Keep track of your home or office with the Keen camera. There are plenty of reasons to protect your home with a camera system — burglary, trespassing, nanny-cam — the list goes on and on. On a personal note, we have WiFi cameras not only to protect our belongings but also to protect each other. My grandmother lives with us and she isn’t quite a mobile as she once was.

Night viewing on the Reolink is also better than the low cost camera, but the motion. You have to use the Reolink Client app for Windows/Mac to view.

I like to have the camera’s set-up around the house so that if we are away from the house, I can turn them on and see if she is safe. No matter the reason, you really can’t go wrong with having at least one camera in your home.

When you start looking into WiFi cameras, you will find that many of them aren’t true wireless cameras. Most of the models I’ve seen require wiring to be powered. This has always been frustrating to me because it really limits where you can place your cameras. Fortunately, Reolink, a company that specializes in security solutions for the home or office, has a Wire-Free smart home camera — the Keen. Keen is a 100% wire-free, battery-powered indoor smart home camera for all your security needs. It has a lot of great features like: • 2-way audio — listen and talk in real time • 1080p HD camera • Pan 355º and Tilt 105º • Real-time alerts (push and email) • Live view available on smartphone • Micro SD card option • Plug & play set-up • High-quality night vision (up to 40 feet) With the camera being battery powered, I had my reservations about how long that would last. According to the specs from Reolink, Keen should have up to 180 days standby time.

It runs off of CR123A standard lithium batteries. Another great feature of the Keen is that it comes with a PIR sensor for motion detection. This sensor will detect any human motion within 26 feet of the sensor. You have the flexibility to control the sensitivity of the PIR sensor on the back of the unit. The sensor automatically pairs to the camera and sets off an alarm when motion is detected.

To get it started, you only have to remove the battery pull tab from the battery compartment. When you do, be ready for the alarm to sound. The packaging for the Reolink Keen camera is fairly standard for what I’ve seen with security/WiFi cameras. It’s a nice branded cardboard box with the basic features of the camera included on the back.

When you open the box you first find the quick start guide. Directly below the QSG, are the motion sensor and mounting accessories for the camera. Finally, you come to the camera body itself. It’s generously wrapped in foam for safe shipping. The camera isn’t much bigger than a coffee mug and its shape sort of reminds me of the Russian Matryoshka dolls. Wall mount accessories are included for both the motion sensor and the camera, but the camera could easily sit on top of a cabinet or desk. The set-up of the camera is some of the easiest I’ve seen.

First, you install the batteries. Then, you will hear a voice prompt from the camera telling you to run the Reolink app. The app is free to download from iTunes or Google Play.

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