Raising a baby can be pretty nerve-wracking, especially for first-time parents. Babies make weird sounds, do bizarre things, and can’t describe when something’s actually wrong. Meanwhile, it’s 2017 and our solution to basically every old problem is: “Have you tried throwing new technology at it?” [More]
baby monitors
Pricey Wearable Baby Monitors May Be Better At Giving Parents Anxiety Than Monitoring Babies
By 1.24.17 — Updated: 1.25.17
Internet-Connected Video Baby Monitors Are Basically The Most Hackable, Least Secure Thing Ever
By 9.2.15
The implacable march of technology has, in many ways, made parents’ lives easier. But in other areas, it’s added a whole new layer of complication. Like the fact that video-enabled baby monitors, designed to let parents have peace of mind while their kids are sleeping in another room, almost universally have completely crap security that any random stranger on the internet can tap into. [More]
Recall: Baby Monitors Should Monitor Babies, Not Strangle Them
By 11.25.13
The entire purpose of a baby monitor is to keep an ear or an eye on your baby while it sleeps in a different room. The Angelcare monitor adds an extra component to that: a pad that monitors movement and rests under the mattress. Sounded like a great idea…until two babies got hold of the cord and were strangled to death. [More]
Philips-Avent Stands Behind Baby Monitor, Sends New One When Charging Fails
By 8.16.13
Reader Ben still needed his baby monitor after a year or so, but it would no longer charge. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could fix yourself: he couldn’t even find batteries for the unit. So he contacted the manufacturer, Philips-Avent. They shipped a new battery out to him right away, but that didn’t solve the problem. Oh well: tough luck, right? [More]
Sorry, Current Equipment Is Only For New FiOS Customers
By 5.29.12
Marvin is experiencing a very modern problem, one that our great-grandparents would probably be unable to wrap their brains around. His new video baby monitor for his new baby doesn’t get along with his Verizon FiOS-issued wireless router. They use the same frequency. That means that when his baby goes to bed, so do his Internet speeds. There’s a potential solution to this issue: get a newer router that operates on a different frequency. Verizon has them in stock, but not for Marvin. They’re only for new customers, not for him. His best option right now: to pay $130 to upgrade to one of the new routers. Which he still won’t own. [More]
1.7 Million Summer Infant Baby Monitors Recalled After 2 Babies Die
By 2.14.11
1.7 million Summer Infant video baby monitors were recalled after two babies died after they wrapped their necks in the electrical cords of the the devices that were placed too close to their crib. “I urge all parents and caregivers to put at least 3 feet between any video or audio baby monitor cords and a child in a crib,” Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said in a statement. “This simple step can save your child’s life.” [More]
