Do you ever come home from a long day, put on your loungewear, sit on the couch, finally feel alone, open Instagram, and then -- there it is -- that product you definitely never Googled but told your coworker you wanted?
My devices are definitely listening to me, you think to yourself.
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Then you tell Alexa to turn your front lights on and lock the door.
While most tech companies swear they aren't actually listening to you, that sensation of being perpetually plugged in tugs at all of us. How else would we learn about a new restaurant nearby, navigate to said restaurant, and then tweet/post/brag about our reservations at said restaurant without the help of our devices? These small things are appendages of our modern world, few of us can fathom going 15 minutes without their help -- let alone 15 days.
This is especially the case for the more than 10 million Americans who rely on a Ring doorbell to keep their homes safe. The Shark Tank pitch-turned $1 billion acquisition by Amazon (AMZN) helps residents keep track of packages and visitors, and lets police solve local crimes. The case is similar with Alphabet's (GOOG) Google Nest smart home monitor, which allows you to set the temperature and keep track of who's coming and going.
Amazon
87% of Americans don't know how Amazon or Google is collecting or using their data. They just know it's easier to make sure they locked their door or turned on the lights before they left.
These tiny and relatively cheap devices are gold mines. They give people a sense of security and provide a lot of useful data. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that Roku (ROKU) and Walmart (WMT) have partnered to get in on the action.
Roku and Walmart Team Up to Get Into Your House
The streaming device company announced on May 10 a new smart home monitoring service, complete with entry sensors, a motion sensor, a wire-free keypad, and a hub with a built-in siren. The Roku Home Monitoring System SE, as it's being called, will be sold exclusively by Roku and Walmart.
“Roku’s new home monitoring system provides peace of mind, while being easier than ever to set up, control, and monitor,” Roku Smart Home VP Mark Robins said.
The system is a cinch to set up and requires no tools. It features Home, Away, and Off modes, which allow users to toggle between settings based on how much security and monitoring they'd like. You can also access footage, history, and monitor activity on your TV using a Roku remote or mobile app. Professional monitoring will also be available starting at just $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually.
The devices will be sold by Roku starting Wednesday and available through Walmart beginning on May 15.
