DoorBot Smartphone Video Doorbell

Last week I recounted my triumphant tale of Scrabble domination over a girl I once dated. At that time, I literally had not seen...or even really thought about...this girl for at least 3 years. But then I wrote about her competitiveness and inability to take a loss like a man and suddenly, a few days later, I walked into an upscale soul food bistro, and Bam! There she was! Mowing down on some brisket and fried okra! Unbelievable, right? So this entry is going to be all about Kate Beckinsale and how one time I kicked her ass at air hockey. And also about how I might have to get a DoorBot video doorbell for my smartphone, because I'm pretty sure Scrabble Girl is going to show up at my house any day now.

Created by Edison Junior (uh, that's an alias, right?) the DoorBot is a wireless doorbell and app combo that streams live one-way video and two-way audio directly to a smartphone or tablet. See and speak to visitors from the kitchen, the back yard, the john, even the grocery store 5 miles away. Ignore ding-dongs from Jehovah's Witnesses and sullen-faced children selling candy bars for their little league team and messengers serving subpoenas, but never miss another UPS delivery or visit from the girl next door returning your mail. Which you keep taking out of your mailbox and dropping into hers.

DoorBot's audio/video capabilities not only ensure you miss the visitors you don't want to see and connect with those you do, but also add a layer of security to your home when vacant, giving knockers the illusion that someone is home when you activate your app and have a conversation about how they should go away.

Perhaps even cooler, DoorBot packages optionally include the Lockitron system, a wireless automatic door lock which allows users to unlock the door for those they deem worthy of home entry. Again, from anywhere, home or not.

DoorBot recently achieved great funding success from Christie Street, and although its official campaign is over, interested parties can still make a purchase through the site. For $189 get the DoorBot on its own, and sync multiple iPhone, iPad, and Android devices to alert you when the bell rings and who's doing the ringing. Additional DoorBot features include: a weather-resistant, brushed aluminum faceplate; LED lighted ring that vistors push to talk; and an infrared camera that streams clear video both day and night.

For $339, get the DoorBot and Lockitron combo package. Lockitrons fit over currently installed dead bolts, and access to their lock/unlock codes can be shared with trusted parties for easy, keyless entry.

Estimated delivery for both DoorBot options is July 2013.

Another story about Scrabble Girl is that I went to Chile with her and we were walking around this tiny town near Puerto Varas when I saw a dog playing with a llama. No joke, they were hopping and pump faking and generally frolicking together around a grassy knoll. It was so awesome. I was all, "Holy shit, Scrabble Girl, look at that llama chasing that dog!" And she was all, "Whatever. I'm hungry. I want an empananda." Yeah, we broke up a week after returning to American soil.