The Backdrop

Dropcam iOS Apps Now Support Scheduling and Location-based Camera Control

Tiffany Pham — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:00:22 +0000

You asked for more control of your Dropcam and now you’ve got it! We are proud to announce that you can now set your Dropcam to turn off or on based on pre-determined settings such as location, time, or day.

Dropcam version 2.1 for iOS lets you program Dropcam in a variety of ways:

Time Scheduling

Set Dropcam to turn on and off at set times within a day
Set your alerts (Motion, Sound, and Offline) to turn on and off at set times within a day
Set multiple schedules. For example, you can set up a weekday schedule for when you are at work, and a weekend schedule for when you are home!
Currently this feature is on the website and iOS (iPhone / iPad) only. An update for Android will be coming soon

Location-based Camera Control

Set Dropcam to turn off when you return home and turn on when you leave
Turn your alerts (Motion, Sound, and Offline) to turn on and off using a location that you set
Set different locations. For example, you can set your home, work, or school as the location (but only one location can be set at a time).
Currently this feature is available on iPhone only. An update for Android will be coming soon

Share your feedback with us by commenting here or Tweeting to @Dropcam or @DropcamHelp if you have questions.

This new functionality is available as a free update today to Dropcam iPhone app and Dropcam iPad app in the Apple App Store.

Announcing the new Dropcam app for iPad

Tiffany Pham — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 23:06:24 +0000

You asked for it and now it’s here—Dropcam for iPad. We heard all your requests and suggestions and we’re proud to announce that you can now watch what you love on your iPad.

Our engineering team worked hard to develop what we think is a great experience on iPad including:

HD Video
See your video as you would expect: in full-screen 720p. The app delivers high-resolution video that allows you to see details no other Internet connected camera can display on iPad.

DVR Timeline
The scrollable DVR timeline allows you to see multiple events at once. Watch all your recorded video with just the swipe of a finger.

Photo Snapshot
With the tap of a button take a still photo of your video as it’s playing on your iPad. Images are automatically saved to your photo library, ready for you to share.

Multiple Cameras View
Watch everything at once, in the palm of your hands. With the new iPad app, you can now watch up to four different Dropcams at one time. Power user with more than four? Simply swipe to the next screen.

My Clips for iPad
Keep your memories with you. My Clips for iPad allows you to watch your clips over and over again from anywhere.

We hope you’ll agree. Share your feedback with us by commenting here or emailing support@dropcam.com.

Download Dropcam for iPad now from the App Store or if you want to learn more go to dropcam.com.

And the Dropcam Halloween Contest Winners Are…

davidcorea — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 03:47:00 +0000

Noel Portugal and Milenko Strika! Both of these submissions were so unique and priceless that we had to feature them both as contest winners.

In his video above, Noel shows off his one-of-a-kind haunted house, which resembles the Disney Haunted Mansion ride more than just a lit up home.

Milenko’s video below captures his baby’s very first steps on camera. For being such a momentous occasion and precious moment, we had to select this video as a winner, as well.

Congratulations to both Noel and Milenko! You both have won Free Dropcam DVR service for life!

Thank you to all who participated in our Halloween DVR contest! We had a blast watching all of your video entries.

Dropcam Apps now support iPhone 5 and Jelly Bean (Android 4.1)

Tiffany Pham — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:00:00 +0000

We like to stay up-to-date with technology, and more importantly with what you want. With the new iPhone 5 and Jelly Bean update for Android, it was a no-brainer that we needed to update our Dropcam mobile apps.

Dropcam iPhone App 1.7.2 supports iPhone 5

Full support for the new iPhone 5 screen resolution has been added in our app release 1.7.2. This update will also show more items in your event list past the ‘Load More…’ button.

Dropcam for Android 2.2.0 improves events and notifications

Version 2.2.0 of the Android app is now available. Changes include:

Improved support for Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Devices running Jelly Bean will receive enhanced alert notifications
Thumbnail images in the event list are now animated
Added microphone and rotation controls to the Settings screen
Times are now shown in the camera’s time zone
Many bug fixes and performance improvements

See the full gallery on Posterous

The updates should appear on your iPhone or Android in the next few days. You can also go to the Dropcam iPhone app page or the Dropcam for Android page and download it directly.

