Amazon has revealed that it will end support for its cloud cam home security camera later this year, although it aims to soften the blow with a few free offers from owners.
In a widely reported email sent to affected customers by Amazon, the company said it would replace CloudCam with its new security camera, the Blink Mini, and offer a one-year Blink Subscription Plus plan worth $ 100.
Amazon launched the Alexa-compatible Blink Mini in 2020, shortly after the sale of the Cloud Cam. The company says the Mini “offers an easy-to-use indoor security camera experience with 1080p HD video, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, night vision, motion detection and two-way audio.”
Cloud Cam customers will be able to continue using the device until December 2. After that, the camera and its associated apps will lose their effectiveness. The history of all video recordings will also be deleted, although customers can download and save any footage before the December deadline.
Anyone using the Cloud Cam Key version as a Zigby Hub will no longer be able to use it to connect to compatible locks or manage pin codes in the Amazon Key app. In this case, the affected owners will be given a free Echo (4th generation) that will act as a Zigbee hub, enabling remote control of a connected lock using Alexa.
One possible annoyance is that once free access to the price of a year expires, new BlinkCam customers will need to sign up for at least a basic plan ($ 3 per month / বছরে 36 per year) to use some features – for example, fast video access – that comes with CloudCam. It was given for free
In a recent email to CloudCam owners, Amazon said: “Over the past five years, with your help, CloudCam has become a reliable indoor security camera and a hub of Amazon key-compatible smart locks that work with Alexa. As the number of Alexa smart home devices continues to grow, we’re focusing our efforts on rings, blinks and other technologies that make your home smarter and simplify your daily routines. So we’ve decided to continue to support Amazon Cloud Cam and its affiliate apps. “
Amazon plans to send details to all registered cloud cam owners before December on how to get their free Blink Mini and (if applicable) Echo.
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