Deposit Checks From Home?

By Digital Trends Staff Published October 25, 2009

Tired of lines in the bank when you want to go and deposit a check? Soon you might not have to wait. Instead you’ll be able scan your items and deposit them electronically, according to an AP story. The technology, called Remote Deposit Capture, is the brainchild of CheckFree Corp., has been mostly used for businesses, but the company is introduced a version for individuals two weeks ago, as long as their banks offered the service. Rod Springhetti, vice president of global strategic marketing at Check Free, said, "I think the ability to remotely capture a check will become part of the standard features and functions of online banking." The idea is basic enough. You scan both sides of the check, then go to your bank’s site, enter the amount of the deposit, and that’s it. Currently a majority of banks either already use the technology with business clients or want to, according to a Celent survey, while 20% have the technology or individuals or plan on employing it, with another 20% considering it.

Digital Trends Staff

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Smart Home

Best home security camera deals: Ring, Arlo, Blink and more on sale

These are the best security camera deals available right now

Prime Day 2022 security camera deals graphic.

There's a lot of peace of mind to be had by equipping yourself with home security cameras, especially if you live in a rough neighborhood or have dealt with issues in the past and want to have some form of backup or oversight. The great thing is that in the past decade or so, security cameras have come a long way, and nowadays, you can get things like wireless security cameras that let you access them remotely from wherever you are through an application. Of course, that does mean that there is a huge selection out there, which is why we've collected some of our favorite security camera deals below, although if you're in the Amazon ecosystem, it might be worth checking out these Ring camera deals.
Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Security Camera -- $30 $50 41% off

While this is ostensibly made for your garage, there's no reason the Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage can't work for other uses as well, especially if you don't need the highest quality of recording. It has an HD camera, which isn't a ton, but it does have an impressive 130-degree field of view. The MyQ also connects through dual-band Wi-Fi for a better connection, and it even has two-way communication, which is impressive for something at this price bracket.

Branded Content

Tesla Powerwall is the best solar, home backup, and EV charging companion

Tesla Powerwall 3 installed on outside of home

Solar power, and having solar panels on your home, is a fantastic way to conserve energy and cut down on power bills, especially if you live somewhere sunny like Florida or California. There's just one glaring issue. When the grid goes down you still lose power because of how it's connected. Your solar panels cannot generate enough energy or keep it stored to keep your power on. So, essentially, your power setup doesn't offer much benefit there, unless you get a home power backup system. More specifically, something like a Tesla Powerwall is a compact home battery that stores energy generated from the grid. That energy is then used as a backup when traditional grid power is unavailable.

To make it even more clear, with a Tesla Powerwall, the power stays on even during a major blackout or outage. It's whole-home backup, too, which means you can power your lights, appliances, electronics, you name it. If you've ever had to throw away an entire refrigerator's worth of spoiled food because of a multi-day outage -- like I have -- you'll certainly appreciate the option to keep your appliances running. But that's not all it can do. The Tesla Powerwall is an excellent companion for Tesla EV owners, creating an entire smart ecosystem of power. Let's explore.

Smart Home

More BLUETTI Black Friday deals for home power backup and more — Save over $200

BLUETTI Charger 1 visualization of it connected to power station in back of jeep

Continuing coverage of BLUETTI Black Friday deals, including one of its latest portable power stations the Elite 200 V2, we have a few more callouts worth taking a look at. Where before the main focus was home battery backup or a solid portable power option for off-grid, these deals are smaller in scope. The BLUETTI AC180 solar portable power station, for instance, features a 1,152-watt-hour capacity, which is not nearly as massive as what you get with the Elite 200 V2, but that's the point. It's manageable, has 11 outlets to power multiple devices simultaneously, and has a built-in MPPT charge controller and 500-watt solar input for fast charging via solar. It's best for use on the go or on the road, just like the BLUETTI Charger 1.

Enough about the gear, let's talk about those deal prices. As an aside, right now you can use code DT01 for an extra 5% discount on top of all sale prices. That code is exclusive to Digital Trends readers and applicable to all products on BLUETTI's website.