This Blink bundle gets you a video doorbell and three outdoor cameras for $103, and nothing needs wiring



A four-device wireless home security system for $103.99 is not a price point you see often. The Blink Video Doorbell and Outdoor 4 bundle is down to exactly that, a $146 saving off its $249.98 list price, and it covers your front door and three additional outdoor angles without a single wire needing to be run. The Sync Module Core is included in the box, so everything is ready to set up out of the gate.

What you’re getting

The Video Doorbell handles front door coverage with a head-to-toe HD field of view that captures packages and visitors at ground level as well as face height, which is the blind spot that standard doorbell cameras miss. Infrared night vision and two-way audio through the Blink app let you see and speak to whoever is at the door from wherever you happen to be, and the second-generation design brings improved motion detection and expanded viewing angle over the original.

The three Outdoor 4 cameras cover the rest of your perimeter with 1080p HD live view, infrared night vision, and dual-zone enhanced motion detection that responds faster and more accurately than single-zone systems. The wider field of view on the Outdoor 4 means fewer cameras needed to cover the same area, which makes a three-camera pack genuinely useful for most home setups.

The two-year battery life across all four devices is the spec that makes the Blink ecosystem worth considering over wired alternatives. Included AA Energizer lithium batteries come in the box, and with two years between changes, the maintenance burden is close to zero. The Sync Module Core connects everything to the Blink app and keeps the system running without a subscription required for basic functionality, though person detection and Blink Moments clip stitching are locked behind a paid plan.

Why it’s worth it

Wireless home security systems with this many devices typically start well above $150, even during sales events. The Blink bundle at $103.99 brings a doorbell and three outdoor cameras to a price that most single-camera systems charge at full retail, and the two-year battery life removes the ongoing maintenance cost that makes some wireless setups more hassle than they’re worth.

The bottom line

The Blink Video Doorbell and Outdoor 4 bundle at $103.99 is a solid home security package at a price that removes most of the usual objections. The four-device coverage, two-year battery life, and HD night vision add up to a system that covers the bases without needing professional installation or a monthly commitment, and the $146 saving makes this a straightforward pick before the deal expires.



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If you’ve bought a new Raspberry Pi, or just got your hands on an older model that someone else didn’t want, there are many ways to put that little computer to good use, and here are six of them.

Retro gaming galore

Recalbox running on a Raspberry Pi 500+. Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek

One of the most popular uses for Raspberry Pi computers is as a retro gaming emulation system. Which systems can be emulated depends on which specific model of Pi you have, but even the oldest ones can do a great job with retro 8-bit and 16-bit titles, or MAME arcade titles. In fact, building your own arcade cabinet with a Pi at its heart is a common project, and you’ll find lots of instructional guides on the web to that effect.

8bitdo arcade stick for Nintendo Switch.

8/10

Number of Colors

1

Control Types

Arcade Stick


Build your own NAS

A Raspberry Pi configured as a NAS. Credit: Raspberry Pi Foundation

A NAS or Network-Attached Storage device is effectively a local file server that lets you store and access data on your local network using hard drives. You can go out and buy a NAS or you can follow the official Raspberry Pi NAS tutorial and turn your old USB hard drives into a NAS using stuff you already have, or can get for just a few dollars.

Everyone loves local streaming tools like Plex or Jellyfin, but not everyone wants to dedicate an expensive computer to act as the streaming server. Well, as long as your requirements aren’t too fancy, you can use a Raspberry Pi as a Plex server.

Just don’t expect it to handle heavy-duty transcoding. The good news is that most of your client devices can probably play back videos without the need for transcoding.

Turn your Pi into a home automation hub

The Home Assistant Green smart home hub surrounded by smart home devices. Credit: home-assistant.io

Home automation hub devices can cost hundreds of dollars, but if you have an old Raspberry Pi, you can run your smart home off it. The most common and effective solution is an open-source app called Home Assistant.

Raspberry Pi logo above a photo of Raspberry Pi boards.


I Run My Smart Home Off a Raspberry Pi, Here’s How It Works

Make your home smarter on a budget with a Raspberry Pi.

Build a weather station

If you’re interested in the weather, want to contribute to weather data, or are just sick of getting rained on when you least expect it, you have the option of getting a weather station kit for your Raspberry Pi or using something like the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT, which can detect pressure, humidity, and temperature, but not wind speed. However, there are also generic wind and rain sensors you can buy, and, of course, don’t forget an outdoor project enclosure.

There are a few guides on the web, but this weather station guide for Raspberry Pi is a good place to get some ideas.

Create a home web server

Another fun project to do is hosting your own little web server using a Raspberry Pi. You can make a website that only works on your home LAN, or even host something that people from outside your home network can access. Using open source software to host your own web resources is highly educational, and it can also be a way to do something genuinely useful without having to rely on a cloud service somewhere on the internet.

Imagine having your own little bulletin board at home, or hosting content like ebooks, music, or audiobooks?


Infinite possibilities

Despite lacking in the raw power department, all Raspberry Pi devices are little miracles—single board computers that can (in principle) do anything their bigger cousins can. Just more slowly. So if you have a few old Raspberry Pis hanging around, don’t be too quick to retire them yet.



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