Withings Launches Smart Baby Monitor for Parents Using Apple Devices in U.S.

Withings Smart Baby Monitor has entered the U.S. market, offering parents a better way to monitor and communicate with their babies.

The devise is developed by the French Technology Company Withings, the designer of the WiFi Body Scales.

The Smart Baby Monitor, designed for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users, gives the parents an easy access to their babies and allows them to interact with their kids remotely. It is an advanced version of the traditional baby monitors and opens a new method to monitor their kids distantly. It comes with a free application called 'WithBaby.'

The devise will help ensure the safety of the baby by giving accurate information about the baby's environment by sensing sound, movement, temperature and humidity levels. A two-way microphone enables parents to talk to their babies. They can also switch on or off a light and control the lullabies played in the room sitting anywhere in the world, a company press release said.

The most interesting feature of the gadget is that it does not have a separate camera and receiver, but its camera alone serves the dual purpose. The smart devise features a high-resolution 3MP camera, extra wide lens and night vision infrared LEDs. A 4X zoom in the camera gives full details of the baby's room. When dim light is detected, the night vision mode automatically switches on.

The monitor has the facility to set an alarm, fully customizable by the user, to alert them of any baby sleep disruption based on parameters such as movement, audio levels and temperature.

The simple design of the monitor allows the user to open the camera to activate it. It can be connected to iPhone, iPad or iPod via a Wi-Fi hotspot or an Ethernet cable. If not connected to the internet, it can be operated with a Bluetooth.

Smart Baby Monitor costs $299 and can be directly ordered from the official Web site of the company. The free WithBaby application is available from the Apple Store.

An Engadget review has focused on how the high cost and quality of the new product differs from the traditional monitor. Now the iOS accessory is finally for sale here in the good ol' US-of-A, for the rather staggering price of $299. That's right, this sensor-packed Web cam probably costs more than your handset. Then again, that $20 set of audio-only monitors you picked up at Walmart can't keep you abreast of the temperature and humidity in your child's sleeping quarters or let you watch your newborn sleep with the aid of a night vision mode, the Engadget review said.