Here’s a gadget that might also work as a present for a newly minted father (since Father’s Day is two weeks from Sunday).
Given what it does, it is also appropriately named for Father’s Day: The Papalook BM1 is a baby monitor. It has both video and audio, and a lot of other nice features.
Papalook’s main business is that of web cameras, streaming, video conferencing and, in the words of a company spokesman, a commitment “to innovating new products to realize and improve current ways of working, learning, and entertainment to deliver new, exciting, and flawless experiences.”
Papalook’s baby monitor certainly connects mama and papa flawlessly with baby. It doesn’t use an app or Wi-Fi either. ($140 from Amazon; free shipping for Prime members. A 15%-off digital coupon is also available, which reduces the price to about $120.)
Papalook’s 1080p high-resolution camera broadcasts a color image to a handheld color monitor with a 5-inch screen (black and white if night vision is in use). The camera stands about 5 inches high, has a white body and head, atop which are a pair of light blue “ears.” They’re decorative and give the camera a mouse-like look.
More:Gadget Daddy: A chess-teaching rat gets an update for modern times
More:Gadget Daddy: Betty Crocker’s BettyLab feeds imaginations – and old gender stereotypes
More:Gadget Daddy: When you just want Netflix to Play Something
The camera and monitor are an ambitious pair. The camera can remotely rotate in nearly a complete circle (355 degrees) and can tilt to look from floor to ceiling. The picture can zoom in (but can’t be moved when zoomed in) to double the size.
Speakers and microphones are in both the camera and the monitor for two-way listening.
There is a temperature sensor in the camera; the temperature displays on the monitor screen. An alarm can be set to sound if the temperature in the room drops below 65 degrees or goes above 86 degrees. An alarm can also be set as a reminder for feeding time.
The camera has a noise detector that will sound an alarm on the monitor. The detector can be set to low, medium, high or turned off.
There is a slot in the monitor for a mini-SD card (not included) that can be used for recording. The slot can handle a card up to 256 gigabytes.
The camera can also play eight lullabies. It can either play them once or in a loop.
All these options and extras are controlled from the monitor screen. Menus are easy to navigate. The camera must be plugged into power to operate, but the monitor screen can be charged and will give about 10 hours of operating time (15 hours if the screen is off and only audio is used).
The camera and monitor basically set themselves up. Just make sure the power cord is plugged all the way in to the camera’s base. There is no light on the camera to indicate it has power. If it does, it will automatically connect with the monitor when the monitor is turned on.
Up to four Papalook cameras can be connected to the same monitor, and the monitor screen can be split to handle up to four at once. (A spokesman said the cameras must be the Papalook brand and will be available for separate purchase soon.)
The Papalook BM1 has a 4.3 out of 5-star rating on Amazon.
Lonnie Brown can be reached at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.
