Windows Phone App of the Day: Security Toolkit

If I still lived in Memphis, I would totally use this app, but I live in a tree house in New York, and if someone wants to break in there, they can go right ahead because our roommate’s enormous Fat Cat Barth will surely frighten the perp away. Security Toolkit by Venetasoft is an interesting little app that anyone who has stuff work protecting should really considering. Security Toolkit turns your Windows Phone into a mobile security and surveillance system. Kind of scary, right?

Pros

• Unlimited free trial (Full version only $3.49)
• Includes different modules each with unique capabilities (Modules also available separately in the Marketplace)
• Serious live tiles…can you have too many?
• Broadcast videos and audio streams to a PC on the same network
• Phone is automatically recognized by the PC Console, which is able to show/record audio and video streams
• Surveillance camera and Intruder Alarm features automatically activated by movement and sound
• Surveillance camera records from the integrated camera and microphone
• Intruder Alarm offers option to trigger an alarm (think “panic button”)
• Adjust sensitivity of audio and movement detection
• Play and share recorded content

Cons

• Cam Broadcaster and WebCam Viewer limited to 5 minutes per session; Must reboot  app to continue viewing

How It Works

• Download from the “Tools + Productivity” section of your Marketplace
• Open from your app list
• Click on the “Surveillance Camera” icon to start audio recording and motion detection
• Adjust motion sensitivity using the scale tool on the right hand side of the camera viewer
• Select “Start Recording Activity” to begin recording
• Click the arrow at the bottom of your screen to turn on your alarm
• Select the “Alarm” icon (top-right live tile) to set and test your Intrusion Alarm
• Select the “Broadcast” icon to view the WebCam broadcast (Limit to five-minute viewing times)
• Click on the “WebCam” icon to view your PC WebCam Viewer (Select “Connect” to connect to PC Console)
• Click on the “Voice Recorder” tile to access smart voice recording
• Edit your settings using the “Settings” live tile at the bottom-left of your screen

Conclusion

Now that I think about it, I have to walk through an entire building, through a courtyard, into another building, up some stairs, and turn a blind corner before even getting to the room under our tree house. I would certainly feel better if I could know what was going on in there before I get home. The “Share Recorded Content” feature is a little strange and seems like it could be used for more bad than good, but who am I to judge. Whether you want to use this for actual surveillance and security reasons or even if you’re one of those creeps that takes photos and videos of people on the subway, Security Toolkit is a nice app that will let you survey and creep with ease. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a surveillance video worth?