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Arlo Security Cameras Will Soon Detect Packages, Cars, Animals

The upcoming Package Detection feature will let you watch on your smartphone as packages are delivered to your door. The Vehicle Detection feature will notify you when a vehicle parks on your property, and Animal Detection will keep you informed about animals in your yard.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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In the near future, Arlo security cameras will be able to detect animals, vehicles, and packages, the company announced Wednesday.

Arlo plans to roll out these new artificial intelligence-powered detection capabilities to its Arlo Smart subscription service later this year.

The upcoming Package Detection feature will let you watch on your smartphone as packages are delivered to your front door. Arlo says its technology will alert you "the moment your camera locates and identifies a parcel." The Vehicle Detection feature will notify you when a car or truck parks on or near your property, and Animal Detection will keep you informed about any animals in your yard.

"The introduction of Animal, Vehicle and Package Detection to Arlo Smart marks the next generation of precise AI and video analytics offerings," Pat Collins, SVP of Arlo products, said in a statement. "By leveraging the power of Arlo's advanced AI and computer vision capabilities, our users can enjoy added peace of mind and convenience to tailor their notifications to only the important events they truly care about."

Arlo Smart plans start at $2.99 per camera per month; the service works with all of the company's security cameras. When the new Animal, Vehicle and Package Detection features arrive, Arlo Smart subscribers will gain access to them at no extra cost.

Arlo Smart subscribers already get real-time alerts about people who enter their camera's view. Arlo says its AI and computer vision technology ignores movements of other objects like swaying tree branches, so you don't get a bunch of false positive alerts.

Subscribers can also set up "Cloud Activity Zones" to monitor specific areas. Notifications include thumbnail clips of the action; you can simply press and hold to view the clip without even needing to launch the app.

The Arlo Pro 2 outdoor security camera system earned an "excellent" rating in PCMag's review, and our coveted Editors' Choice award.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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