Dropcam HD Wi-Fi Camera Lets You Monitor Your Home From Your Phone

One of the overarching themes we’ve seen in the last year is the mobile-connected automated home. Forgot to turn off a light after you left your house? Switch it off from your phone. Want to adjust your home’s temperature to save on energy bills? There’s an app for that. Want to know what sort of trouble your cat is getting into while you’re on vacation? Dropcam HD, a Wi-Fi camera with a mobile app, uses live and recorded video so you can make sure all is well while you’re away.

Announced at CES today, the Dropcam HD retails for $149 and is online for preorders via Dropcam’s site. The Dropcam HD has a night vision mode, which is useful if you’re using it as a security camera. There’s also two-way audio so you can respond to what you’re watching. For example, you can ask who is at the front door or yell at your cat if he is misbehaving. The camera also has digital zoom if you want to focus on a specific area of your home.

I reviewed the previous Dropcam model last spring and found its easy set-up and image quality impressive. The corresponding iOS and Android apps also work quite well and the ability of being able to see what’s going on in your house from your phone is very cool.

We’ll be doing a full rated review of the Dropcam HD later this month so stay tuned.

[For more blogs, stories, photos, and video from the nation’s largest consumer electronics show, check out PCWorld’s complete coverage of CES 2012.]