Planning a summer getaway but worried about leaving your house for a few weeks? While statistically you are more likely to suffer a break-in during the winter months when it’s much darker, summer also presents an ideal opportunity for burglars. Even if you're at home there are increased risks, especially if you leave your windows open to get some fresh air into the house during a heatwave.

Of course, there are basic steps you can take to reduce your risk such as asking a neighbor to take in your mail and packages, and making sure windows are closed when you go out. But technology can help big time too. What’s more, you don’t have to spend a fortune on all the gear. Whereas once you had to spend thousands on security cameras and PVRs (personal video recorders) that had to be professionally installed, now you can buy cameras and video doorbells for a fraction of the price that can be controlled easily via your smartphone.

Starting simple

The trick is to start simple. A good idea if you are going away for a long time is to have an indoor camera focused on the most vulnerable part of the house where a burglar is most likely to break in — such as a back door. I’ve got a Nest Cam IQ Indoor focused on my patio doors leading out to the garden. I like it because it can record when it hears sound (such as glass breaking) as well as motion.

However, there are other cheaper models available from companies such as Amazon-owned Blink and Ring as well as lesser-known, but popular, Chinese brands such as EZVIZ, Reolink and Aqara.

Focused on the front door I have a tiny Blink Mini 2K+ which also provides a chime for the Blink video doorbell so we can hear it ringing in the house. Usually, I switch the motion sensor off on the Blink Mini during the day because it’s triggered every time a family member opens the front door which can be a bit of a pain. However, when I go on holiday I switch the motion sensor on just in case.

One important consideration is how footage is stored — either locally on a MicroSD card or in the cloud. Personally, I prefer storing footage locally on an SD card, although the downside is that you will usually have to buy a card separately. The advantage of local storage is that not only is it generally more secure (there have been cases of servers being hacked and private security footage being leaked), it also often works out cheaper in the long term.

That’s because many home security companies will charge you a monthly subscription fee to store all your recorded footage and access advanced AI-driven features such as facial recognition and text descriptions of videos.

While these features may be vaguely useful, especially if you have lots of people coming to the door, for the vast majority it’s probably not worth the monthly fee.

Let’s go outside

Obviously, no discussion of home security is complete without talking about outdoor cameras and video doorbells. Whether it’s summer or winter, these devices are invaluable when it comes to optimizing your home security set-up and helping to prevent burglary.

Choosing the type of outdoor camera you want is largely down to personal choice and the type of property you live in. Generally speaking, outdoor cameras should be mounted reasonably high on your property to give you a better view and to prevent theft.

Many offer a wide viewing angle of between 130 and 180 degrees, while some of the latest models, such as the latest IMOU AOV PT, are pan-and-tilt models that detect and track movement automatically.

Want a security camera to act as a deterrent to an opportunist burglar? Then it’s worth considering a device with a powerful built-in spotlight and loud siren. If there are two things that burglars hate more than anything else, they're excessive noise and light that draws attention to what they are up to. Reolink’s Solar Floodlight Cam covers both bases with twin spotlights either side of the camera and an integrated 110dB siren.

Going solar

Unlike indoor cameras, which usually plug into the mains, powering an outdoor camera is a little more challenging. Although some are designed to plug into the mains via a waterproof housing, most now rely on either disposable/rechargeable batteries and/or solar power. Indeed, solar-powered cameras, such as the Reolink Solar Floodlight Cam mentioned above, have become increasingly popular in the UK particularly as summers have got hotter and panels have become more efficient.

While many of the latest outdoor cameras comprise separate solar panels that need to be mounted separately and plugged into a USB-C socket on the camera, others such as the IMOU Cell 3C come with a solar panel built in. Chinese company Baseus even has an innovative solar-powered camera, the Baseus Security S2, that boasts an innovative rotating solar panel that moves as the sun moves in order to maximize power to the camera.

Deciding how to power your outdoor camera isn’t the only factor you need to consider either. You also need to think about the technology you are going to use to transmit video clips to your phone’s security camera app. While for indoor cameras this is usually WiFi, for outdoor devices getting a connection between the indoor router and outdoor camera can be more challenging — especially over distances of around 30m.

One option therefore, may be to buy a device that offers dual-connectivity, including Wi-Fi and cellular (usually 4G), such as the IMOU AOV PT or Eufy 4G LTE Cam S330.

Optimizing your setup

So you’ve got your outdoor camera. What next? Well, now begins the process of optimizing it for your security needs. Generally, most outdoor cameras are far too sensitive and record far more footage than you actually need to look at. As a result, you could find your entire time on holiday viewing footage of someone walking past your house, or a car whizzing by, instead of enjoying quality time away.

