‘Surveillance technology designed to protect customers, their homes and their possessions is a dominant theme at this year’s CES in Las Vegas.
The tech extravaganza features ‘Smart Homes’ and ‘Smart Cities’ designed to showcase all the available interconnected technology intended to protect users.
Among them is Arlo’s wireless floodlight which is equipped with floodlights, night vision and a blaring siren which can be fitted to the outside of a house.
A garden drone which is activated by the presence of a trespasser is also on display. The Sunflower labs creation is equipped with a camera and flies up to the unwanted visitor and records them, live streaming the footage straight to the user’s phone.
As well as the home protection advances, the tech cornucopia also features facial recognition technology.
A clampdown in 2019 saw many facial recognition firms internationally condemned for overreaching their remit and using the tech for nefarious purposes, but when used with consent it remains a useful asset in personal surveillance tech.
For example, a dashcam that detects fluctuations in a driver’s eyelids to spot signs of drowsiness and distraction is on show.
Customer willingness to part ways with cash for additional cameras and microphones has led to a string of privacy scandals and security breaches – a hot topic at this year’s tech extravaganza in Las Vegas.
CES features the hottest consumer tech for 2020, and experts warn tech companies are quick to cash in on the craze but slow to protect users’ sensitive information.
Speaking on a panel at the tech showcase, Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said: ‘Many, many horrible stories have come out of consumer electronics.
‘It’s often about hyping the next thing you can buy and not considering the trade-offs.’
