Cync's new indoor smart camera puts privacy first

C by GE is now called Cync, and at this year’s all-digital CES, the brand announced it’s releasing several smart home products before the end of the year: an outdoor smart plug, an indoor security camera, and a fan speed smart switch. The Indoor Camera caught our eye because of a unique privacy feature: a sliding shutter.

The shutter physically covers the camera and mutes the microphone, revealing a large orange panel when the shutter is closed that makes it easier for you to tell from a distance whether you’re being recorded. The shutter must be moved by hand, but you can also disable the camera electronically from the app. Most security cameras can be turned on and off from the companion app, but a good majority of them don’t come with built-in privacy shutters like Cync’s Indoor Camera does.

While cloud storage of surveillance footage presents some conveniences, it’s not unreasonable to be concerned about footage of your home being beamed out into the net. If that is a concern of yours, you will also appreciate the fact that the indoor camera does not require cloud service. It can record instead to a microSD card and keep your recordings local.

The C by GE app is expected to be replaced by the new Cync app in Q1 of this year. The Indoor Camera will be available in May. At the time of publication, no details about the price were available.

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