Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Group test: Home security cameras<br />
MYFOX SECURITY CAMERA<br />
£169 inc VAT • getmyfox.com/uk<br />
The MyFox home-security camera can operate on its own or as<br />
part of the MyFox Home Security System, a product that initially<br />
impressed but ultimately disappointed us due to the system’s<br />
limitations. The company’s camera is burdened by some of the<br />
same concerns, and it feels a few iterations away from holding its<br />
own with similarly priced security cameras.<br />
What you get<br />
The MyFox camera sits inside a cylinder about the diameter of a<br />
drink coaster, which rests on edge atop a plastic base. While you<br />
can change the vertical angle slightly by rotating the camera up<br />
and down on this base, there’s no side-to-side swivel – you must<br />
reposition the entire unit to change its horizontal viewing angle.<br />
The camera comes with a long power cable that gives plenty<br />
of leeway for positioning it away from power outlets. It also has<br />
an internal battery that will keep the camera rolling for an hour if<br />
there’s a power outage. MyFox sends an alert to your phone when the<br />
power goes out, and again when it’s restored. If it loses its connection<br />
to the internet, the camera will record footage to its internal memory.<br />
If you pay for continuous recording service, it will transfer the video<br />
to MyFox’s servers when the connection is re-established.<br />
MyFox features streams in 720p with a 130-degree wide-angle<br />
lens and night vision up to 5m. It also boasts a two-way intercom<br />
that’s activated from the MyFox app.<br />
The camera’s most compelling feature is a motorised shutter<br />
that’s controlled from the MyFox app and covers the lens whenever<br />
the camera is turned off. It’s a feature that’s surprisingly assuring<br />
given the privacy vulnerabilities that have been discovered in many<br />
webcams and other home-monitoring devices.<br />
While the camera provides a live feed out of the box, you need<br />
a subscription to one of MyFox’s cloud-recording services to store<br />
video in the cloud. For £3.99 per month you get one day of video<br />
history; £7.99 per month gets you an entire week of storage. MyFox<br />
is currently offering a free two-week trial with the second option.<br />
Given the French<br />
manufacturer’s<br />
experience in home<br />
security, you get the<br />
expected level of care<br />
with your data. Video<br />
transmission between<br />
the camera and the<br />
cloud uses a 2048-bit<br />
SSL encryption key,<br />
and video streams are<br />
encrypted with 2048-bit<br />
Transport Security<br />
Layer (TLS). The same<br />
encryption level is used<br />
when connecting your<br />
The purple bars in<br />
this scrolling timeline<br />
in the MyFox indicate<br />
security events in<br />
MyFox’s live feed<br />
88 www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews February 2016 TEST CENTRE
Change language