Blink's budget buzzer gets some worthwhile upgrades
Amazon's budget security camera company, Blink, has launched the second generation of its popular video doorbell. The new Blink Video Doorbell adds a head-to-toe view and improved video resolution. It can also now alert you when a person is at your door instead of just the neighborhood cat or a strong gust of wind triggering its motion sensors. The doorbell camera comes with a new, more basic hub, the Sync Module Core, which, unlike the first-gen model, is required to use the buzzer.
Blink's latest doorbell is still one of the cheapest on the market, costing $59.99 without the hub and $69.99 with it. The lowest-priced battery-powered buzzer from Ring, Blink's sister brand, is $99, and it only claims six to 12 months of battery life compared to Blink's industry-leading two years, powered by its custom silicon.
Upgrades on this version include an improved 150-degree field of view with a 1:1 aspect ratio. That should give you a head-to-toe view of your porch so you can see people and packages. The prior version, which is my pick for the best budget video doorbell, has a 16:9 aspect ratio. This buzzer also adds 1440p x 1440p image resolution, according to Jonathan Cohn, Blink's head of product. This is a step up from 1080p, meaning footage should be clearer. There's still no color night vision; it retains the infrared night vision of the first-gen model.
The biggest upgrade is the addition of person detection; the first-gen model sends alerts for any motion, but now you can be notified just when there's a person at your door. This is powered by on-device computer vision, so it doesn't require the cloud. But it does require a $3 per month ($30 per year) Blink subscription plan (which also adds 60 days of cloud storage for recorded video). Blink has slowly been bringing person detection to its lineup, adding it first to its wired floodlight camera, then its flagship outdoor camera, and its Blink Mini indoor / outdoor camera last year.
The new doorbell requires a Sync Module to work, Cohn says, and it now comes with the new Sync Module Core, rather than the Sync Module 2. This is something of a downgrade as the Core doesn't have the local storage option that the Sync 2 offers. Cohn says the module helps extend battery life and range and enables on-demand live view and two-way audio. He confirmed that the new doorbell can work with the Sync 2 and the newer long-range Sync Module XR, if you already have one or if you want local storage.
The new buzzer features a slightly chunkier design to accommodate three AA lithium batteries as opposed to two in the first-gen version. The extra battery helps maintain the impressive two-year battery life while powering improved image quality and the addition of person detection, Cohn says. Blink is unique among security camera makers as it uses its own chip that's optimized for power management, so while it doesn't boast the higher-end features like those from Ring and Arlo, you don't have to worry about dealing with charging or replacing its batteries as often. It can also be hardwired to main power, which allows the doorbell to work with an existing indoor chime.
Unfortunately, Blink chose not to upgrade the device's Wi-Fi capabilities; it's still limited to 2.4GHz. Motion-activated recording is also limited to just 30-second clips, and the two-way audio is push-to-talk, which is like using a walkie-talkie, as opposed to full duplex, which is more like a phone call and is what you'll find on most other video doorbells.
Presumably, most of these limitations are designed to extend battery life, and Blink's two years is still its standout feature; no other video doorbell on the market comes close. The addition of higher video quality and person detection, all for the same price, makes this a worthy upgrade.
The second-generation Blink Video Doorbell is available to buy now on Amazon for $69.99 with the Sync Module Core or $59.99 as a standalone device.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bank of America Stock (BAC) Nears Record High as Pivotal Earnings Report Looms
Bank of America (BAC) is scheduled to report its Q2 2025 earnings on July 16, with analysts forecasting $0.90 per share, reflecting modest 8% year-over-year growth. I believe BAC is well-positioned to beat expectations, supported by conservative loan loss provisioning, ongoing share buybacks, strength in its Global Markets division, and higher net interest income amid slower-than-expected Federal Reserve rate cuts. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter BAC stock currently trades at $45, within striking distance of its all-time high of $47 per share. With resistance clearly set, BAC stock will need a strong catalyst to make further headway beyond $50 per share. Given the lack of clear catalysts, I remain Neutral on BAC stock. It currently trades at 1.66x tangible book value and 12.6x 2025 earnings—a valuation that's lower than peers like JPMorgan Chase (JPM), but still richer than that of many U.S. regional banks. Heading into Q2 2025, Bank of America's provisioning appears notably conservative. The bank's macroeconomic outlook assumes an unemployment rate of just below 5% by the end of 2025, remaining at that level through 2026, which is slightly more pessimistic than the Federal Reserve's projection of 4.5% for both years. Similarly, Bank of America forecasts 1% GDP growth in Q4 2025, undercutting the Fed's more optimistic estimate of 1.4%. In short, Bank of America's current reserves already reflect a cautious economic view, making it unlikely to build a significant provision in Q2 2025. The bank appears to have already accounted for a moderate economic slowdown later this year and into 2026. Analysts expect Bank of America to deliver earnings of $0.90/share in Q2 2025, up 8% year-over-year. This would represent a marked slowdown from the 18% annual increase observed in the first quarter of 2025. I believe the projected 8% EPS growth is overly conservative. Based on my estimates, share repurchases alone could contribute around 5% EPS growth. Additionally, Bank of America is likely to raise its net interest income (NII) guidance, as the Federal Reserve is now expected to deliver only two rate cuts in 2025, compared to the four cuts the bank had initially anticipated in its own outlook. I also expect slightly stronger performance from the Global Markets division, supported by heightened market volatility early in Q2 2025, which could contribute a paltry $0.02 per share to earnings. In summary, I expect Bank of America to modestly beat consensus earnings estimates, driven by conservative provisioning, upward NII revisions, and a slight lift from trading activity. My forecast is EPS of approximately $0.92 for Q2 2025. Based on my projections, Bank of America is on track to deliver earnings of approximately $3.57 per share in 