Ring Factors in Two Factor
Ring is now mandating a second layer of security by requiring its camera owners to enter a one-time six-digit code sent via email or text when they log in to their cameras – thereby alerting those camera owners if someone who isn’t them is trying to log in. If the owner goes dark and doesn’t log in for 30 days, they’ll be required to enter another verification code the next time they do. On the data sharing front, Ring announced that it is “temporarily” suspending data sharing with third part analytics services while it works on a new opt-out option.
The NPD Take:
- This development took a bit too long to come to fruition, so it’s one of those times when the phrase “better late than never” really rings true. Privacy concerns – for all brands – need to be addressed so that the home automation industry can maximize its addressable market.
Alexa, What’s for (Pretend) Dinner?
Debuting at the New York Toy Fair is KidKraft’s Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market, a $300 play set that interacts with Alexa (speaker not included!). It includes 100 play pieces (food, cookware, etc.) that prompt more than 700 various reactions from Alexa designed to help kids learn about food shopping and cooking meals – including prompts for recipes, shopping list recommendations, and games. The play set leverages a mix of RFID sensors built into the play pieces and Bluetooth to tell Alexa which pretend foods kids are buying from the Market and then cooking in the Kitchen. For the privacy conscious, the mic isn’t always active – instead the voice assistant is designed to only talk or ask questions based on how kids play with the accessories. The set is expected to go on sale at Amazon later this year.
The NPD Take:
- It seems quite common these days for toddlers and young children to already be attuned to (or tuned into) their parents’ iPhone or iPad, or already making demands to Alexa. Instead of parking children in front of a screen, this play set with voice-only interactions and quasi educational experiences seems like a great addition to any playroom. Surely they could have gone the extra mile and thrown in a low cost Dot...so I think we can expect to see the mini speaker soft bundled in once the play set starts selling.
Arlo Pro 3 Gets HomeKit Support
Arlo 3 security cameras now support Apple HomeKit. The cameras originally launched last September, but without support. Using the Pro 3 with HomeKit requires connecting to the Arlo SmartHub base station (VMB4540) – but Arlo says it will bring the HomeKit support to other base stations and SmartHubs in the future.
The NPD Take:
- Any compatibility news is good news, and for Arlo’s second most expensive product line (behind the Arlo Ultra), this should be a welcome addition to help justify the cost among Apple fans. The Arlo brand, meanwhile, remains one of the most popular choices for indoor/outdoor cameras.