Win Free Dropcam DVR for life when you share a video clip

Tiffany Pham — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:00:00 +0000

October is the month for spooky costumes and making memories. This Halloween, share a video clip of a memory you captured on camera and you could win free recording for life! Whether it’s the neighborhood kids playing a prank or the cutest pumpkin carving you’ve ever seen, you could win free DVR recording forever!

Here’s how to enter:

Make a video clip of your favorite Halloween related moment. (Don’t worry, it can be from anytime in October.)
How to make and share a clip »
Include the words “Dropcam Halloween Contest” in your clip title
Share it to Facebook or YouTube by November 3rd. Your video clip must be publicly viewable to count.

We’ll choose a winning video based on originality and entertainment. The more videos you share, the better your chances to win! Be sure to check our blog on November 9th to see if you’re the lucky winner!

Don’t have a Dropcam?

That’s okay! Share a video clip that you captured on your own camera and you’re still in the running. Don’t forget to include “Dropcam Halloween Contest” in the title!

Looking for ways to celebrate your Halloween?

Haunt your house! Dim the lights, or turn them off completely. The night vision from your Dropcam HD will ensure some great holiday footage!
Throw a costume party! With candy in everyone’s belly, kids will be too sugared up to just go home after trick-or-treating. Encourage guests to get into character and play out their costume on camera.
Make Halloween desserts! Bring family together and show off those tasty treats on camera.

Make a Video Clip in Seconds with Dropcam’s Newest Web App Update

Tiffany Pham — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Did you know you can create video clips from your Dropcam’s stream? Our users love to save and share videos of activity around the house. The press agrees that making clips is simple, and as The New York Times puts it, our video quality is “Oscar-worthy” for its “Framing and lighting and detail.”

Our design team saw room for improvement, though. For example, selecting a clip length from a drop-down can result in videos that are sometimes too long or too short. This new redesign removes that issue and adds some great features as well. Today, we’re proud to announce that creating, saving, and sharing clips is even easier.

Save a memory in 30 seconds or less with the new and improved Make Clip

Make Clip is the easiest way to create a short clip from hours of recorded video. And it works in 3 easy steps:

Select Make Clip from your DVR timeline to make two clip handles appear.
Click and drag the handles with your mouse to highlight the area you would like to make into a clip.
Give your video a title and click Save Clip to instantly save it to your Dropcam account.

No more having to remember exact dates and times! Whenever you come across something you want to save, simply click Make Clip, and use the handles. Before you click save, you can watch the highlighted portion of your video by clicking the play button.

Share video over Facebook or YouTube with one click

As always, your video saves to your Dropcam account under the My Clips tab for you to email or share with anyone you like, from any computer. At the click of a button, My Clips makes it quick and easy to do the following from any computer:

Download and save the clip to the computer you currently are using
Email the video clip to anyone
Share your video clip over Facebook
Post the clip to YouTube

Make a Clip Right Now!

Go watch your favorite Dropcam and make a clip today!

Don’t have Dropcam DVR?

That’s okay! Upgrade your Dropcam anytime that you’re ready to start saving and sharing video.

Don’t have a Dropcam?

Learn more about how you can use Dropcam to keep an eye on your home while you’re away. Of course, you can always buy a Dropcam right now!

180 degree rotation and SD mode now available – Dropcam Update v132

Tiffany Pham — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Dropcam HD video monitoring cameras received a software update this past week to provide some new features. The new options are available in the Settings dialog found in the Dropcam player.

180 degree rotation
HD/SD mode
Updated motion/audio detection system
Other bug fixes

You do not need to do anything to receive this update. Your Dropcam HD will automatically update if it is powered and connected to the internet.

Mount your camera upside down with 180 degree rotation

Many users place their Dropcam HD cameras on shelves or mount them on walls. If you want to place a Dropcam on a ceiling or upside down, you can now flip the camera view 180 degrees with one click.