2025, assuming consistent 8% growth in both Q3 and Q4 of 2024. This would translate to a return on tangible book value of around 13% for the year. However, this solid profitability appears to be largely priced in, with BAC stock trading at 1.66x its tangible book value of $27.12 per share. Its 2025 P/E multiple of 12.6x is more attractive than that of large peers like JPMorgan Chase (14.6x), but still above the average for regional banks, which trade closer to 10.7x forward earnings. Looking ahead to 2026, earnings growth is expected to moderate, with no repeat of the Global Markets tailwind and potential pressure from anticipated Fed rate cuts. Given this outlook, I believe a Hold rating is appropriate for BAC at current levels. This cautious stance is also supported by Berkshire Hathaway's ongoing reduction in its BAC stake, despite the stock remaining the firm's fourth-largest holding, which comprises 10.19% of Buffett's portfolio. The limited upside potential suggests it's wise to stay neutral for now. Turning to Wall Street, Bank of America earns a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 18 Buy and 2 Hold ratings over the past three months. Notably, not a single analyst is bearish on Bank of America. The average BAC stock price target is $49.38, implying a 9% potential upside. Bank of America's macroeconomic outlook remains more conservative than the Federal Reserve's, which suggests its earnings are better insulated in the event of a slowdown in U.S. economic activity later in 2025 and into 2026. I expect BAC to slightly beat Q2 2025 earnings estimates, supported by stronger net interest income, continued share repurchases, and a modest profitability boost from the Global Markets division. That said, I remain neutral on the stock. Like Warren Buffett, who has recently trimmed Berkshire's position in BAC, I believe the bank's solid profitability is already reflected in the stock's price, which trades at 1.66x tangible book value. Lastly, while Wall Street analysts maintain a Strong Buy rating, the implied upside of just 9.59% suggests limited near-term reward for new investors at current levels. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Advanced Micro Devices Stock Moved Higher Today
AMD stock jumped early in today's trading, but it gave up most of its gains as the market focused on risk factors for the tech sector and broader market. Investors are seeing signs that AMD is positioned to rack up wins in the artificial intelligence (AI) processor space. AMD's new AI processor and server products could deliver significant wins, but geopolitical dynamics and other factors could still create volatility for the stock. 10 stocks we like better than Advanced Micro Devices › Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) stock ended Friday's trading in the green, despite pullbacks following a pop early in the session. The company's share price closed out the day up 1.1%, but it had been up as much as 4.7% earlier in the session. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) fell 0.2% in the daily session, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) fell 0.5%. Thanks to rising excitement surrounding the company's position in artificial intelligence (AI), AMD stock opened today's trading with a big gain. The company's share price still advanced in the daily session, but it lost some ground as investors weighed new export restrictions for semiconductor technologies and the risk of escalating conflict in the Middle East. AMD stock has seen wild fluctuations over the last couple of years in conjunction with shifting expectations for the company's standing and market opportunity in the AI space. Following the Advancing AI 2025 conference hosted by the hardware specialist last week, market sentiment surrounding the stock has become significantly more bullish. At the conference AMD profiled its recently launched Instinct MI350 graphics processing unit (GPU) and its new server product for data centers. The company also announced that it had entered into a new deal to supply OpenAI with processing hardware, and its indications suggest that it may have also reached a new deal with Amazon. AMD appears to be making some laudable progress in the AI hardware market. While the company may continue to play second fiddle to Nvidia in the high-end data center GPU market, it will likely still have opportunities to score some big wins in the space. On the other hand, AMD stock could see high levels of volatility in the near term. Tech stocks wavered today following news that the Trump administration was implementing new bans on tech exports to China, and the market is also on edge about the possibility that the U.S. could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. So even though AMD's AI growth bets appear to be moving in the right direction, there are other big catalysts that could shape stock performance in the near term. Before you buy stock in Advanced Micro Devices, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Advanced Micro Devices wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Amazon, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Advanced Micro Devices Stock Moved Higher Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why B2Gold (BTG) Dipped More Than Broader Market Today
B2Gold (BTG) closed the most recent trading day at $3.64, moving -1.62% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.08%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.51%. The gold, silver and copper miner's shares have seen an increase of 12.12% over the last month, surpassing the Basic Materials sector's gain of 2.25% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.45%. Market participants will be closely following the financial results of B2Gold in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect B2Gold to post earnings of $0.09 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 50%. Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $0.51 per share and revenue of $2.97 billion. These totals would mark changes of +218.75% and +56.23%, respectively, from last year. Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for B2Gold. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook. Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system. Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained steady. B2Gold is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now. From a valuation perspective, B2Gold is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 7.24. This expresses a discount compared to the average Forward P/E of 13.26 of its industry. The Mining - Gold industry is part of the Basic Materials sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 50, which puts it in the top 21% of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report B2Gold Corp (BTG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
