If you want a camera that lets you watch a live stream of your living room, the upcoming home camera from Apple might not be for you. Code-named J450, the rumored device takes a completely different approach to home security. Instead of providing a video feed you can scrub through, it watches your house and simply tells you what is happening inside your home through text updates.
The metal cylinder relies on artificial intelligence to monitor activity
Mark Gurman recently discussed the device on his podcast, describing it as a cylinder that looks a lot like a giant metal chapstick. To keep things private, the camera reportedly runs at a low frame rate and does not record footage that you or a hacker can access.
The device uses facial recognition to identify specific people entering a room or leaving the house. The system can also spot pets. After it analyzes its surroundings, the camera sends out brief text updates to describe the activity going on in your home.
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It is built to pair with upcoming Apple hardware, specifically the new HomeHub expected to launch on October 13. While we still do not know if the image processing happens on the device itself or in the cloud, the lack of video output makes it a unique option in the crowded security market.
Selling a security camera that does not actually let you see anything is an unusual move. By stripping away the visual feed entirely, the company is betting that people care more about keeping their indoor data private than having a constant live view of their living space.
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