Hey there! I'm brainstorming a new product idea and would love to get your thoughts on it. The concept is a home security camera that also acts as a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. It would alert you on your phone if it detects smoke or CO and let you view a live feed of what's happening in your home, even when you're not there. The aim is to merge two devices into one, making it simpler and potentially cheaper for users. I'm curious to know:
- Would you consider using a device like this?
- Would privacy concerns prevent you from wanting it in your home? If so, would features like a physical shutter for the camera help? What if the footage was stored locally instead of in the cloud—would that change your mind? I'd really value your feedback on this idea! Thanks a million!
3 Answers
Honestly, I just don’t see the point. Smoke detectors, CO alarms, and cameras are best located separately, and they aren't too pricey on their own. Combining them could complicate things. And from a safety standpoint, if something goes wrong with one part, it could affect the whole system. It's probably more effective to have specialized devices that can reliably detect early warning signs of issues.
I'm not really a fan of having cameras indoors, and if I were, I wouldn't want a combined device. For one, cameras need to be in corners for better coverage, which isn't where smoke detectors should be. Plus, smoke detectors typically last around a decade, so I'd rather not have to toss my camera just because the smoke detector needs replacing.
Nope, not interested. If one part fails, I don't want to deal with both needing replacement at once.