Skip to main content

Know who’s at the door even if you aren’t there yourself with the Xchime

Xchime Doorbell: Watch your home from your phone
You don’t have to answer your door to know who’s there. Not if you have the Xchime Video Doorbell. The connected device features a 1080 HD live video camera to connect you directly to your visitors via your smartphone, tablet, or computer. So even if you’re not at home, you can take care of business.
Recommended Videos

The weather-resistant doorbell is motion-activated. If you’re away on vacation, you can track activity at your doorstep by reviewing all live and recorded footage from the Xchime directly from the companion app. You can also protect your home from intruders using the doorbell’s smart light integration — whenever it detects someone in the frame, it can turn on a light inside your home, making would-be burglars believe that there might be someone at home.

While there are a number of smart doorbells on the market, the Xchime claims to differentiate itself with a compendium of features and a more accessible price point. Not only does it feature a few standard features that all its competitors (like Ring Pro, Skybell HD, and August) offer, including two-way audio, video communication, night vision, wide-view angle, and video live-view, it also stands apart in a few ways. For example, Xchime is one of the only doorbells on the market to promise to operate in a wide temperature range, feature a garage-door integration, employ latency-free streaming, and come with a dual power supply. Plus, it costs under $130.

That price tag, of course, is only good for backers on Indiegogo who take advantage of this “earliest bird” pricing. Included in this package is the Xchime Video Doorbell, a mounting bracket, and an installation toolkit. Thus far, Xchime has raised over $54,000, more than double its initial funding goal, and there are still over two weeks in the campaign. If you choose to pre-order now, delivery is estimated for August 2017.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Coronavirus antibody tests aren’t created equal. Here’s what you need to know
Researcher in Lab with Blood Sample Test

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently decided to tighten the regulations on coronavirus antibody tests. These tests are supposed to help people know whether they were previously infected with the virus, but the FDA admitted that many of them aren’t accurate enough to be useful.

Whether you’ve already been administered an antibody test or hope to get one in the future, here’s what you need to know about whether to trust the results.
What are antibodies?
When your body is exposed to an antigen -- or outside substance including viruses, bacteria, and certain chemicals -- it causes the immune system to attack it. As part of the response, white blood cells create a certain kind of protein called antibodies. These proteins can only bind to that specific type of antigen, and they can help the body more quickly respond to the virus or bacteria, making you less likely to get sick from the exact same strain twice.

Read more
Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Ultrafast toothbrushes and a laptop/phone hybrid
awesome tech you cant buy yet screen shot 2020 04 03 at 4 13 08 pm

At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there -- alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the fidget spinners and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting new crowdfunding projects out there this week. Keep in mind that any crowdfunding project -- even those with the best intentions -- can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams. 
April 5
Eyesy -- video synthesizer

When it comes to creating and mixing sounds, there are countless tools available to help you out. We’ve got musical instruments, MIDI controllers, synthesizers, loop pedals, drum pads, and all manner of digital audio workstations to help you mix it all together. But when it comes to visuals, there aren’t really a lot of tools available to artists. Eyesy aims to change that. It’s a video synthesizer that allows you to create reactive visuals that respond to music in real time.
Arebo -- whole body dryer

Read more
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.

Read more