a great value on its own, but Amazon went one better and put together a bundle that's nearly irresistible: You can get both the ring battery doorbell and the ring indoor cam 2nd gen right now for just $69. That's cheaper than you'd pay for the doorbell by itself, and you're getting the indoor camera basically for free. See at Amazon This bundle is at an all-time low price, which makes it one of the best home security deals you'll find on Amazon. The bundle's list price is $139, so you're saving $70 right off the bat. With a 4.8 out of 5 rating from over 700 reviews, this deal is hard to resist. The ring battery doorbell included in this bundle is the latest version of Ring's best-selling video doorbell. It features head-to-toe video which offers 66% more vertical coverage compared to previous models. This lets you see more of what's happening at your doorstep,. With two-way talk and live view, you can see and speak to a person at your door via your phone directly, whether at home or not. Installation is simple—just charge the doorbell, snap it in, and sync it with your phone. There is no need for complicated wiring or professional installation. The doorbell is user-friendly, so you can install it in minutes. The ring indoor cam 2nd gen adds a security layer inside your home. You can observe what's happening internally, look in on pets, or keep an eye on other rooms from anywhere using the Ring app with this camera. The camera also supports 24/7 recording with a compatible Ring Home subscription which lets you scroll and view footage at any moment. Both of these cameras are compatible with Alexa, so you can hear custom notifications on your Echo Dot or start live video feeds with your Echo Show. Hands-free integration makes it even easier to keep up with your home using voice commands and smart displays. Don't miss the opportunity to keep your home secure at a historically low price point, this deal won't last long. See at Amazon
Daily Mail
20-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Burglar who murdered grandmother, 69, in her own home after her horrified daughter watched the break-in on Ring doorbell is jailed for life
A burglar who brutally murdered a grandmother in her own home while her horrified daughter witnessed the break-in on Ring doorbell footage has been jailed for life. Natasha Flynn Farrell, 38, watched on in fear as the doorbell camera captured the moment Dean Mears, 34, forced his way into 69-year-old Catherine Flynn's seaside home. Harrowing audio captured on a Ring doorbell showed the moment the scaffolder who was 'high on drugs' dragged Ms Flynn, who had mobility issues and used a Zimmer frame, out of bed and repeatedly stamped on her face and neck at least 15 times. Ms Farrell, who received a notification from the doorbell camera at 10:27pm, was left helpless as she heard her terrified mother begging: 'Please don't!' The distressing footage showed Mears shouting 'Where are the keys?' at Ms Flynn pleaded for her life. Then, less than two minutes after the break in, the 43-year-old dived out of the broken window, leaving Ms Flynn with 'severe' injuries and in a pool of her own blood. Tragically, the mother and grandmother passed away in hospital the following day. However, Ms Flynn's quick-thinking to keep the Ring doorbell footage open, helped detectives gain crucial evidence to convict her mother's savage killer. Harrowing audio captured on a Ring doorbell reveals the moment the scaffolder who was 'high on drugs' dragged Ms Flynn (pictured), who had mobility issues and used a Zimmer frame, out of bed and repeatedly stamped on her face and neck at least 15 times Ms Farrell, who received a notification from the doorbell camera at 10:27pm, was left helpless as she heard her terrified mother begging: 'Please don't!' The distressing footage (pictured) showed Mears shouting 'Where are the keys?' at Ms Flynn pleaded for her life Appearing at Caernarfon Crown Court today, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence term of 28 years. Judge Rhys Rowlands described the horrific incident as a 'case of unusual savagery, a merciless killing of an extremely vulnerable lady in her own home'. Speaking to Mears, of Kinmel Bay, he added: 'You clearly are an extremely dangerous individual and have shown no real remorse for the dreadful violence inflicted on Mrs Flynn that night.' The prosecutor said Ms Flynn had suffered 'severe injuries' to her face and brain that left her with 'no chance' of survival. Meanwhile, pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers told the jury that the 'catastrophic' injuries were similar to those seen in a high-speed motor vehicle collisions. Adding that they were caused by 'repeated, severe blunt force trauma that shattered all her facial bones', he said: 'He inflicted such severe damage to the face of Mrs Flynn that she had no chance of surviving this vicious, unprovoked assault.' Ms Farrell who said in an impact statement that she still had 'nightmares' about the horrific ordeal in October last year, described re-watching the chilling video of her beloved mum, known as 'Queenie', and hearing the sound of the 15 thuds, as 'like being tortured'. However, she knew that she 'had to watch it play out' and 'had to stay on it for it to be recorded'. The prosecutor said Ms Flynn had suffered 'severe injuries' to her face and brain that left her with 'no chance' of survival. Meanwhile, pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers told the jury that the 'catastrophic' injuries were similar to those seen in a high-speed motor vehicle collisions Speaking directly to Mears, she told the murderer across the courtroom: 'I want my face and words etched into your brain, like you are into mine. The trauma plays over and over in my head'. 'She worshipped her family. My mum's home was her safe space. I will never forgive you Dean Mears. I hope you never see the streets again. 'How could you do what you did to my Queenie? I am lost and frightened and our family will never be the same.' A judge previously said that drugs had 'ruined Mears' life, having began using cannabis aged 13 or 14 before moving on to use cocaine and ketamine. At the time of the incident, Mears had taken ketamine, cannabis and cocaine. Despite calls by many for the decriminalisation of cannabis use, Ms Farrell feels strongly against such view, adding: 'No drug is soft, a drug is a drug for a reason'. After the fatal burglary, Mears returned to his friend's home, and stripped off his trousers and underwear, before being seen on CCTV walking semi-naked in the town. The convicted drug dealer, who had broken every bone in Ms Flynn's face, admitted manslaughter but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility, insisting that he could not remember the incident. The judge told him: 'Mrs Flynn had been an extremely vulnerable lady who was killed by you in what should have been the safety of her own home after you had broken in.' Addressing the jury, he said: 'I can't give any explanation to this terrible thing I have done. I accept I've done what I have done but I had no intention to hurt anybody'. He also claimed that he had mistaken the home in the seaside town of Rhyl, north Wales, for being empty, arguing that he had been targeting a neighbouring house instead. Ms Farrell's family described the mother-of-three as a 'wonderful' woman who would 'help anyone if she could'. They added: 'Catherine was a wonderful mum, nan, great nan, auntie, and sister, and also a second mother to many and a great friend. 'She loved her family more than anything, she was a fantastic cook and was always wanting to feed anyone in her company. 'Her passing has left a huge hole in everyone's hearts, things will never be the same without our Queenie. We've not only lost our mum and nan, we've lost our best friend, our safe place, our security, our backbone of the family and our daily ray of sunshine.' Deanne Mcginty of the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Dean Mears inflicted a brutal attack on Catherine Flynn in her own home, a place where she should have been safe. 'Mears' actions resulted in a tragic loss of life, and that loss is deeply felt by the family and friends of Catherine. 'Our thoughts will remain with them.' Senior Investigating Officer Superintendent Lee Boycott said: 'Mears broke into Cathy Flynn's home whilst she was sleeping and ferociously and repeatedly stamped on her in a brutal and violent unprovoked attack. 'The injuries Cathy sustained were not survivable and she tragically died the following day in hospital. 'His abhorrent actions that night was witnessed by Cathy's daughter on her doorbell footage, which will undoubtedly stay with her and her family forever.'
