Ring gets into automotive security with three new car products, including one debuting first for Teslas – TechCrunch

Amazon obsessed ring is expanding from home and neighborhood security to the automotive industry. Three new products were presented today at the extravagant device and service extravaganza from Amazon. These include Ring Car Alarm, Ring Car Cam and Ring Car Connect – two new devices and an API / hardware combination for automobile manufacturers. Each of these products will be available from next year.

“Ever since we founded Ring, and even in Doorbot days, people have been asking about security for the automotive industry,” Ring CEO and founder Jamie Siminoff said in an interview. “It was something we always had in mind, but of course we had a lot of other things to do first – it takes time to build a product and get it right. Although it took us some time to get into this, our mission is to make the neighborhood safer and a lot of things that happen to cars happen in the neighborhood. “

Siminoff said he is particularly excited to be able to bring not just one, but a full suite of automotive safety products to market that he believes will meet the needs of nearly all customers. Ring Car Alarm is a wireless OBD-II device that can detect bumps when the car is unoccupied or even breaking in and when the car is being towed. Ring Car Cam is a surveillance camera that is available either via WiFi or LTE via an additional plan and searches for incidents when parked or offers emergency crash detection and traffic stop recording while on the move. Finally, Ring Car Connect is an API and aftermarket device for automakers that allows them to integrate a vehicle’s built-in cameras and lock / unlock status.

I asked Siminoff why I should start right away with three separate products, especially in a new market that is entering the ring for the first time.

“As we looked deeper into it, we found that it wasn’t really a one-size-fits-all solution for all types of product lines, even to start with,” he said. “We realized that it was really about building more products around the car. On the ring. We try – and I’m not going to say we can achieve this 100% – but we have certainly tried to bring something to market if it is really inventive, differentiated for the market, fits our mission and life one Customer can really improve. ”

Products definitely cover a range of prices – Ring Car Alarm will retail for $ 59.99 while Car Cam and Car Connect will each cost $ 199.99. Ring Car Alarm is obviously aimed at most customers and offers a basic set of features that, when paired with the Ring app, will hopefully provide a deterrent against potential criminal activity around a user’s vehicle. The device sends alerts to the Ring app and can then trigger a series if necessary. Auto alarm can also be connected to other ring devices or Amazon Alexa hardware, and Alexa gives acoustic warnings about bumps, break-ins or other events. Ring Car Alarm requires connectivity through Amazon Sidewalk, the low bandwidth protocol, and the free wireless network protocol that Ring’s parent company will be rolling out later this year.

Ring Car Cam goes one step further in letting users check into their vehicle via video – provided they are either within range of a WiFi network or connected to an accompanying plan via the optional integrated LTE. It also provides additional safety features when the car it is installed in is actually used. Ring’s Emergency Crash Assist feature warns first responders of the location of the vehicle if it is determined to be a major crash. You can also use the voice command “Alexa, I’ll be run over” to trigger an automatic recording in the event of a traffic disruption, which is automatically uploaded to the cloud (provided you have active connectivity). On the privacy side, there is a physical shutter on the camera itself if you don’t want to use it, which will also stop the microphone from recording.

Finally, Ring Car Connect consists of an API that automakers can use to give Ring customers access to mobile alerts for events detected in their vehicle or to view footage captured by their on-board cameras. This also enables access to information that would not be available with a strict aftermarket setup – such as whether the car is locked or unlocked. Rings first automaker partner for it Tesla, This will activate Ring Car Connect for models 3, X, S and Y. Users will install an aftermarket unit that will be available for $ 199.99 in 2021. They can then view the Tesla Sentry mode footage and videos recorded while driving directly in the Ring app.

Credit: ring

Ring’s security ecosystem has evolved from the humble doorbell all over the house (now, much more now) and exterior to a full-fledged alarm service and now the car. It’s definitely not resting on its laurels. It also releases a $ 29.99 mailbox sensor that literally tells you when you have mail. It’s like a lovely little cherry.