Home security company Arlo highlighted two upcoming products at CES this year, both of which received Smart Home awards at the event. The Essential Indoor camera and the Touchless Video Doorbell are both new product offerings that will be released in the coming months.
The Essential Indoor camera is designed to let families choose when the camera monitors and records video through a "disarm mode." In disarm mode, recording, motion, and audio detection is disabled and won't be re-enabled until manually done through the Arlo app. Video recording resumes when the camera is placed into arm mode.
The Touchless Video Doorbell is a new entry in Arlo's camera-equipped doorbell lineup. It uses Proximity Sensing Technology to gauge a visitor's distance, and when it sees someone approaching, it gives off an audible chime and lights up to let guests know that the doorbell has been virtually "pressed" and that the homeowner has been alerted.
Arlo says that it designed the Touchless Video Doorbell to allow for interaction with limited communal contact, while also keeping the homeowner's front entry secured. Additional details on the Essential Indoor Camera and Touchless Video Doorbell will be provided closer to their launch date, which has yet to be shared.
Along with these announcements, Arlo today appears to have quietly added HomeKit support to the Essential Video Doorbell Wired, based on an updated support document.
The support page lists the Essential Video Doorbell Wired as a HomeKit-compatible device alongside the Arlo Ultra, Pro 3, Pro 3 Floodlight Camera, Pro 2, and more. Enabling HomeKit compatibility requires an Arlo SmartHub or base station with the latest firmware, with Arlo providing instructions on adding HomeKit connectivity.
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
What’s the point of the touch free one. Isn’t it going to keep sending alerts and chime when a leaflet person puts something through your door. Not everyone who comes to your house needs to speak with the owner. Seems silly.
Just HomeKit from what I'm seeing. Arlo would *never* give up an opportunity to charge you a monthly subscription fee!
Arlo Ultra vs Logitech Circle, in homekit, there is no comparison - event recording, notifications, and time to load a video stream with Logitech is WAY better. Often times Arlo doorbell would ring, it would take 20 seconds to connect, by that time the person was gone or door was already answered.
Arlo is merely adding low hanging features they should've had for years as a publicity stunt at CES.
Yeah - unfortunately Logitech decided to not sell the circle doorbell in Canada.
I have a ton of Arlo cameras, and if I wasn’t already invested AND grandfathered into their 10 camera plan I’d drop them (I have 2 Arlo Pro 2 and 8 Arlo Pro cameras). They significantly raised their prices while cutting # of supported cameras in the plans.
Just HomeKit from what I'm seeing. Arlo would *never* give up an opportunity to charge you a monthly subscription fee!
Arlo Ultra vs Logitech Circle, in homekit, there is no comparison - event recording, notifications, and time to load a video stream with Logitech is WAY better. Often times Arlo doorbell would ring, it would take 20 seconds to connect, by that time the person was gone or door was already answered.
Arlo is merely adding low hanging features they should've had for years as a publicity stunt at CES.
I guess this is why there are only two that support HSV. They don't get that sweet sweet subscription money.
