"Cars get messed with and cars get tampered with, and it's happening everywhere," he said. "The idea is to leverage the hardware, both cameras and sensors, that are being built into carmakers' vehicles and to allow that content and those notifications and the video to be seen inside the Ring app," Ackerman said.Īckerman said Amazon made the decision to move into car security because it was the number one request from Ring customers, making it clear to Amazon that cars are something people want to protect. The only compatible vehicles right now are the Tesla Model 3, X, S, and Y, and they can make video from Tesla Sentry Mode or recorded driving footage available on your phone. Lastly, there's Ring Car Connect ($199.99) which is not a physical product, but a set of APIs that allow every automaker to integrate their vehicles with Ring. "If a disturbance around your vehicle is detected, then a notification will be sent and a short video will be sent to your phone in the Ring app," he said. Like a dash cam, these are on when you're driving, but they're also in "guard mode" when you're parked, ready to turn on as needed, Ackerman said. Like the camera-carrying Ring doorbell, the Car Cam can show you who's messing with your vehicle, thanks to two cameras, one that points forward out of the windshield and the other that films the vehicle interior. It's the Ring Car Cam ($199.99) that is likely to be the star of the new Amazon car security show. To send messages, the Ring Car Alarm can connect to your already existing Ring network (i.e., when it's parked in your driveway and connected to your home WiFi) or operate on its own using Amazon's Sidewalk network for low-bandwidth devices, which will launch later this year. The car can hoot and holler like a typical car alarm, but only if the user activates that feature. That's because the Ring Car Alarm works like the Ring doorbell, sending an alert through the Ring app when an event is detected. "Most other car alarms alert other people when there's a problem," Nathan Ackerman, Amazon's director of Ring Mobility, told Car and Driver. Connected to your car through the OBD-II port, there's one key difference between this and other vehicle security systems. In a sense, it's just a simple device that will notify you if it senses the car has been bumped, towed, or perhaps broken into. The $59.99 Car Alarm is the most basic of the three. These devices are not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained."
"These devices have not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission.
That's why the company announced three new automotive-related Ring security products this week: Ring Car Alarm, Ring Car Cam, and Ring Car Connect.ĭon't get too excited yet: there's a disclaimer.
But Amazon also wants to keep people out of your car.
There's Amazon Key, which allows delivery drivers to put your Prime packages right in your trunk. There are dozens of models that come equipped with Alexa. Finally, Ring Car Connect is a way for automakers to integrate their own sensors and cameras with the Ring network.Īmazon already has a few ways to get into your car.The Ring Car Cam includes two cameras: it can film bandits taking your groceries from the back seat, and it can also record traffic stops and send the video to people on your predetermined list.The Ring Car Alarm is a simple device that will let you know something may have happened to your car through the Ring app.