SubRosaSoft Ltd. on Thursday announced HomeGuardian 2.0, a new version of the Mac OS X compatible home security software. Version 2.0 adds multiple camera support, audio detection, movie capture, a panic button for emergency situations, an “Arm” button and variable compression settings for better picture quality or smaller files.
Designed as a security system for homes and small offices, HomeGuardian uses your Web cam as a motion detector. When motion is detected, it takes photographs and sends them to a designated e-mail address. It also plays sounds and on-screen alerts when movement is detected — or at regular intervals. HomeGuardian can update images to your Web server for evidence. And you can save alerts and reports to a designated folder.
Instead of a single camera setup, in version 2.0 you can now have more than one camera hooked up to a Mac and use HomeGuardian to monitor more than one location. Video capability has been expanded to include movie capturing in addition to the simple photo mode.
The new software also includes audio detection using the built-in or external microphone. A sudden sound in the surrounding noise level will trigger an alert which will be notified by e-mail and/or FTP with an audio recording.
The “Arm” button is for activating the audio and video monitoring. The reporting capability of version 2.0 now allows you to select the number of e-mails sent per alert. What’s more, pay for HomeGuardian and you can get ComputerGuardian (for laptop users) free.
ComputerGuardian kicks in when your Mac is powered up, comparing the current IP address with the previous IP address. If the IP address has changed, the utility sends an e-mail containing the new IP address to a designated e-mail address. The information can then be used to locate and recover the computer, according to SubRosaSoft CEO Ben Slaney.
In additional to the IP address, ComputerGuardian sits in the background to monitor the RAM, the battery, and the internal/external hard drives attached to your computer. If it detects any change in the areas mentioned, it will send an e-mail to an e-mail address of your choosing.
HomeGuardian 2 costs US$34.95; upgrades to version 2.0 are free for registered users.
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