The Express version offers a wide range of important and useful image enhancement tools and image cataloguing/organising features too. You need the regular (and expensive) Pro version for local adjustments and the full range of tools, but these Express versions may be all you need. You can do a lot with the free version, including simple photo editing and enhancement and there’s a wide range of attractive image effects. The Premium subscription also activates additional features within the app, including Person Detection, which can use artificial intelligence techniques to tell a wandering pet apart from a human intruder. Premium Snapchat might sound like an elite tier for the photo-sharing app's most vociferous users, but really it's something that the firm isn't so keen to shout about. Security cameras account for 60 percent of all spending on smart home devices in the US, so it's hardly surprising that so many manufacturers (on both sides of the pond) are keen to get a slice of that growing market. Most security cameras provide an app for iOS devices that allow you to control the camera, and send notifications to your iPhone in case the camera detects any suspicious activity when you're away from home.



Instead of using two different apps to control your security camera and smart lights, you could use the Home app to link those devices together, so the lights automatically turn on when the camera sees someone. High-end camera software maker Phase One makes free ‘Express’ versions of its high-end Capture One image editing software specifically for these two camera brands. Why is it that no-one seems to take camera makers’ own software seriously? If you have a Nikon camera you should definitely take a look at Capture NX-D, Nikon’s own raw conversion and enhancement software. It duplicates Nikon cameras’ own Picture Controls and white balance settings exactly (unlike most third party apps), it produces very decent raw conversions from Nikon NEF files and it even offers local adjustments via Color Control Points. As well as providing additional security features that can prevent hackers taking control of your security camera, HomeKit Secure Video takes a different approach to the storage of online video recordings. The main thing to remember is that there are actually two versions of the Circle 2 - called Wired and Wire-Free - and it's only the Wired model show here that supports HomeKit. The free version offers photo organisation, RAW/DNG display (but not editing) and only two local adjustments per image.



Google Photos has had a bit of a muddled history (Picasa, Google Drive Photos) but seems to have settled down into a fast and efficient web-based image storage system with some basic but effective editing tools. Photoscape X is another freemium photo editor with a basic free version that has an upgrade option to a Pro version where all the features are unlocked, and that currently costs _39.99/_38.99. Some ‘free’ programs disguise their freemium status until the last minute, but BeFunky is right out there and upfront with its free vs Pro status. Make sure the Video Device radio button is selected, and then select your webcam in the dropdown box to the right of it. Some cameras allow you to store short video clips - typically around 30 seconds each - on their online servers for up to one week without charging any fees. However, Logitech has indicated that it plans to support the new HomeKit Secure Video features that Apple is launching later this year, which provide an alternative to Logitech's own subscription fees.



For a wider look at visit the following page HomeKit options available right now, take a look at our roundup of the best smart home devices for HomeKit & HomePod. It’s true that it can often look a bit dated and clunky, and it doesn’t have all the features of a ‘proper’ photo editor like Photoshop, but this is free software after all, and it’s right under your nose. Those video recordings won't be counted as part of your iCloud storage plan either, so you'll still have all your iCloud storage available for other files as well. And as with any business, I needed a business plan. 60, or a little more than half the cost of the Adobe Photography plan. But if you want to record longer clips, and store them online for longer periods, then you'll probably have to sign up for a subscription plan to pay for extra online storage.