SerpApi.Org
We recently updated our Ring video camera to the Ring Wired Doorbell Elite (2nd Gen) and have had a Pro subscription for some time. One of the latest upgrades with a compatible camera and Pro subscription is not only basic motion alerts but also descriptive alerts. These Gen AI-powered updates, which were introduced a year ago, offer more detail about what's going on at your front door. So, you don't only know that motion was detected, but what specifically is happening. This has come in handy in so many instances, especially with the lock screen preview capability. But it's also admittedly freaking me out. I found it jarring at first, and while I have since grown accustomed to the feature over the last few weeks, I'm still unsure of how I feel about it.
The alerts are eerily accurate (most of the time)
It describes events in detail
The most common descriptors I get are "a person is walking on the sidewalk" or "a person is walking on the sidewalk with a dog." But as more happens and the descriptions get, well, more descriptive, I find myself feeling a little uneasy. "A person is walking on the sidewalk with a golden retriever," it said a few times. (Clearly, one of my neighbors has this type of dog). Another time, it declared that someone was walking to the porch holding a brown box. It was a delivery person. As my son and I left for the morning, it alerted, "two people are walking on the porch."
It's harmless, but I can't help but feel more like someone, or something, is watching me than I ever did with the basic "motion detected" alerts. It doesn't always get things right. For example, whenever I arrive home, it says a black car is turning onto the driveway when, in fact, my car is dark blue. Splitting hairs, I guess. One time, it said a person was walking on the driveway but when I checked, it was a family of three walking by on the sidewalk. That incorrect description could have terrified me if it were in the middle of the night.
I love preview on lock screen
No need to open the app
My creeped-out feelings aside, these detailed alerts are useful for this smart home gadget I can't imagine living without. If I'm working away on my laptop or even away from home and get a notification, I can see on my phone's lock screen that it's just someone walking on the sidewalk with a baby stroller or dog or an animal scooting across the lawn and I don't need to worry. You can even tap and hold on the notification to open a preview window of what's going on, which is hugely useful. Not only do you avoid having to unlock your phone and open the app, but it often takes several seconds for the live footage to load. Yes, even with my very fast internet connection. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but by the time the window opens to show what's happening, the person walking by, or delivery driver is already gone and I have to scroll back in time.
With these previews, if it describes someone coming up the steps, I can check instantly the video footage to see if it's a delivery person or a solicitor. It saves a load of time, so though it freaks me out a bit, there really is a practical use for the feature and detailed descriptions.
Descriptions make reviewing quicker, too
Easily scrub through events
The descriptions are also useful for someone like me who likes to review daily happenings. Typically, one of the first things I do in the morning is review the overnight motion alerts, especially with an increase in car break-ins in many cities throughout my province in Canada. I like to make sure nothing untoward occurred overnight. Being able to see tiny text explaining each motion alert under the still-loading video helps me know what I can scroll by and what I might want to stop on, let load, and take another look.
Sometimes, the updates are cute, like "a cat is walking on the pathway and entering the lawn," or "a person is walking with a lawn mower on the sidewalk." Wait, what? Turns out it was a man with a child in a rideable toy car. Mistakes and all, this feature, as creepy as it is, does add more value to the already expensive subscription.
Is this feature worth it?
Yes, but it's still creepy
Mostly, my app's motion alerts are filled with updates like "a person is walking on the sidewalk," "two people are walking on the sidewalk," or "a person is on the porch and descending the steps." (That's me). I'm still creeped out by it, especially as Ring's privacy policy notes that your recordings can be stored for up to 180 days. With video descriptions, that means detailed recordings that identify comings and goings as well as street activity. This means that Ring, owned by Amazon, likely knows that my street has a lot of dog owners, parents with babies in strollers, and we get a lot of deliveries (arguably, Amazon already knows that!) The trade-off? I will know instantly if someone is on the driveway peering into my car or walking towards the house.
Ring said in its initial announcement that the feature would be further developed. As it learns your routines, it should get smarter and only deliver notifications when they're needed (you can also do things like set geofenced perimeters and the types of notifications you want to get). It's not the only smart feature as well: Ring added video search a few years ago, which allows you to type in keywords or phrases like "cat" or "delivery" to see all clips relating to these prompts. There's also a Familiar Faces feature (currently in beta) we have yet to set up, which allows you to log specific faces, like family members, the house cleaner, grandparents, and babysitter, so the descriptions get more specific. It might say "Christine is ascending the steps" or "Patrick is walking on the lawn" instead of just "a person." I'm still on the fence about setting this feature up. Baby steps, I guess.
