The Internet of Things is a continuously evolving market. Because of our demand for smarter and better technology, most manufacturers felt the intense need to innovate and create highly competitive products. They compete with each other to make your life more comfortable and secured.
Immedia Semiconductor is one of these manufacturers. It specializes in creating silicon chips that continue to challenge the trend in video and image processing techniques. It’s a small but strong and competitive company that is based in Boston. It was established in 2009 and since then, has made interesting innovations in the silicon industry. Their silicon chips are popular among connected cameras and are best known for the following features:
- Excellent Image Quality and Processing
Noise in image and video, particularly in terms of surveillance, is almost always undesired. If it is too strong, image or video noise can prevent you from figuring out what exactly is happening in your home. It can also cause images to take up a lot of space in your storage and even prolong or affect the efficiency of image processing.
Immedia addresses this problem by creating and partnering its 3D Noise Reduction and NoDRAM technologies. These innovations greatly improve the quality of your images while making sure their compression, streaming and recording are flawless.
- Low Power Consumption
Using a Wi-Fi enabled camera can help you be more aware of what goes in and around your home even if you are on another country or continent. Connecting a camera to your Wi-Fi, however, means it’ll use more power. If it is battery powered, you’ll need to take the device down frequently to replace batteries. On the other hand, if your camera is wired to a power source, you’ll be limited in terms of range and location. For most people, this is actually a dilemma.
By utilizing low power Wi-Fi chips and modifying its software, Immedia sends data which you need to see only after it has made a recording of it. It doesn’t stream files. After sending you the data, it can shut parts of the device down to avoid consuming too much power. Also, because of its NoDRAM technology, it eliminates the need for external Dynamic Random Access Memory which, in turn, helps reduce power consumption.
- Always On
Most cameras in idle or inactive mode can take a lot of time to wake up. This equates to a longer time in getting your device ready to capture and send images and recordings to you. If your home is actively being burgled, a high dormancy camera won’t be able to assist you in getting help right away. Devices working with Immedia’s chips, on the other hand, can capture images and videos within 1/10 of a second after being powered on.
- Small and Low in Cost
Immedia products are effectively and efficiently designed. Because they are incorporated with the NoDRAM technology, these devices are free from external memory components and extra hardware. This means that Immedia chips are small in size and can fit modern camera designs. Also, because the chips don’t need additional hardware components, they are relatively lower in cost than most chips in the market.
However, although compressed in small packages, Immedia’s technology doesn’t compromise image quality. It utilizes a clever ISP technology to make sure your camera’s photos and videos are of the best quality.
Immedia has packed all of these neat features in Blink. It’s the company’s very own wireless home monitoring system launched through Kickstarter for crowd funding. Because of the great things it can do, Blink reached beyond its funding goal in just a short amount of time. As a matter of fact, it’s heavily backed and reached over a million in pledges. Some of its features include:
- An HD camera that can record at 720p.
- Motion sensor which is activated to record once it detects movement.
- A temperature sensor to watch out for any sudden temperature changes at home.
- Night vision capability so you can see who sneaks in at night.
- A microphone for you to pick up and listen to suspicious sounds.
- Instant On technology to enable quick recording after alert is triggered.
- Live streaming access of your home.
- An app where you can see alerts and arm or disarm your system.
Blink is a two-part system. The actual Blink unit is cordless and battery-powered which means you can set it up anywhere in your home. The batteries are expected to last for one whole year. If you don’t want to keep changing batteries, you can use the included micro USB cable and just connect the device to an external power source. Its Sync Module, however, needs to be constantly plugged to a wall outlet. This device makes sure your unit doesn’t consume too much power and that it functions seamlessly.
By taking Blink to a crowd funding platform, Immedia was able to bypass the long and tedious process of presenting an idea and waiting for the approval of prospective OEMs or Original Equipment Manufacturers. It’s not how it typically works, but by taking the shorter approach, Immedia received the early validation it needs for the product from its target market as well as the necessary funds. It also found an avenue to show how its silicon chips should be used and how they are bound to make a difference.
At $79, Blink can be considered as one of the most affordable home security solutions in the market today. For the said price, you’ll receive a camera and sync module set. If that is not enough and you want to make your security system more comprehensive, you can add an extra $60 for an additional Blink camera. You can also buy a Blink Alarm at $50. It works through batteries and can scream a 105-decibel alarm in case someone trips your system.
Immedia has already started shipping the Beta Blink units to its backers. In case you missed the campaign, you can pre-order the system or add extra devices through its official purchasing page. If you want to know why a lot of people are eager to get their hands on this system, you can read our in-depth review about Blink. It will give you a clearer idea on what the rave is all about. Now, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this one, would you?
