Got a spare old smartphone, this is
how to use it as a security and
monitoring device
New phones are being brought to the
market each and every day. And number of
smartphones per person is increasing, so
is the problem of stacking of old phones.
how great it would be to use your obsolete
device as something really useful.
In this article, I am gonna guide on utilising
your phone’s camera for monitoring
purpose. Whether it be an Android or iOS.
Step 1: Getting a security camera app
To begin, you will need to choose a
security camera app for your phone. Most
apps offer up much of the same features,
such as local streaming, cloud streaming,
recording and storing footage locally or
remotely, and motion detection and alerts.
Once you’re set up, you will be able to
monitor your living space and control your
security camera from anywhere, straight
from your phone.
Security camera app for iOS
One of the best options for turning an old
iOS device into a security camera is an
application called Manything (a mash-up of
monitor anything). With Manything, you can
set up motion alerts, choose between a
video or stills-only mode, and even
integrate with IFTTT for virtually endless
ways to configure your security camera.
Manything is a free download from the App
Store and comes with a completely free
plan, allowing up to one camera and free
recording (which is set to change later this
year).
To get started:
> Download Manything from the App Store
to both the old and new iOS devices.
> From the old phone, open Settings and
disable Auto Lock under General.
>Register or sign in to Manything using an
email address or Facebook account.
>Select Camera mode with the old iOS
device and Viewer mode for the new
device.
>Press the red button from the camera
device to start the live stream.
>From the new phone, the live stream will
appear in the list of streaming devices.
Alternatively, you can view the stream
from a computer by signing in at
manything.com.
For Android:
The situation is very similar on Android.
Despite so many options to choose from,
one of the best security camera
applications available is IP Webcam. There
is a lite version available completely free
of charge, but you will need to purchase
the Pro version of the app for $3.99 to
unlock all features.
IP Webcam broadcasts both locally and
over the cloud using a service called
Ivideon, so you can view your stream, live,
from anywhere.
To setup your Android phone as a security
camera:
>Download IP Webcam from Google Play
to your old Android smartphone.
>Launch IP Webcam and set your video
preferences, effects, power management
settings, and motion or sound detecting, if
desired.
>To broadcast the stream remotely,
register or sign in to Ivideon, test
compatibility and enable the cloud stream.
>To start the stream, select Start server at
the very bottom of the app.
>To view the stream:
>>Find the provided IP address and port
number on the phone setup as a security
camera. From another device (computer,
smartphone, or tablet), enter the IP
address in the address bar of the Web
browser.
>>If you setup an Ivideon cloud stream,
from a computer, visit ivideon.com and
sign in.
Step 2: Choosing a spot to position
your camera
After you have the stream up and running,
you will need to setup and position the
camera. You may want it facing the main
entry point to your home, your backyard,
where you store valuables or a point you
think might be particularly vulnerable. You
can also setup an IP camera as a baby
monitor.
If you have multiple old phones lying
around, you can setup multiple cameras for
fairly robust video coverage.
Step 3:Mounting and powering up
your camera(s)
To mount or position the camera, a small
smartphone tripod or suction car mount
can work wonders and help you position
the camera in an inconspicuous place.
To broaden the field of view, consider
buying a wide angle lens for your phone,
which can be purchased for between $5
and $20 (under about £13 or AU$28)
online.
Streaming video is very power-intensive,
and the phone will be on 24/7. To keep the
phone from dying in the first few hours,
you will need to position it close to a
power source. A really long Micro-USB or
lightning cable will add some flexibility to
where you position the camera.
This was all about using your old phone as
a security camera. If there are any better
apps available for this task than those
mentioned above, do let us know in the
comments.
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