Neos Smartcam SmartHome Wireless Cameras

That the term "future-proof" is a contradiction in terms, perhaps?

Yup, never "buy" anything that only works with a "free" internet based service. Since you won't actually own anything, and the service provider will change the terms of the deal at some point in the future without your consent, leaving you with a less/non capable product.

That's not true - you'll own an interestingly-shaped piece of e-waste. You might even be able to get rid of it without paying someone to take it away.

The 'moral' IMHO is to only buy products that are either usable entirely offline (preferable) or already have an aftermarket firmware available for when (not if) the manufacturer pulls the plug.

(You might be advised to keep an eye on the aftermarket firmware from the beginning, as often the manufacturer will block installing it via updates. It may be advantageous to install it from day one, in case it's blocked later)

Otherwise the obsolescence clock starts ticking at purchase and it will explode on you sooner or later.

https://endoflife.date/is a handy list of when things are pre-determined to explode.

Theo

ok can be configured from the outset to store their content on your own storage / servers. Then you can configure external access to that device.

e.g saving to your NAS that you can access from your phone via a VPN terminating at your router.

Indeed, although I would try to avoid supporting products in the first place if the makers have engineered it to facilitate a bait and switch. It only encourages them!

Coulda been worse. You could have bought a Fisker EV.

I did mention - and link to - an open source hack. Presumeably you'd not bother to try, cut your losses, and chuck it away? Not that you'd ever be in that situation in the first place . . .

That would be a problem with most phones, certainly. And a lot of stuff relies on OTA updates. Of course you can cut yourself out of all of that - good for you, really.

I quite like gadgets and tech. Can't say I'm happy with the environmental and cash cost of most of my nonsense, but hey, it's not high up on my list of things to be miserable about. And I'm reluctant to chuck *anything* away - hence the OP.

Ahem. Dramatise a crisis perchance :-)

Yes OK, thanks for spelling it out :-)

But I and probably 100,000s others are where we are.

I'll have a go at Thingino.

I'd certainly try, unless the item is sufficiently useful to you in its abandoned state to be not worth risking if things go wrong. If it's already junk then there's no loss if it doesn't work out.

There seem to be a lot of shovels of products that are barely functional and probably won't last very long. All I'd say is *choose carefully* and don't just buy random 'smart' stuff from Amazon and Aliexpress. It might be cheap, but it's not so cheap if it's going to die in a short time.

:-)

I didn't see the Neos Smartcam listed, but it's quite possible they're all respins of a base platform, perhaps with an 'Amazon brand' slapped on them.

Definitely worth a try, especially if you have nothing to lose.

Theo