Do you want to see live-stream footage of everyone who comes to your door? Have you always wanted a connected doorbell? If so, then it may be worth spending $299 on a video doorbell, made by US company Ring, which has a camera with night vision and two-way audio. There's also an optional chime ($59) that is plugged into the wall.
When anyone rings the bell or triggers the built-in motion sensors, a notification is sent to your phone, where you can see and talk to whoever is standing on your doorstep, from anywhere in the house, or indeed the world.
It's useful if you're in the middle of baking a cake and don't want to drop everything to answer the door, or to tell a courier where to leave a package if you've gone down the street for milk.
It is incredibly easy and quick to set up, following instructions on the free Ring app, but make sure the device is charged before you connect it to the Wi-Fi (because it won't work otherwise). There's no need for extra wires or to incorporate anything into your house's electrical system.
Other people in the house can be notified, as well. There's optional cloud video storage ($4 monthly, or $40 yearly) for up to six months of recordings.
Removing the doorbell for charging is simple — it just slides off the mount — but it's yet another device you have to remember to power up.
And be warned, as with all things connected in the home, security is an issue. Ring itself identified a potential security issue involving the hacking of Wi-Fi passwords, which it says is fixed, but when and what will the next issue be?
However, the Ring doorbell is a great way to experiment and see if digital security is for you before you embark on an integrated home system.