Leaving the TV or light on some sort of a timer when planning to leave the home for a certain amount of time is a well-known security tactic. Swiss company Mitipi is taking that a whole new level with Kevin (like Kevin McCallister), which uses a similar technique in order to keep its user’s home safe.
The Home Alone themed smart speaker looks deceivingly average until you turn it around to reveal its multiple LED lights pointing in all directions. The lights replicate movement within the home so it appears similar to someone interacting with a variety of light sources. Kevin also imitates sounds and can make it sound like someone is watching an action movie.
It also play sounds and lights depending on the time of day and environment the user lives in. For instance, in the morning it might play shower sounds, while at night it produces a combination of lights and sounds to make it seem like someone is watching a late night show.
A downloadable app lets users choose between a variety scenarios, including watching a football game on TV, exercising and taking a shower. Kevin can even create custom scenarios after entering details about one’s life, such as whether they live in the city or the suburbs.
Kevin has a week’s worth of content to trick burglars attempting to stake out the user’s home for more than a couple of days. The company suggests putting Kevin near the doorway or some other place a burglar might check.
Kevin will also work as a standalone speaker and a lamp for ambient light.
Mitipi will launch Kevin on Kickstarter within the coming weeks. The early bird price for Kevin is $150 USD ($187 CAD), and goes up to $300 ($375 CAD).
Image Credit: Mitipi
Source: The Verge
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
