Jabbakam community IP camera review

Much as I loved the rich feature set of the TP-Link Wireless Surveillance Camera I recently reviewed here, setting it up was far from simple. Whilst a war-weary Linux veteran such as myself is happy configuring files or mucking about with settings it feel down on my timeless, “If I gave this to my Mum would she be able to use it” criteria.

Passing the Mum test with flying colours however, is the Jabbakam, community security IP camera. And at £59.99 it passes the “would I buy this for my Mum” test as well. The new camera has been specifically designed to work immediately following connection to the Internet and literally almost works straight out of the box. Connect the Jabbakam to your router and a power souce and it’s ready to roll. Whilst lacking the power and flexibility of other IP cameras we’ve looked at, the Jabbakam is pre-configured to take full advantage of the features that the cloud based Jabbakam service provides. In particular, the camera is activated by movement, recording events and sending alerts via email or sms when appropriate. There’s even a specially commissioned delightful set of cartoons from Yumi Sakugawa to hold your hand through both installation and the whole Jabbakam concept.

But what is the Jabbakam concept? What sets it apart from other IP cameras (delightful cartoons aside)? Well according to James Wickes, creator of Jabbakam:

Jabbakam succeeds where other IP-based camera services have failed, and the new camera’s price point ensures that anyone who wants to monitor something they value can do so easily. Networks are about inclusion, and the camera’s affordability will ensure that even more people can now benefit from joining Jabbakam.

When logged into Jabbakam, users can see footage from their IP cameras from anywhere in the world. Jabbakam users can view recorded footage remotely via their web browser, laptop, smartphone or PDA. Sadly live footage requires Flash, but you can view recorded footage on almost any modern device, which is amazing. You can set your camera to alert you, receiving emails or text messages when there is any unexpected activity in front of their cameras.

Jabbakam is a natural progression from Neighbourhood Watch, in that, using your own cameras you can keep watch over the things that are important to you, or by linking them with neighbour’s cameras, you can form a neighbourhood watch networks. Private networks can be created by people who share the same interests, and public camera networks can be created that can be accessed by anyone. Access to camera footage is granted by the network owner. Jabbakam networks can be public, private or completely hidden from view.

The Jabbakam starter kit is £59.95 and the basic package is £5.95 a month to store images online for up to 14 days.