Save bandwidth by switching to SD mode

Are you experiencing dropped video? Do you have Internet bandwidth caps due to your service provider? If so, you can now switch your Dropcam HD to standard definition (SD) mode, which will lower the average upload bandwidth from 200 kilobits per second (kb/s) to 100 kb/s.

Dropcam’s event detection thumbnails continue to improve

As our motion and audio detection schemes evolve, you should see greater accuracy in event detection notifications. This software update provides more accurate, useful thumbnails in your viewer timelines when looking at events in your browser. iPhone or Android devices will also have better thumbnail accuracy.

Additional bug fixes enhance your Dropcam experience

You should see an improved 2-way audio experience and increased stability with this release.

We appreciate the user feedback and insights you’ve sent us at support@dropcam.com, Dropcam’s Facebook page, and our Twitter account.

Thanks so much for being a Dropcam fan!

How 8 Cities Used Dropcam to Strengthen Their Communities

Tiffany Pham — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 04:02:00 +0000

Last Tuesday, eight cities across the nation teamed up with us to introduce Dropcam to their communities in honor of National Night Out. Volunteers attended our webinar to learn about how they and their neighbors could use Dropcam to monitor their neighborhoods. At each event, local volunteers were available to talk to people about the camera and answer questions. They also passed out postcards that we provided containing useful home security information and flyers with safety tips.

Each city celebrated with Dropcam in a different way.

Norcross, GA celebrated their first NNO with Dropcam as an official sponsor. The city also raffled off a Dropcam HD to Leigh Broschat – congratulations!
Stafford County, VA broadcasted their celebration live using their Dropcam
The Van Nuys division of the LAPD introduced Dropcam to the community at its city-wide National Night Out

Did you miss National Night Out?

Watch Stafford’s 2012 celebration below!

See photos from some of our National Night Out partner cities

See the full gallery on Posterous

It’s not too late – join the fight against crime!

The safety of your community shouldn’t stop with National Night Out – you can fight back against crime 365 days a year! For those of you that missed our home monitoring Web Talk, you can still view our webinar slides or watch the webinar on YouTube.

If you and your community would like to partner with Dropcam for National Night Out 2012, or for a different community event, please visit discover.dropcam.com/nno-signup.

Thank you again to all of our partnering cities for giving us the opportunity to work with your amazing communities – see you all again soon!

Dropcam’s First National Night Out!

Tiffany Pham — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:59:37 +0000

National Night Out is an annual crime and drug prevention event that is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). On Tuesday, August 7th, neighborhoods all across the nation will celebrate the 29th annual National Night Out.

National Night Out is designed to bring law enforcement, businesses, neighborhood organizations, and all other community members together to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. In just 2011 alone, there were over 37 million people that participated from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide.

This will be the first year that Dropcam teams up with neighborhoods across the nation to celebrate National Night Out. We are extremely excited and proud to be working with the following organizations:

Richmond, CA

Van Nuys, CA

Norcross, GA – Norcross Police Department Foundation

*Note: Dropcam is not an official sponsor of National Night Out or the National Association of Town Watch.

Join Dropcam in its first of many web talks on home monitoring, Friday, August 3rd

Tiffany Pham — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:50:00 +0000

Homeowners, local law enforcement, and citizens from all over are getting excited for upcoming National Night Out. 37 million people gather in their local neighborhoods to strengthen their communities and raise awareness of neighborhood crime. Dropcam is proud to be counted among this large group of people. We’ve partnered with cities and local police from all over the country to educate citizens on smart ways to prevent crime not only near homes, but entire communities.

More on National Night Out in an upcoming blog post. Stay tuned!

Join Dropcam on Friday, August 3rd at 11am PST

Take part in a short, 30 minute talk about how Dropcam can help communities find peace of mind.

To join, just follow this link: http://bit.ly/NMemjQ on Friday, August 3rd at 11am PST

We look forward to seeing you there! Got a question for us? Contact tiffany@dropcam.com

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ADDENDUM:

The webinar is now over and we’re excited to have had the chance to talk to our partner communities all over the US. To see the slides from our presentation, please visit http://bit.ly/QFVyEB

We’re already looking forward to our next talk and will be sure to keep everyone posted on when it will take place. Stay tuned for details!