The Core

> what's the difference, if any, between an LED lightbulb with wi-fi and a networked printer with wi-fi?

Nothing IMO.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jul/23/hacking-attack-printers

http://www.contextis.com/resources/blog/hacking-internet-connected-light-bulbs/

I doubt it, but I doubt any site is 100% secure. I have given it a check however I have only given it a once over, scanning for open and known obvious vulnerabilities.

However, IMO any site that is live online may have vulnerabilities we don't yet know about. For me that isn't the issue. I accept that almost all web apps will likely have them. How quickly and expeditiously they are fixed is more important in practice than having a technically perfect site; as something that passes that check today, could be f***ed tomorrow.

I see this sort of thing daily...

Flaws in Trane thermostats underscore IoT security risks, Cisco says
"While IoT devices such as smart thermostats, home lighting, and security systems bring an added level of convenience into our lives, these vulnerabilities highlight the dangers of insecure development practices," he wrote.

Cisco found three vulnerabilities which could be used to gain remote control of the thermostat, run rogue code and gain access to the local network.

Trane was notified in April 2014. It patched two of the vulnerabilities in April 2015 and the final one on Jan. 27, Chiu said.

"We are unable to determine if Trane has associated these vulnerabilities with security advisories or if they have effectively communicated the necessity of installing these updates to their customers," he wrote. "As a result, Talos recommends that users who own these thermostats to update immediately."

Set up the Blink cameras today. Had to briefly re-enable router SSID broadcast, but after that it was pretty straightforward. So far, so good. I placed two outside under covered porches. This will require a long term review on outdoor use and battery longevity, but so far I like the system.

Edit: Headed to Amazon to get a UPS and additional router for security sake.

Update: While recording, the cameras display a blue LED light. In the dark they shine bright, visible while LED light. Not sure if better or worse than IR illumination.

Installed mine. Had a minor problem with the wi-fi hand-off from the control phone to the module but it was due to misinterpretation of written instructions --problem located between the keyboard and the seat.  (Stay on the app to connect to your wifi.)  

I like it.

<more from amz>

Max storage is about 2hrs of video clips (in the cloud), so you want to be diligent about turning the motion detection feature off when you don't need it (e.g., once you get home) and/or regularly delete old clips to free up space.

Don't buy this camera if you don't have an US iOS App Store account. You won't be able to install the app and use the camera until you create a new account or until they release a new camera version for international orders in March.

 It is often slow to arm the cameras, especially if I'm away from the home wifi. Sometimes the arming fails. Also, the 10-second video is too short to get a good idea of what's happening--30 seconds would be better.

Features I'd like to see:
- More polish on the app.
- Schedule for automatic arm/disarm.
- Web interface for accessing the system.
- Additional alert options for when motion is detected (e.g. an email with video attached).
- Option to easily turn on/off light during live view.

LOTS of calls for an outdoor cam in the reviews, Trav.

"Coming Soon: Auto arm/disarm function"  on the features page.  Simple schedule or location. Simple schedule would work for me.