This is a sponsored article and was made possible by AiDot. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.
AiDot Cloud Service Pricing
Traditionally, reviews mention pricing at the end, but again, we’re flipping things in this review, and it’s more appropriate to mention it at the beginning. The AiDot 18-Month Cloud Service is extremely affordable, and perhaps that’s because the cart is before the horse. While we normally shop for a security camera, then realize we need to spend more money on the company’s cloud storage, Aidot has flipped that: buy the cloud service for just $35.29 and get a free Winees Cam M2. That’s much less than you would spend buying the camera first. You’d spend money on the camera and the cloud service. Additionally, AiDot has several brands it’s partnered with other than Winees, including Linkind and Orein, so you can also add other products, such as a video doorbell, baby monitor, smart lights, power tool, or robot vacuum.
Downloading the AiDot App
After you download the AiDot Cloud Service, your free security camera will be shipped to you. Once you receive it, you need to download the AiDot app, which is available for both iOS and Android. When I first opened the AiDot app and created an account, I was greeted with a screen offering to migrate my data. I previously reviewed Linkind light bulbs and had also set up a security system. I still use the Linkind light bulbs so have data saved in the app. These other brands’ apps are now merging into the AiDot app, so I was given the option to migrate the information now or later. After migrating my information, the app offered a series of tip bubbles, such as where to go for support and an offer to sign up for a newsletter. The home screen opened to show the Linkind bulbs and other products I’d used as part of the security system. I could delete the products I’m no longer using but left them for the purposes of this review. To add a new device, tap the plus sign (+) in the upper-right corner, then select “Add Device.” After reminding you to allow location and Bluetooth permissions, tap the brand of the device you are using from one of Aidot’s partners and find your device from the list. Optionally, you can also opt to add it manually or have the app detect nearby devices. You will need to follow the app to set up your device. In this case, I was setting up the Winees Cam M2 and needed to plug in the device and connect to Wi-FI. Returning to the home screen, you will find that your device has been added.
Using the AiDot Cloud Service
With the device and app set up, you can begin using the app and the AiDot Cloud Service. Click on the device in the home screen to begin using it. For the Winees Cam M2, it took me to a live screen that allows me to monitor it 24/7. I set up the camera so that I could observe my dog, Huver, and see when he wanted to come in and go out. If you turn your device in landscape made, you can see a large full view of the camera. This camera has very good clarity, despite being a tiny thing sitting on my kitchen counter. There is also an option to save your photos and videos on an SD card, but frankly, you just bought a cloud service, so I’m not sure why you would opt to do that. You can check your videos and photos in the cloud by tapping “Calendar.” The camera intelligently labels what it saw in the video that caused it to create it, such as “Pet,” Person,” or both. Additionally, it will sometimes leave a note asking if it has correctly identified what’s in the image. Optionally, you can tap the funnel icon in the upper-right corner and have the app find all the videos that have been labeled “Pet,” “Person,” or “Motion.” I set this up just before I went away for the weekend. It was a great option for keeping tabs on Huver and my daughter while we were gone.
Notifications
If you allow the AiDot app to send you notifications, you can stay up to date on what’s going on with your connected device. The app sends me a notification every time the camera detects something and records a video. It sends these notifications to all my devices. I also get them on iPad and Apple Watch. This was very handy when I was out of town for the weekend. My daughter and dog were alone at my home, and I could keep an eye on them.
Integration
AiDot will also work with several smart home services and voice assistants, such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT. While it says on the website that Aidot works with Alexa, once I added the skill and connected the app to Alexa, it couldn’t show me the live screen, which made the skill not worthwhile to have. The only suggestion for the skill was to turn on the lights, which appears to be rather limited.
Final Thoughts
In this instance, putting the cart before the horse works well. It causes no harm in service to buy the AiDot Cloud Service, then get the free camera. It’s so affordable that it makes it a great option for anyone on the fence on whether they should try a security camera. On the downside, it doesn’t work as well as other products with Alexa. Additionally, cloud storage isn’t for everyone, so this isn’t an option for everyone, as there are people who don’t trust cloud storage. The service is also very basic, so if you’re looking for more, you may not find it. But for most people, the AiDot 18-Month Cloud Service is a worthwhile, affordable option at $35.29.
