Amazon today launched new cloud-based hardware called the Amazon Cloud Cam. Essentially a security camera comparable to most similar products, the Cloud Cam has two distinct advantages: one, it is linked to the largest cloud infrastructure service in the world, AWS, and two, it’s Alexa-enabled, giving it access to potentially a huge bank of voice commands.
Obviously, you can’t use all the voice commands that you’d typically use on an Amazon Echo, for example, but there’s definitely significant potential for camera-based skills here. That’s when you’re inside the home within earshot of the Cloud Cam. When away, the Amazon Cloud Cam mobile app will alert you when it detects activity, giving you a feed from the camera to your smartphone or tablet. It also has two-way audio and night vision, and you get a free 30-day trial on advanced features like person detection on the subscription.
The product will be available starting November 8, but is already available for pre-order. It captures 1080p video that gets sent to the cloud. Users can opt for a number of subscription levels starting at $3.99 a month for a basic plan and going up to $19.99 a month for the pro plan, which allows you to store a month’s worth of video clips from up to 15 Cloud Cams.
Amazon is also introducing something called Amazon Key, which allows you to let people into your home without them needing a spare key. That’s coming to a few markets and will cost $249.99.
Amazon Cloud Cam is now available for pre-orders on Amazon.com