Gizmodo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Gizmodo
This Ring Doorbell Drops to 50% Off, Now $10 Below Its Black Friday Price for a Limited Time
Grant yourself peace of mind in your own home. The Ring Doorbell is comprehensive home security solution. With its enhanced video quality, precise motion detection, and seamless integration with Alexa, the Ring Doorbell offers unmatched convenience and security. Upgrade your home security today and allow yourself top-tier home monitoring with the Ring Doorbell, which happens to be part of a limited time deal at Amazon. That's right, for a the time being, you can save an even 50% on the battery-powered Ring Doorbell. It's normally priced at $100, but after the discount, you can nab it for just $50. That's a savings of—you guessed it—$50. See at Amazon Unmatched Security Ring's premier battery-powered doorbell camera is equipped with an HD camera, offering an expansive field of view that ensures you see more of what's happening at your front door. The 2024 model of the Ring Doorbell utilizes 66% more vertical coverage than the previous model. A larger field of view means you'll you'll have coverage head to toe of anyone stepping onto your property, and then you can zoom in anytime for closer look. This high-definition video quality delivers exceptional clarity, allowing you to identify visitors and packages with ease. Security doesn't stop when the sun goes down. Thanks to its enhanced imaging sensors, the Ring Doorbell delivers clear color and clarity even in low-light conditions. This means you'll have peace of mind knowing that your home is protected day and night. See at Amazon Never miss a delivery again with the Ring Doorbell's Person + Package Alerts. This exclusive feature, available with a Ring Protect subscription, notifies you when your package is detected within a specified zone. Say goodbye to stolen packages and hello to that new expensive Breville espresso maker you finally ordered. The Ring Doorbell is designed for convenience, powered by a Quick Release Battery Pack that allows for quick and easy recharging. No more dealing with hardwiring or complicated installations. Simply recharge the battery pack and keep your doorbell running smoothly. Seamless Integration with Alexa Enhance your home automation setup by connecting the Ring Doorbell with Alexa on compatible Echo devices. This integration enables announcements and Two-Way Talk, allowing you to communicate with visitors directly from the comfort of your home. Whether you're in the kitchen or upstairs, you'll always be connected to your front door. For a limited time, you can get the newest-model of the Ring Battery Doorbell for just $50 (down from $100). You'll be saving a nice $50 on your purchase. See at Amazon
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'I was fined for spending six hours in a car park - I was only there 20 minutes!'
A DRIVER has blasted a 'disgusting' fine which claimed he had parked for six hours in a car park - when he had been there for just 20 minutes. Sam Surridge, of Worboys Road, St Johns, was shocked and confused to receive a letter from Euro Car Parks stating he had exceeded the maximum stay at Tybridge Retail Park by several hours and had to pay £100. The 61-year-old said: "They sent a picture of my van leaving the car park which they say was taken at 4.13pm, but it can't be because my van was in my driveway from 10.45am and throughout the afternoon. "They said I was there for five hours and 53 minutes when I couldn't have been there for any more than 20 minutes. "There is no way that photo could have been taken when they say it was taken." Tybridge Retail Park's car park gives visitors up to two hours of free parking. Mr Surridge's Ring doorbell caught him leaving his home at around 10am on Saturday, May 31, before returning at 10.45am, meaning he would have been in the retail park for no more than 45 minutes. Now, he is using his doorbell footage in an attempt to have the parking fine cancelled. "I have appealed my fine and sent them evidence that my van was on my driveway all day," he said. "But the worrying part is what if I did not have a Ring doorbell which captured when I left and came home? "I'm just concerned it will happen to other people." More: More: More: Euro Car Park, the company that issued Mr Surridge's fine, offers a reduced parking charge of £60 if the fine is paid within two weeks being issued. However, it took almost two weeks before he received the notice, giving him just three days to pay or appeal before the fine becomes £100. "I think it is disgusting," Mr Surridge said. "This is either a system error or it is fraud." Euro Car Park has been contacted by Worcester News for a comment but had not responded by the time we went to press.
