Home Security Gadgets & Reviews

When was the last time you thought about your house numbers? You know, the little address plaque or painted numbers you have on the side of your house or the curb that tell people the address? It’s probably been a while. Clear house numbers are important, however, not just because they help the pizza guy find your place. In the event of an emergency, paramedics, police, etc. will get to your house more easily if the address is prominently displayed.

So, take a look at your numbers. Are they obscured? Faded? Hard to read at night? If so, it may be time to invest in a new paint job, or maybe even something like these faux rocks that come with address plaques attached. The numbers are done in a bright, large font that is visible from down the street. The realistic looking boulders are available in gray or brown from Plow & Hearth, starting around $45.

http://www.plowhearth.com

If you have a fence that extends all the way around your property, then you’ve likely got to drive through a gate in the front to get to your garage. Let’s hope you’ve got an automatic gate opener, so you don’t have to get out of your car every time you drive home. As important is convenience is, you’ve probably got the fence there for security purposes.

If you do have a fence, it will be the first thing a potential burglar see–it’s your home’s first impression, so to speak. If thieves see that it’s easy to get through your gate, they might reason that it’s easy to get into your house… That’s why it’s important to present a strong front.

If you’re looking for a secure automatic lock, the Mighty Mule Automatic Driveway Gate Lock might do the job. It adds stability as well as security (helping those gates more than 8 feet in length) and comes with a keyed manual release. The horizontal electronic lock combines with an opener system for “maximum security.”

Mighty Mule Automatic Driveway Gate Lock

You can spend a lot of money having someone else install a home security system for you, or you can join the DIY (do it yourself) crowd and install your own system. Home Depot, king of the DIY home improvement movement, has DVDs on numerous topics including this one.

“How Do I? DVD How-To Lessons for DIY Home Projects: Safety & Security” has a title so long one wonders how they fit it on the box but otherwise seems to be filled with good information. The DVD includes walk-throughs and advice for 31 home-security-related projects.

At $10, it’s a lot cheaper than hiring someone to do the work for you (although you’ll still have to buy the system and parts yourself), so if you are handy with tools, this could be the way to go.

http://www.homedepot.com (search for “home security” and you’ll find it)

Doors and windows are the most important parts of your home to pay attention to when it comes to home security. This is because these mark all the possible routes into your home that a burglar could use. We’re pretty good about locking our doors, but we don’t always remember to pay attention to the windows, especially upper story windows.

Both ground floor and second-story windows should have secure locks on them. For added protection, you could install a security bar as well. The nice thing about this bar is that it can provide additional support to a locked window, but it can also ensure a partially opened window is still “locked,” so that no one can get in from the outside. This is nice in the summer when it’s hot and you don’t want to have all the windows in the house shut.

It’s available for $25 from Brookstone:

Window Security Bar

Had a few beers when you were out tonight? Not sure if you’re legally okay to drive? Remember, it’s not just about obeying the law; it’s about driving smart to keep you and others on the road safe.

This personal alcohol detector can help you make the right decision on whether or not to get behind the wheel. It can measure your blood alcohol content in just a few seconds. Just push the button and breathe on the thing. If you meet or exceed the legal limit, you’ll know you need to get a cab or have a friend take you home. A smart choice for personal security.

The gadget costs about $40 and is small enough to fit in your pocket.

Available from PreventSecurity.com

Here’s another home security camera that is motion-activated and automatically snaps pictures of people who walk into its field of vision. Cyber Eye runs on black and white, but it’s also got infrared capacity for taking pictures of people who approach in the dark. Here are a few details about the camera, from the product description at the retailer’s site:

“This camera is great for catching someone sneaking around your house or you can put it in your car and aim it out the window. Since it works by changes in the picture and not motion, you can take pictures through glass and it will still work beautifully. You can set the pictures to be taken at 1-60 second intervals. (UP TO 680 pictures) The unit will automatically add a time and date stamp to each picture.”

Cyber Eye is available at Cool Gadget for about $240, and it comes in either black or white.

http://www.coolgadget.net/cybereye.html

It just looks like a normal wall clock, doesn’t it? Something you might pick up at Ikea perhaps. It does, in fact, tell time, but there’s also a hidden camera inside.

If you’ve ever wanted to set up a nanny cam or monitor people in your house when you’re not there, this is a pretty easy way to do it. “An actual 10in. x 10in. x 1 1/2in. clock with quartz movement conceals a black-and-white pin-hole security camera. The camera’s wide-angle lens records a generous area in front of the wall-mounted clock.” The description promises the wall clock/hidden camera is easy to install; there’s just 1 power cord and 1 additional cable involved.

The clock is available at Northern Tool for $50.

A deadbolt is a smart way to add extra security to your door. Deadbolts are very hard to force, and nobody is going to just kick in the door with one barring the way. Not every hotel room has one, however, so you might want to consider something like this portable “Smart Lock” security door bolt if you travel a lot. It attaches in less than a minute and doesn’t require tools or leave any permanent marks.

This could also be a good choice for a dorm room or apartment where you aren’t allowed to drill holes and start making permanent changes to the premises. It would even work fine in your own home, if you’re not the handy type or just don’t fancy the idea of getting out a bunch of tools and messing with a DIY installation.

The portable system runs $6.50-$18.50 at Amazon: Smart Lock Security Door Bolt