Lorex LIVE snap

The Lorex LIVE snap is a loaded-with-features video monitor with one particular standout quality: It can function as a camera too.
Technology sure has come a long way since I had my children a quarter-of-a-century ago. I had the opportunity to try out the new LIVE snap this weekend while caring for my grandbabies and had a delightful time discovering all the neat things this new-to-the-market monitor can do.
First and foremost, its ability to capture snapshots from afar is the bee’s knees. I loved being able to record “Kodak moments” without the risk of disturbance. Our newest family member curled up sweetly in his crib … Snap! My toddler grandkiddo sticking her tongue out as she concentrates on coloring inside the lines … Snap! Without interrupting sleep or play, I snapped photos of my precious darlings, uploaded them to my computer, and emailed them to their mom within minutes—providing hard evidence that grandma had everything under control. I probably took only 40 or so photos this weekend, but Lorex says that the included memory card can hold up to 4,000, so there’s no need to be stingy. Click away to your heart’s content.
Aside from the camera feature (which is obviously my favorite!), the LIVE snap has various other likable traits:
Two-way audio allows you to talk to your baby through the handheld monitor, so when junior starts whimpering you can soothe him verbally until you’ve finished switching the laundry and are able to retrieve him.
VOX mode helps preserve battery life and avoid unnecessary buzzing. Using VOX essentially puts the monitor to sleep until sound is detected, at which point the screen turns on again and you can hear and see how your tot is doing. (You can also set the monitor to Power Saving Mode, in which it will turn off the screen and just transmit sounds, to preserve battery life. Using sound and camera, the monitor’s battery life lasts up to 5 hours.)
Night vision makes for easy viewing even in the wee hours of the morning. I was impressed by how clear this was … although I wasn’t particularly thrilled to be awake at 2 a.m.
I experienced no interference and had no trouble with reception while I was downstairs in the kitchen and grandbaby was upstairs in the guest room. The monitor was surprisingly easy to use (after all, I’m a grandma and could figure it out), although there are a fair number of buttons. The handheld unit is small (about the size of a cell phone) and fit easily in the pocket of my slacks. The color LCD screen is approximately 2.4 inches.
The handheld monitor can manage up to four cameras (sold separately), so you can keep an eye on multiple little people at once. The monitor has different settings that allow you to view one room at a time or view all four at once. Again, technology amazes me!
By the way, I was not familiar with the Lorex brand prior to trying this monitor, but I looked them up online and found that they manufacture a whole line of security cameras and observation systems. You’ve got to believe that a company with such experience in the industry of video surveillance would know what they’re doing when it comes to creating a baby monitor, right?
Price: $199
To buy: amazon.com (Available September 10, 2010!)