Bambino Wireless Internet Baby Monitor w/ iPhone and Web Viewing
11
Apr/1023
Apr/1023
With the Bambino there is no USB cable to keep the camera tethered to your PC. Simply plug in the USB dongle to your computer and place the camera in a convenient location.
Use the bundled Seedonk software to securely transmit the video over the Internet. With the camera added to Seedonk, you can view your baby from the next room or anywhere online. Seedonk lets you remotely log on to view, manage, and share the Bambino from anywhere on the Internet. Furthermore, the Seedonk i…
Buy Bambino Wireless Internet Baby Monitor w/ iPhone and Web Viewing at Amazon
1:16 am on April 11th, 2010
BACKGROUND:
About a year ago my wife dragged me to Babies r Us to get a baby shower gift for some friends of ours who were having their first baby. On the registry I noticed some ridiculously overpriced “HD” video baby monitor for I think about $300.00. Several months later we visited those same friends and I got a chance to see this $300.00 “HD” video baby monitor in action. Needless to say, I was very unimpressed. The screen was about 2″ across and the resolution was so awful you almost couldn’t tell what you were looking at. It then occurred to me that you could probably use a wireless webcam to accomplish a much better result for a lot less money.
A couple months later, my wife and I got pregnant and I began looking for a wireless webcam to use as a baby monitor. During my search I realized two things: (1) wireless webcams are more expensive than I first thought; and (2) the process of configuring that arrangement is probably beyond my technical know-how. During my search I came across the Bambino Wireless Internet Baby Monitor. It appeared to be exactly what I was looking for and although it was a little more money that I wanted to spend, it still ended up a lot cheaper than a standard video monitor.
MY REVIEW:
I ordered this product on Monday and it arrived on Thursday. Apparently they ship from California and I’m on the east coast so that’s pretty impressive. The box contains five things: (1) the camera itself; (2) a USB dongle (with a small antenna); (3) an A/C adapter; (4) a CD containing the software; and (5) the instructions.
I unpacked everything and read the instructions. The camera itself can run on 4 AAA batteries or with the included A/C adapter. I plugged the camera in, installed the software on my computer (which I downloaded from their website rather than using the included CD) and plugged the USB dongle into my laptop’s USB drive. From there, I started the software and it found the webcam and wirelessly connected it to my laptop. It was all very easy. I will say however, that the software is designed for remote viewing (where you view the webcam over the internet from a computer not directly connected to the USB dongle), which I have not attempted to use yet. For my purposes, I plan on just attaching the USB dongle to my laptop whenever I need to use it.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed so far. It was easy to operate, easy to set up, and easy to use. Also the camera has some soft orange lights on the side that can be used, I suppose, as a nightlight. I thought that was a neat feature.
PROS:
- Easy to set up and use.
- Relatively inexpensive (at $130.00) although that’s supposed to be an introductory price. The full price is supposed to be $170.00, which isn’t such a good deal in my opinion.
- Attractive design.
- Operates on AAA’s or A/C adaptor.
- The microphone is very sensitive and pickups sound well.
- Built-in night vision.
CONS:
- Video resolution is pretty lousy.
- The “full price” is a bit too high since most stand-alone video baby monitors are about that price or even less.
- There is some mention the box about a “premium service,” which is apparently included for 1 year. After that, it’s $29.95 per year. I’m not sure what you get but I do remember seeing something about better resolution and the ability to post the webcam feed on facebook and view on an Iphone with an app. Personally, I think this stuff should be included in the price, especially if you’re paying $170.00.
3:43 am on April 11th, 2010
My wife and I are expecting our first child in April…a little girl. We were out registering for baby shower gifts at Babies-R-Us when we came to the baby monitor aisle. After hours and hours of looking at breast pumps, humidifiers, bottles, furniture, strollers, etc. I thought to myself, “HOW MUCH MORE STUFF DO WE NEED? AHHHHHHH”. I looked at my iPhone to see how long we had been shopping…and it came to me. Why do I need a baby monitor, I have an iPhone…there has got to be an app for that! The thought of preventing another piece of electronics from entering the house was awesome (we have a gadget filled home). I pulled up the app store and found all of these apps that would call “a number of my choice once my iPhone detected sound” in the nursery (which was stupid because my phone would have to call itself and then it would wake up the baby – duh?). I couldn’t find what I was looking for and thought that I had just invented the coolest thing since sliced bread. When I got home and did a little more research, I stumbled across Imogen Studio’s Bambino Wireless Internet Baby Monitor which works hand in hand with Seedonk. I saw that Seedonk was in Beta testing mode and was a little leary at first. I sent both Imogen Studios and Seedonk a few emails asking a few questions…and after prompt and courteous responses, decided to give the Bambino a shot. The box arrived and it was SOOOOO simple to set up. Download the software, turn on the camera, plug in the USB stick, and poof…we were staring at our soon to be nursery on our living room computer (which is our TV). One extra step to download the free Seedonk app and we were staring at our soon to be nursery on our iPhones! Also, not only do my wife and I have access to view our soon to be daughter on our computer and iPhones, but our family and friends can also sneak a peek on their iPhones and facebook as well. This product is awesome!! I am a happy customer!