INTRODUCTION

   Smart connected devices increase in number every day and although for most people these may not seem as something that could really improve their daily lives there are millions around the world who simply can't imagine how their lives would be without them. Personally i still recall the very first idea thrown in the beginning of the previous decade by one of the leading manufacturers of electrical appliances that one would soon be able to monitor and even control his refrigerator and air conditioning unit from a far using just his cellular phone (we didn't really have smartphones back then). Well fast forward just over a decade later and now there's a plethora of electrical appliances and electronic devices people can monitor and control via their smartphones so this really isn't something new. Security systems have also evolved to include smart functions so aside being able to monitor and control one such system from afar via your smartphone some manufacturers have taken things one step further by integrating everything into tiny packages that require zero installation and can be used by anyone. Today we will be testing one such system, the PIPER by iControl Networks.

   Icontrol Networks’ vision is to provide a connected home solution for every household, so people worldwide spend less time managing their lives and more time living them. Icontrol is making the connected home a reality through its software platforms, which are deployed by home security companies and service providers, and the all-­?in-­?one Piper Home Awareness device for consumers. Icontrol is further pioneering the next generation of connected living through its OpenHome™ Partner Program, the first community for application and device makers to partner on a common platform. Venture investors in Icontrol include Charles River Ventures, the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers iFund, and Intel Capital, with strategic investments from a variety of service providers including ADT, Comcast Ventures, Comporium and Rogers Communications.

   Security devices like the Piper are considered to be all-in-one since they combine a camera (usually with zoom/pan/tilt/night vision functionality), two way audio (microphone/speaker), integrated WiFi transmitter/receiver, micro SD card slot, and various environmental sensors. More specifically the Piper wears an 2MP (Megapixel) HD camera with zoom/pan/tilt functionality, 1080p Omnivision CMOS sensor, TI DaVinci ARM SoC with h.264 encoding, 128MB DDR2 RAM, 256MB flash memory, built-in microphone and speaker (two way audio), Marvell 802.11 b/g/n WiFi transmitter/receiver, Z-Wave wireless controller and 5 different environmental sensors (motion, temperature, humidity, passive infra-red motion sensor, 3-axis accelerometer). IControl Networks also manufactures several accessories for the Piper (controlled via the Z-Wave controller) such as a door/window sensor which notifies you whenever someone enters your home, micro smart switch which allows the Piper to control lights and appliances and finally power sockets which can also be used to turn on and off devices connected with them by the Piper wirelessly. So far the Piper sounds like the one device we all need but is that really so? Let's put it to the test and find out.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Piper arrived in a plain cardboard box with a product drawing at the top.

A 2D barcode is placed at the front of the box scanning which enables you to install the Piper application for Android and iOS compatible devices (or you can do so manually, both work).

The serial number, barcode, color and country of manufacture (surprised in a good way to see it is Canada) are all placed on a sticker at the rear of the box.

As you can all see the interior is filled with foam material inside which sits the Piper.

Along with the Piper iControl Networks also ships a desk base (mounted on the device), wall bracket, three AAA batteries, wall charger with two plugs/tips (EU/UK), warranty information paper, quick start guide and a protected by piper sticker.

THE PIPER

Without a base/bracket the body of the Piper weighs just 209g and measures 139.2mm in height, 87.5mm in width and 57.5mm in thickness.

The auto-focus lens of the camera is protected via a clear plastic dome.

Right beneath we find the motion sensor along with the light sensor and the microphone.

The device is perforated on both ends (top and bottom).

Turning the device over we see the battery compartment and the DC in.

After you install the batteries found in the bundle you will also have to secure the compartment with a small screw placed inside.

With the aluminum desk base the Piper gets 273g heavy, 154mm tall and 63.22 thick.

Unfortunately the wall bracket is made out of plastic and not aluminum.

Although iControl Networks didn't send us any of the Z-Wave accessories to test the Piper with here's the available lineup currently (marketing material).

THE PIPER MOBILE APP

Setting up the Piper is actually really simple so after you download the app onto your Android/iOS device you will need to connect it with the Piper and also give it permission to access your local WiFi network.

It will take some time for the Piper to finish its configuration and check for system updates but once that's out of the way you will need to name it (here the device lost wireless connectivity for a bit).

The application is well designed so from the main menu you can see the temperature where the device is located at, temperature outside (probably via an online weather service) and the 3 available modes (Stay/Away/Vacation).

You should access the settings tab to enable notifications, use Z-wave accessories (if you have any), add other people on the trusted list, pair the Piper with other Piper models and setup the video quality.

As time passes by Piper collects information on the environment of your house and then displays it on the above graph.

The app also allows you to edit the rules found under each mode as you can see from the above snapshot.

IMAGE QUALITY

I decided to use the Piper in my living room for a couple of days and as you can see even with the lights on image quality is average at best (with no lights on the lack of IR LEDs means everything's black).

Here you can see how you can monitor the feed from up to 4 different Piper devices.

The manufacturer claims that the Piper comes with 180 degrees fisheye lens and as you can see that is accurate.

Here's what you see with a maximum digital zoom and again quality is not what i'd call satisfactory.

CONCLUSION

   The Piper is amongst the very first devices to feature that many components inside such a small housing and so that alone results in several limitations. First of all the 2MP 720p HD camera may indeed have a horizontal and vertical viewing angle of 180 degrees and it does have a very convenient digital zoom/pan/tilt function but as clearly showcased in the previous page it produces average video/image quality (at best sometimes) even in places with plenty of light. The lack of a night vision mode is also very important to us so we were quite skeptical as to why we received the previous version of the Piper since iControl Networks just released the Piper NV (Night Vision) model. We will do our best to also get that over here to test the night vision mode but at least for the standalone version this certainly reduces the units overall score. The microphone was quite satisfactory although for some weird reason we were unable to use the speaker function (once we clicked on the icon the live view application would exit to the main tab). Fortunately we didn't experience trouble during testing although the Piper did lose the WiFi signal a couple of times during setup (also showcased in the previous page) but reacquired it automatically soon afterwards. Build quality is also very good when it comes to both the Piper and its desk base especially since it's made out of aluminum something which i have to admit we didn't expect (however the wall mount is plastic).

   IControl Networks makes it very easy for anyone to get the Piper from their online store for a price of USD199/199Euros and that is a feel the main problem with this device. I'm not about to say that iControl Networks asks for much since i know that the components inside the Piper are state of the art but people really don't care much about that, they care about the result. Unfortunately although the concept is very promising the average camera lens/CMOS combination and the lack of IR LEDs are two reasons as to why the Piper is only suitable for people who are not really after image quality. What i mean by that is that if you want to keep watch on your nanny, your kid or your pet then the Piper is a very good choice, however anything more than that and i just don't see how anyone would choose it over let’s say a regular IP camera. That being said it seems that iControl Networks has already started resolving these issues and the first thing they did was add IR LEDs to their Piper NV model so my guess is that a better camera model is not far away. Overall the Piper is an innovative device that certainly has its uses and so it comes highly recommended by us especially for people who just want something easy to install and use and don't care much about the average image quality and lack of IR LEDs. 

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Innovation
- 180 Degrees Fisheye Camera with Zoom/Pan/Tilt Functionality
- Two Way Audio
- Integrated WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Transmitter & Z-Wave Controller
- Piper Mobile App
- Alarm (Siren)
- Sensors (motion/ temperature/ humidity/ passive infra-red motion sensor/ 3-axis accelerometer)
- Desk & Wall Mount

CONS

- Average Image Quality
- Lacks Night Vision
- Price (For Some)