Amazon’s Ring doorbells get fire alerts, an app store and new sensors

Amazon is elevating its Ring smart doorbells with an array of exciting new features, including enhanced fire alerts, the introduction of an app store, and a fresh lineup of Ring Sensors. These new sensors are designed to monitor a variety of conditions, such as motion detection, door openings, glass breakage, smoke, carbon monoxide levels, leaks, temperature fluctuations, and air quality. Additionally, they allow users to manage lighting and connected appliances within their smart home ecosystem. The Ring app is also getting a significant upgrade with the addition of an app store, currently available in the U.S. This store will enable users to integrate their Ring cameras with third-party applications, offering a selection of tools aimed at supporting small businesses and fulfilling everyday household needs in the coming weeks. In response to the increasing risk of fires in drought-stricken areas, Amazon has partnered with the fire monitoring application, Watch Duty. This collaboration will provide users with real-time updates and early fire warnings directly through the Neighbors section of the Ring app. Users will also have the ability to share live updates from their Ring cameras within this section. Moreover, the newly launched devices will support Amazon's Sidewalk feature, which creates a mesh network among Echo and Ring devices by sharing a small amount of bandwidth. This feature ensures that devices remain functional even if they are out of range of the Wi-Fi router. Additionally, Amazon is introducing an AI-driven feature named "AI Unusual Event Alerts" to its Ring cameras. This capability allows the camera to learn the typical activity patterns of a property and issue alerts if it detects anything out of the ordinary, such as unusual movements or appearances based on location and attire. For users subscribed to Amazon’s Virtual Security Guard service, these alerts can even trigger automatic interventions. Recently, Amazon has also implemented features that utilize video recognition technology to enhance Alexa’s responses and deliver personalized notifications based on a database of 50 identified faces. The company has further expanded its product offerings with the launch of a new Ring Car Alarm equipped with built-in GPS for vehicle monitoring.