Get more out of your Arlo security cameras

If you use Netgear's Arlo security cameras, you are probably a very happy customer, as their rating of 4.3 on Amazon.com would suggest.

I have used them at home for well over one year, having two setup outside and two inside. There are plenty of out-of-the-box configuration options - schedules, sensitivity, video quality, recording length, notifications, etc.

With notifications, you can essentially have the Arlo app notify you on your smartphone or have it email you. I have both enabled and it certainly is handy. The notifications are almost immediate - we are talking 2-3 seconds from when motion is detected. Impressive.

One issue I had, though, is that I was getting a lot of notifications. My outdoor cameras are mostly armed, whereas my indoor cameras are only armed overnight. Most notifications I get are not urgent and simply allow me to be aware of what is happening in and around my home - people visiting, kids moving, etc. Overnight activity outside my home, however, is very different - I want to be woken up when there is motion detected.

This is where I was a bit stuck - Arlo doesn't really cater for this, neither does using a service like IFTTT by itself. My solution was to combine Arlo with Stringify and IFTTT.

I've got my system configured now so that if it's night time, I will get a phone call if one of my outdoor security cameras detects motion. Very handy!

I didn't need to change my Arlo schedule or configuration at all, I just left that as is. What I did need to do was to setup two Stringify "flows" and two corresponding IFTTT "applets" (for my two outdoor cameras).

Stringify is needed as I wanted to have a condition to only call me during night time. IFTTT was needed as it has the VoIP calling service.

Here is the Stringify flow for my front door camera:

And here is the corresponding IFTTT applet:

And here is how it seamlessly works together (yes it's dark... it's night time!):
Note - the LIFX light flashing is simply a separate IFTTT applet.

More IoT toys and gadgets = more integration

Ok it has been way too long since I posted here - over one year!

Ever since that first foray into the geeky Internet of Things (IoT) world with a LIFX Wi-Fi LED smart light bulb, I've certainly racked up a few more purchases. And, along with new devices, comes the ability to integrate.

Here's a list of my current "gadgets":

• LIFX light bulb
• Amazon Echo speaker
• Amazon Tap portable speaker
• Belkin WeMo Insight Switch
• Logitech Harmony Companion universal remote (replaced my originally purchased Logitech Harmony Smart Control)
• Netgear Arlo security cameras
• Awair Air Quality Monitor

You could add to that some other items, but at present these are more standalone and not really integrated with much else:

• Fitbit Charge 2
• Withings Smart Body Analyser scale (now Nokia-owned)
• Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner
• SMA Sunny Boy Smart Connected solar inverter

I have to say, out of all these items, the biggest disappointment has to be the Belkin WeMo Insight Switch. This is for two reasons: 1) the app is crap (come on Belkin, you should do a lot better!); and 2) not many devices these days work by simply turning their power supply on. I'm very happy with all the other devices. Sure, they each have their pros and cons, but overall they work really well.

I'm not going to get into the specifics in this post, but here are my main and most useful integrations (thanks to either native integration or via IFTTT and Stringify):

• Turning on and using the TV simply by talking (thanks to Alexa on our Amazon Echo and Logitech Harmony)
• Locating our mobile phones simply by asking (thanks to Alexa on our Amazon Echo and IFTTT)
• Blinking our living room lamp a certain colour three times to indicate which Arlo security camera has just detected motion (thanks to Arlo, LIFX and IFTTT)
• Receiving a phone call detailing which outdoor Arlo security camera has just detected motion when it is night time (thanks to Arlo, Stringify and IFTTT)

So cool. And not just a novelty, these are very useful!