Not only is this highly annoying, it could really waste battery power — something that's both costly and time-consuming, especially if you have to climb up on a ladder to take the device down to recharge or change the batteries every couple of weeks.

Within the app, it’s therefore a good idea to set the motion detection zones so that the camera only records footage captured on your property and also reduce the sensitivity settings too so the camera isn’t recording too much footage. If you know you are going to be away for a set period of time then it’s probably a good idea to ensure the camera can detect motion 24/7, but when you are home you may want to use the menus so it only records at time of the day when you know family members or flat mates aren’t going to be entering or leaving the property (such as night time).

When it comes to video quality, most outdoor cameras now offer at least 1080p video quality. However, some such as the Baseus Security S2 and the Reolink Altas PT Ultra, offer stunning 4K picture quality. While this is great, especially if you want to zoom in on close ups of a potential suspect, most of the time it’s probably unnecessary. By reducing video quality you will be able to store more footage on the SD card/in the cloud and not consume as much power either.

For night-time monitoring, standard infra-red (IR) night vision provides clear monochrome visibility in total darkness while a colour night-vision option uses advanced low-light sensors or built-in LED spotlights to capture colour details after dark.

Video doorbells — it’s good to talk

Think someone may be intruding on your property while you’re not around? All security cameras that I’ve ever tested (probably over 50 now) feature two-way audio so you can, if you so wish, talk directly to the intruder to tell him or her to get off your land. And they can also talk back to you, of course, using the built-in microphone.

Some of the latest models even generate automated messages or use different voices so the person doesn’t actually know who they are talking to (for example the Aqara G100 indoor/outdoor security camera lets you turn your voice into that of a robot or clown.) It’s a feature that some women and teens in particular might find reassuring, especially if they don’t want a man to think they are at home by themselves — though I can’t help thinking of Kevin McCallister in the film Home Alone.

Essentially video doorbells take the technology one step further by enabling you to speak directly to people who press the button, even if you are sitting on beach sipping a strawberry daiquiri on your summer vacation (as with the G100, Aqara’s G410 Doorbell Camera Hub also allows you to disguise your voice). Invented by Ring’s founder Jamie Siminoff back in 2013, video doorbells have really taken off in the last few years with most home security manufacturers now producing models.

Usefully, not only do video doorbells enable you to talk to whoever comes to the door as if you were at home, they can also be set up to detect and record nearby movement just like standard outdoor security cameras. The only real difference is that, whereas outdoor security cameras often have a wide viewing angle and wide aspect ratio, video doorbells tend to offer a much squarer field of view — often 1:1 — so you can see whoever is at the door more clearly.

Advanced functionality

For those looking to replace their traditional doorbell, video doorbells are a great solution. With many models, it’s even possible to use existing doorbell wiring to power them, rather than having to rely on disposable or rechargeable batteries. Many come with separate plug-in chimes so you can hear the doorbell clearly inside the house with a choice of customizable ‘ringtones’, ranging from classical music to Christmas carols.

That’s not to say that video doorbells are the perfect security solution for everyone. They’re not. Often, I’ve found there is quite a lag when you are talking to someone and if you live on a busy street it can be difficult to hear what they are saying. To counter this, some models, including those from Ring, enable you to play automated responses to the visitor, a bit like an old-fashioned answerphone — for example, ‘please leave the parcel outside’ or ‘call back in an hour’s time’.

Another issue is that with subscription services such as Ring Pro you can spend up to $19.99 / £15.99 a month on premium features such as person, package and vehicle alerts, video descriptions and 180 day video playback. At least with a Blink video doorbell it’s possible to store clips on the Blink Sync Module 2 hub using a separate USB drive while the TP Link Tapo D235 is one of the few doorbells with integrated MicroSD storage (it also offers free AI smart detection to distinguish between vehicles, pets and people).

Complete security solutions

Looking for a more advanced security solution for when you go away over the summer? Most manufacturers will allow you to view several cameras via their app. However, if you want to put different types of security devices together — such as locks, lights and a burglar alarm — then you will need a more advanced setup.

For example, one advantage of the Aqara G410 video doorbell is that it’s actually a fully-fledged smart home hub with a built-in Matter bridge and Thread border router that can be used as part of a smart home ecosystem such as Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Smart Things.

