Page 9 - January_Newsletter_2023

What it knows: When you are home or away; when motion, window and door sensors are activat-
ed; your location; status of linked devices, like lights.

Why that matters: For greater security, Ring wants you to collect even more data about your
home and its inhabitants. But it offers one nod to privacy: The Ring Alarm Pro version gives you the
ability to store and process Ring video locally instead of in Amazon’s remote systems, making it
harder for others (including law enforcement) to access
the records.

Ring Always Home

Cam drone

A quadcopter with a camera that flies around the inside of your house to show you what’s going on
when you’re not around.

What it knows: Live and recorded video along trained flight paths; layout of house for flight pat-
terns; works with Ring Security System to know when there’s movement inside the house.
Why that matters: A drone brings Ring surveillance inside the home and leaves almost no corner
unobserved. Could this device also be a gateway for
Amazon to get people more comfortable with the
idea of its delivery agents or workers coming inside
homes?

Amazon said it would have more information about
how its drone works when it launches.

Halo Rise

A bedside lamp that helps people track their sleep cycles and wake up gently with light.

What it knows: Radar reports on the nocturnal activity of the person sleeping closest to it; when
you go to bed and wake up; able to interact with other Alexa-operated smart-home devices.
Why that matters: This device doesn’t use a camera or sensor on your body, but it still gathers
lots of data about your breathing and movement, and it generates inferences about your wellness
from them. Amazon says it doesn’t share this intimate data without your explicit permission, and its
employees cannot identify the customers associated with Halo data.