NEWS DESK
Light and sound show at flick of an app Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au ACTION, camera, lights and sound. The sequence might sound out of order, but it all adds up to security when applied to a new light developed by a Braeside company. Sengled The light has an inbuilt digital camera that transmits images straight to the Cloud and can be monitored by smart phone or computer. Even if the light is turned off, an infrared camera will record images in the dark. The Snap light also comes equipped with a speaker and microphone, which provides the opportunity to converse with someone knocking on the door, even if you aren't at home. David Clerk, CEO of General Innovation Australia, can quite rightly claim to have had a light bulb moment. Actually, there have been several light bulb moments that he and his team – including electrical engineer father, Fred, a former chairman of the Institute of Engineers – have come up with to extend the company’s product line. With LED lights becoming the norm (at one stage there were 5000 registered LED manufacturers in China) Clerk says his company needed “to think of something different in what was an eroding market�. Until now his company has been heavily involved in supplying and installing LEDs to business, including apartment blocks and department stores. Using the iPhone and its multiple
David Clerk and the security light that includes a camera, microphone and speaker.
purposes as an inspiration, Clerk set about having a close look at the light bulb to see what else it could do besides illuminate. As a result, Snap is the flagship of a range of lights now being marketed by Machtig brand in partnership with Chinese manufacturer Sengled for commercial and private uses. Clerk, who lives at of Mt Eliza with his wife Sascha Schubiger (the company’s operations manager) and two daughters, was a brand manager for the Holden Racing Team while studying at both Monash University and Swinburne TAFE. A talented rower and former Hai-
leybury student, he had earlier won a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport and rowed in twos, fours and eights. His experience and attraction to motor racing has led to his company having an ambassador deal with Nissan-sponsored V8 supercar driver Rick Kelly. “Nissan is all about innovation and is a progressive car company,� Clerk says when explaining the “good fit� of the two companies. “Their latest logo is Innovation that Excites and they’re all about delivering new technology into the car world.� General Innovation Australia started
in 2007, following Clerk’s decade with the Philips lighting company in Australia and Hong Kong. Clerk says security is the cornerstone of Snap. It comes equipped with a high definition camera that is sensitive to movement. In the blink of an eye movement will turn on the light and the camera, instantly storing images in the Cloud. As previously mentioned, the camera will also record images even with the light off. The light comes with an app that enables the camera to be monitored from any device. The camera can be tuned so it is
pixel-activated in three separate areas covered by its wide-angle lens, eliminating false alarms from branches or straying animals. The remote access also means that users can at any time take a look at the entire area covered by the camera. The app will send an alert to any mobile device if movement is detected and, if it’s a trades or delivery person, a two-way conversation can be had through the inbuilt microphone and speaker. Priced at $299 Snap includes free cloud membership and the storing of images for 24 hours. The images can be downloaded and used as a record or for evidence in the case of theft or break-in. Clerk says extra time can be bought to keep images for weeks on end if a property owner is going away on holidays or leaving a building unattended for long periods. The camera has face recognition and up to four can be running at the one time. Also in General Innovation’s stable is a smart lamp (Pulse) that includes 13-watt JBL Bluetooth speakers which can play sounds from any device, including an analogue turntable and amplifier, although this requires an extra converter. The dimmable LEDs can be fitted in any room in the house or workplace and their range, or distance from the router or gateway can be extended to 30 metres with Boost, which is an LED with a Wi-Fi repeater. Clerk says the LEDs are rated to last 25,000 and are likely to outlast the speakers.
Snakes spring into action THE weather’s warming up and snakes are waking up. Just as warmer, sunny days send a signal that it’s fine for outdoor recreation the same applies for snakes, who see it as time to “get some sun, look for food and a mate�, according to scientist Nick Clemann. Senior scientist from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP)’s Arthur Rylah Institute Mr Clemann said people were likely to see snakes when “walking dogs, cycling, bush walking, enjoying parks and gardening�. “Snakes are more common in areas around the urban fringe or in rural areas, but they do turn up surprisingly close to cities and towns, especially around watercourses and in parkland,� he said. Snakes frequently found near the coast are tigers and lowland copperheads while in the drier areas the most common snakes were eastern browns and red-bellied blacks. “All four species are dangerously venomous, but it
is rare for them to bite people,� Mr Clemann said. “Being aware that snakes may be around and being informed about how to react to them are the most important aspects of managing snakes.� Mr Clemann’s advice to anyone seeing a snake was to “keep calm and try to move yourself, anyone with you and your pets away from the snake�. He said snakes were protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 and should not be harmed, killed or captured. “Bites can occur when people try to kill snakes,� he said. “Clean up around the house and cut lawns regularly – snakes are attracted to shelter such as piles of rocks and timber, sheets of metal, or building materials.� He recommended that first aid kits include compression bandages and if someone is bitten, call 000 immediately. For more information call DELWP on 136 186 or call a licensed snake catcher. Keith Platt
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK PAGE 12
Mornington News 4 October 2016