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Care without surveillance
What we learned by measuring, not assuming. Technology, everyday care and family decisions.
What happens to the battery of an old phone plugged in 24/7
Reusing a spare Android as a camera has fine print, and it's the battery. What we measured, and what to check before leaving it on a nightstand.
What on-device AI means (and why Velia does not store video)
Where images are analysed changes what is transmitted and stored. The difference, live video, and the questions to ask any provider.
What a family watches when they're not there: the real day of caring from a distance
The mental load never shows up on a to-do list. How it splits between siblings, why check-up calls wear everyone down, and which information actually helps.
Button, watch, sensor or camera: what each does well and where it breaks
The four ways to detect a fall, with each one's weakness up front. No winner: what works depends on the person and the home.
How to talk about putting a camera in her home without it feeling like surveillance
The objection isn't technical, it's about dignity. Who decides, what gets seen, how you agree the limit — and what to do if she says no.
What a care camera really sees at night: 540 minutes in darkness
We tested a phone in a completely dark room for 540 minutes. It detected zero people—an important limit before relying on any alert.
Does my old phone work as a care camera?
The short answer is almost certainly yes, for reasons that sound backwards: a cracked screen doesn't matter, and neither does a worn-out battery. Something else does.
What to do with an old Android phone: five uses worth the effort
It's in a drawer, trade-in barely pays anything, and it still works. Five concrete jobs it can do, plus the half hour of prep they all need.
My mother lives alone and I'm worried: where to start
It isn't paranoia and you're not overreacting. It's a real problem with concrete answers — and the first one costs nothing.
Is it legal to put a camera in my mother's home?
The short answer depends on where you live. The long one depends on something no law will settle for you: whether she knows, understood, and agreed.