Security camera from old smart phone/phones

[stuckmotor]

I have to be away from home for a week and am looking into obtaining a couple of used smart phones to use as monitors so I can keep an eye on things. There's a guy on youtube who says it can be done with an app called Alfred.

If I can figure all of that out, keeping the battery charged will be my major concern so here's my question.
(Will leaving a smart phone plugged into the charger for a week destroy the battery, set a fire or anything negative?). It seems to me that with all their smartness the phones would disconnect from the charger when the battery got full and reconnect when it needed more juice.

 

[newbury]

Should work.

 

[MossRoad]

I have to be away from home for a week and am looking into obtaining a couple of used smart phones to use as monitors so I can keep an eye on things. There's a guy on youtube who says it can be done with an app called Alfred.

If I can figure all of that out, keeping the battery charged will be my major concern so here's my question.
(Will leaving a smart phone plugged into the charger for a week destroy the battery, set a fire or anything negative?). It seems to me that with all their smartness the phones would disconnect from the charger when the battery got full and reconnect when it needed more juice.

I've had an iPhone 6 plugged into a charger 24/7 for the past 3-4 years. We use it as the house phone. Its blue tooth synced to cordless handset base station. That transmits to 3-4 handsets around the house, basement, garage, etc. Make and receive calls. Phone is cold as a cucumber.

 

[Rustyiron]

You'll need wifi, but those little security cameras are pretty cheap a I think will alert you through your phone along with being able to "tune in" anywhere, anytime with your phone. Waze is one of them and at home depot. I think about $50-60.

 

[workinonit]

+1. Unless you just want to embark on a science project get some cameras. One of the best things I ever bought. Except my wife knows if I'm working or in the La-Z-Boy chair.

 

[California]

Wyze cheapest was $35 from Amazon last May. Great picture quality and night vision. Bring it up on your phone from anywhere.
Limitation - It records a full minute if it sees motion, it's a pia to look through a day of events when the event might have taken just seconds. A big time waster. But free. Subscribe for more sophisticated choices.

I use It for a critter cam to see what the racket on the deck overnight was. Deer clattering around, skunk possum racoon family feral cat bobcat foxes, knocking things over. Daytime the little rabbit, birds. Neighborhood zoo!
Most of what I've saved is vids but here's a still, the fox. (Next post).

 

[California]

Fox on deck, Wyze webcam.

 

[workinonit]

Yea, I got Ring. It's great for reviewing events and so flexible. You can set it up to do pretty much anything you want.

 

[California]

I also have an obsolete Arlo Pro ver 1 set I found at Goodwill for $8. 2 cameras and host router. Was expensive new. Abandoned by Arlo, free online view ends 4-1. Don't buy this as used from eBay.
At least it records only while it senses something, not that entire minute.

Both this Arlo and the Waze record locally too. Pull the memory chip / flash drive to view in pc.

I don't know about present Arlo but I wouldn't have paid $250 for this Arlo set in 2016.

 

[California]

Advice: webcams get hacked, stick with something where reviews say the mfr sends security updates. Lots of stories online about indoor cams recorded by strangers, to post elsewhere. My cams with unknown security are outside only!

 

[grsthegreat]

Man, i have not gotten to the point in my life where i need cameras in house, car or outdoors. Hope i never get to that point.

 

[workinonit]

Advice: webcams get hacked, stick with something where reviews say the mfr sends security updates. Lots of stories online about indoor cams recorded by strangers, to post elsewhere. My cams with unknown security are outside only!

How do webcams get hacked? Are you saying someone can hack the router and access it locally?

 

[workinonit]

Man, i have not gotten to the point in my life where i need cameras in house, car or outdoors. Hope i never get to that point.

I hope you don't either. I travel for work so my reasons are security and peace of mind for my wife. They are also handy for keeping up with the dog sitter when we are gone. Or if I'm back on the farm and someone pulls in my yard or down my drive. A quick glance tells me who it is.

 

[California]

How do webcams get hacked? Are you saying someone can hack the router and access it locally?

Don't know. Worst I've read was 'Santa Claus' terrifying a little girl speaking from the baby monitor in her room while she changed for bed.

Researching Arlo I saw criticism of security holes kept secret, not fixed.

Maybe Google 'webcam security incidents'.

 

[workinonit]

Not much chance of my stuff getting hacked. I would think anyone with the knowhow to hack something would be smart enough not to waste their time hacking me. I was just curious anyway.

 

[California]

I bought the Wyze to see wth was under the house sounding like it was chewing its way up into the walls at 3am.

The Wyze identified the cause. Mr racoon frequently scrapes the tasty bugs out of the spiderwebs, raking the joists with his claws. This was alarming before we understood the cause. Still a nuisance to be awakened by this!

Those same critters I described on the deck also pass in view under the house.

Like I said, we seem to have become the neighborhood zoo. I think caused by neighbors all around ripping out their apple orchards and planting sterile vineyards.

 

[5030]

We have a large not friendly dog with a big mouth and pretty teeth.

 

[stuckmotor]

+1. Unless you just want to embark on a science project get some cameras. One of the best things I ever bought. Except my wife knows if I'm working or in the La-Z-Boy chair.

One of the last things I need right now is another project. That La-Z-Boy sounds good.

 

[stuckmotor]

I bought the Wyze to see wth was under the house sounding like it was chewing its way up into the walls at 3am.

The Wyze identified the cause. Mr racoon frequently scrapes the tasty bugs out of the spiderwebs, raking the joists with his claws. This was alarming before we understood the cause. Still a nuisance to be awakened by this!

Those same critters I described on the deck also pass in view under the house.

Like I said, we seem to have become the neighborhood zoo. I think caused by neighbors all around ripping out their apple orchards and planting sterile vineyards.View attachment 782903

California,
Is that a pet raccoon? It looks like it's deciding whether that's the knob and tube wiring it saw on This Old House. The house I grew up in still has that type of wiring. I think it was put in for the old Delco Light Plant before the REA came in. Yours looks to be in showcase condition.

 

[California]

One concern with an old phone for a camera is you need to open your home router to world access to see it from elsewhere, to oversimplify a little.

There really are hackers out there running continuous searches across the entire internet looking for insecure routers to get into. Study that aspect and the security needed before moving ahead using that.