Owned by Amazon, Ring products including cameras, video doorbells and burglar alarms can easily be controlled using Alexa routines with footage viewable via Echo Show devices. Furthermore, Ring Alarm also supports certified third-party products via the encrypted Z-Wave network, including smart locks from Yale, Schlage and Kwikset. This means you can lock/unlock doors, manage guest PIN codes and trigger automated security routines (such as arming the alarm when the door is locked) all inside the Ring app.

Securing your home for summer

With the summer holiday season well and truly upon us, and houses left empty as we down tools for a well needed break, now is the time to think about securing your home. While traditional precautions — such as securing windows, clearing letterboxes and locking away garden tools (including ladders) — remain essential precautions, modern technology can help too.

Protecting your home against burglary needn’t cost the earth either. You can now buy indoor cameras focused on vulnerable parts of the house for less than $70 / £50 while most outdoor cameras and video doorbells cost between $120 / £100 and $250 / £200. And while subscription charges do push up prices, often these aren’t necessary — especially if you can store footage locally on an SD card or USB drive.

Ultimately, combining the latest tech solutions with solid physical security will give you the peace of mind needed for you to truly unwind, ensuring your home remains a well-guarded fortress while you enjoy your break.

• Alexa+ has turned a little scary in one household
• A simple counting task enabled a creepy voice
• Some other users are reporting similar bugs in the AI

If you're already worried about the potential dangers of AI chatbots, this one probably isn't for you: an Amazon Echo user has reported Alexa+ "breathing and making guttural sounds" while engaged in the supposedly innocent task of counting to 40 (in Spanish).

There's video evidence on Reddit (via Android Authority), and it's pretty spooky to listen to — so only click the play button if you're sure you want to hear a disembodied AI-generated voice that sounds somewhat possessed.

According to the user who posted the video, they asked Alexa+ to count up to 40, which prompted the strange sounds. It's not an ideal response, especially as there were two five-year-old kids listening who just wanted a simple countdown.

Apparently, the original poster was then able to get the same thing happening on a separate Amazon Echo in another room. "Needless to say, the Alexas in my house are now unplugged and I've reported the whole thing to Amazon," they report.

A little bit too expressive

My Alexa started breathing and making guttural sounds while counting my kids to sleep. I have it on video. from r/amazonecho

While it's possible that some kind of user error or AI fakery has produced this video, it's odd that it would happen on two different devices — and there's at least one other user in the Reddit thread saying they've experienced something similar.

It's almost certainly down to a bug in Alexa+: the new and upgraded AI assistant is intended to be more conversational and more expressive, and in this case it seems to have gone too far (in the same way that AI chatbots can introduce hallucinations and tangents when writing out text).

When pushed, Alexa+ itself said that "something in my environment" must have caused the glitch, though it's not clear what that something might be. Perhaps it's the ghost of Alexa past, which Alexa+ has now replaced.

The Reddit reactions describe the speaker as "haunted", "terrifying", and in need of an exorcism, though the fix is likely to be no more complicated than a tweak to the Alexa+ AI model from Amazon's side.

• A Google Home Speaker is revealed in an early unboxing
• The sound quality and app interface are reportedly impressive
• However, the power cable can't be removed from the device

The brand new Google Home Speaker is about to finally go on sale, but an early unboxing video posted online reveals a design decision made by Google that a lot of users are likely to be less than pleased about: the power cable can't be removed.

You can check out the unboxing over on Reddit (via Android Authority), which shows off the aesthetics of the device that we've known about since the first official reveal last October — as well as giving us the revelation about the power cable.

The Nest Mini device that the Google Home Speaker is more or less replacing does have a removable USB-C power cable, which means when it's not in use, you can tidy it away more easily. On the other hand, the Nest Audio — another speaker now discontinued since the new model arrived — has a fixed power cable.

It seems that a removable power cable is something that quite a few smart speaker owners care about. "This is a nightmare for repairability, for which I am a massive proponent," writes the original unboxer.

Some positives, one negative

As per the information supplied in the video, the Google Home Speaker comes with a USB-C cable that's around 5 feet (1.52 meters) in length that can't be unplugged. There's a 30W power brick on the other end that can be removed.

On the plus side, our unboxer reports that the sound quality from the speaker is good, that the app component has a "cool" interface, and that setting up the device is straightforward — apparently it takes less than 10 minutes.

As with the Nest Mini, there are apparently touch controls available on top of the speaker, as well as hidden lights to report status information and volume levels. On the whole the first impressions from this user are positive ones.

It's just the power cable situation that's drawing criticism: "the non-removable cord killed it for me" writes one poster (who is apparently worried about cats playing with the cord), while the original poster says they're "extremely disappointed in the engineers". Another comment takes a dim view too: "The reason is always money."