It used to be that outfitting your home with a security system meant you needed to contact a security agency like Brinks or ADT, set up an appointment for them to come and install sensors all over your house, and then pay a monthly fee to keep your service going. But that’s no longer the case. Now that sensor tech has become drastically cheaper than it used to be, cheap DIY home surveillance systems are on the rise.

Korner is yet another entry into this growing category of products, but unlike all-in-one systems like Piper and Canary, Korner takes a much more minimalist approach. The entire system is comprised of a set of app-enabled door/window sensors and a network fob, so to get started all you do is stick the tags in the corners of the doors & windows you want to monitor, and plug the fob into your router.

Once applied, the tags will detect motion and wirelessly notify the fob, which then sounds a high-pitched alarm (if that’s how you configure it) and forwards an alert to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. In the even of an intrusion, you’ll be presented with the option of either calling the cops, or forwarding the alert to your Security Circle — a user-selected list of family, friends, and neighbors who can check on things for you.

As an added bonus, Korner tags are also equipped with Zigbee radios, so they can easily be incorporated to your existing Zigbee-based home automation setup. All security considerations aside, these tags are the only single-piece door/window sensors we know of, and they’re far more attractive than most of the other sensors on the market right now.

Obviously, this system has some big limitations compared to full-fledged security systems outfitted with cameras, but not everybody wants such robust security, and for those simply looking for an easy and affordable way to make their home safer, Korner would likely be an excellent option. You can’t buy it just yet, but Korner’s creators are set to launch an IndieGoGo campaign in the near future, and will offer a pack of three tags and one fob for just 80 dollars. Until then, you can find out more here.

Editors' Recommendations