Dashcam security systems are the latest rage and one of the leaders in this space is the Owl Car Cam.
The Palo Alto-based startup's product was one of the finalists for the Last Gadget Standing Award at CES in Las Vegas.
The system has a two-way camera that records everything that's happening inside and outside of your car, triggered by voice commands or sensors. It sends video clips straight to your phone, where you can also watch a live feed from your car or even tell the burglar to leave via a microphone. Owl is designed to monitor your car for break-ins, collisions, police stops and even to capture fun moments in the car.
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Twenty-six-year-old Bay Area tech worker Samantha Barton says Owl saved her financially after she was hit during her commute on Interstate 880 near Fremont in October. The Owl cam video helped her insurance company determine that it was the other driver's fault. Police had told her that would not have been a clear case without the video.
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San Francisco had over 31,000 break-in's in 2017 and only 2 percent resulted in arrests. Police say while they have no numbers on break-in arrests that resulted from such videos, they say videos can be used as evidence in solving cases.
At $350 for a starting package, the Owl Car Cam is not cheap. But its CEO Andy Hodge says in actuality, the majority of purchasers are people who cannot afford to lose their cars to burglars or be falsely faulted by insurance in a crash.
Hodge was one of the lead engineers who designed the original iPod and iPhone.
Hodge was on ABC7 Midday Live and spoke with anchors Kristen Sze and Reggie Aqui about how the camera system can help you. Watch the video player above for the full interview.