Smart listening device now widely available
The Earzz Smart Home Monitor, which was originally launched as a Kickstarter campaign at the end of last year, has officially gone live; these smart listening devices will be available to order outside of the crowdfunding platform in the coming weeks.
Promising to provide specific sound detection and anomaly recognition, the idea is to keep you connected with your home in a more nuanced and privacy-respecting way than simply peppering your house with smart security cameras or smart speakers.
The Earzz sensor listens for the sounds that matter most to you; whether it’s a knock at the door, a cat’s meow, a dog’s bark, a door opening or the cry of a baby.
Earzz tells us that the list of 15 recognised sounds is expanding and currently includes: coughs, alarms, sirens, appliances beeping, baby cries, doorsbells, buzzers, cat meows, child sounds, dog barks, kettle whistles, knocks, snoring and water running.
You can configure the Earzz app (iOS and Android) to get real time notifications on your smartwatches, phones and tablets. You can configure multiple Earzz devices around your house.
With its focus on sound anomalies rather than speech, Earzz ensures that your privacy remains intact. The audio files are never stored, providing you with peace of mind about your personal space.
“I noticed there were plenty of monitors that could listen for one sound, but none that could listen for a variety of sounds. Especially the sounds I wanted,” explained Prad Thiruvenkatanathan, Inventor and Founder of Earzz.
“I had nine different monitors in my home including a baby monitor, a smart doorbell, a pet monitor for the cat, and even a glass break monitor for security. Each was single-purpose, expensive, and – in the case of the baby monitor – had a limited life span before becoming useless. And that is when the idea struck: what if we could have one solution that could do it all?”
Each Earzz device comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, providing up to 8 hours of wireless functionality. Alternatively, you can keep it plugged in using the USB-C socket for continuous power.
Launching “this summer” in the UK, the Earzz Smart Home Monitor comes in black and white options.
It’s a subscription model, with prices starting from £7.99 a month; you get the first Earzz device free.
It’s a bit of a strange approach and we’ll wait to see if people are willing to fork out nearly £96 per year to monitor sounds in their houses.
You can, of course, already get sound detection ‘free’ on Echo smart speakers with a one-off, much cheaper with the likes of the Dot or the Pop. Alexa currently listens for coughing or snoring, a dog barking, a baby crying, water sounds and beeping appliances.
Earzz will be hoping that its specific sound detection will appeal to people who want more in-depth sound detection.
If that’s you, you can apply for an annual subscription from earzz.com.
