This AI Startup Promises to Erase People From Home Security Videos -- And Much More
You can find AI nearly everywhere today, and home security cameras are no exception thanks to the extensive AI video searches now offered by Google Gemini, Ring and many other brands. But startup Prompt AI and its Seemour platform (announced today) promise to go several steps further, into AI features I've never seen on a security cam before.
Seemour's third-party AI focuses on visual intelligence, with training on things like objects and movement that allows it to analyze everything your home security cams are seeing. Most home security cameras can do this -- Arlo, for example, now allows you to label custom objects for AI identification -- but Seemour goes a step beyond.
In addition to video summaries and personalized notifications about what it sees, Seemour touts a collection of much more unique tricks, notably the ability to learn your pets by name for more accurate notifications and the "coming soon" ability to recognize specific individuals and remove them from video footage, increasing their privacy around the home.
Seemour's full promised list also includes other AI responses I haven't seen in home security systems before, such as specific notifications about wildlife, the ability to recognize and report a delivery (as opposed to just a package) and the ability to watch for suspicious human movement (a feature usually focused on commercial cams).
Prompt AI also plans on giving the platform the ability to ask Seemour questions the same way Google Gemini currently operates, like, "Where did I put my keys?" And it's planning on incorporating specific activity alerts like a dog starting to dig a hole, something we've seen pet companies like Furbo experiment with as well.
"Imagine a future where you can ask your home what happened today or inform your roommate that you've stepped out to go to the grocery store when they open the fridge," said Tete Xiao, chief executive officer and co-founder of Prompt AI. "That future is closer than you think, and we're excited to bring it to you."
The Seemour app is currently available on the Apple Store (don't confuse it for Seymour.ai, a very different service) but hasn't yet come to Android. We'll make time to experiment with it ourselves and see how good the AI training is, but you can test it out yourself, too…with one caveat. It's difficult enough to trust a well-established security brand like Nest or Ring to analyze your video with AI, let alone a startup.
Using Seemour is going to take some trust on your part as Prompt AI doesn't have much of a security track record yet and will need plenty of information on you and your pets, as well as access to your video feeds. It's also harder to ask consumer to adopt a third-party app for their videos than simply rely on what the security cam brand has already included, which is why I expect Seemour is probably aiming for eventual built-in integrations as well.
That said, Seemour has an impressive list of potential capabilities, features I fully expect to come to other home security AIs in one form or another in the coming years. For now, Seemour seems to be first out of the gate for several of them, and I'll be keeping an eye on the service.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Google Photos Gives New AI Photo Editor To All—And It's A Genius Move
Google is about to serve up a brand-new AI-powered photo editor that's for everyone, not just Pixel owners. The new Google Photos editor, rolling out soon, comes with a radically redesigned interface, automatically suggests edits for you and can apply them with just one tap The new editor was first revealed at the end of last month as part of Google Photos' 10th anniversary. However, Google has today given us a better look at what it can do, as part of the recent June 2025 Pixel Drop, which adds 15 new or updated features to the Pixel range. However, the latest Google Photos editor isn't just for Pixels — it's also coming to other Android devices and iOS. Google's brand new interface design brings the most obvious change to the editor: As shown in the image above, the new editor (right) shows a larger version of the picture you're editing, with graphical tiles below. These are labeled Enhance, Dynamic and AI Enhance. The Auto Frame feature is available directly via a button located near the top of the screen, along with crop, flip, and rotate options, all accessible without needing to delve into menus or swipe through carousels of options. However, the most powerful additions emerge when you start editing your picture. You can simply tap, circle, or brush your finger over the part of the picture you want to edit, and Google Photos will suggest the most appropriate edits based on your selection. In Google's demonstration, for example, tapping on a person in the image automatically selects both featured people before surfacing a contextual menu of editing options with the most likely desired tool placed at the top. These include Focus, Add light, Sharpen, and generative tools like Move and Reimagine. Tapping on Focus then automatically blurs the background to make the subject stand out. A second example illustrates how tapping on a distant person, incidentally captured in the background, triggers a similar selection of tools; however, this time, Erase, Move, and Reimagine are the suggested edits. Tapping on erase then removes the distracting person from the image, filling in the background automatically. Google's new photo editor brings what were once exclusive Pixel features to a much broader audience and also stands in direct competition to the iPhone's Apple Intelligence features and Samsung's Galaxy AI. Google's cloud-first AI functions can run on older and less powerful hardware, dating back to Android 8, not just modern flagships. However, it does note that features and results may vary by device and region. Some AI-powered features also require users to be at least 18 years old. Apple, Samsung and Google all use new AI functions as a way to sell you an expensive new phone, but with billions of active users, Google Photos can afford to take a different approach. Google Photos is a significant funnel for paid Google One subscriptions and a substantial source of potential training data that the company can use to improve its AI models. By giving away its best photo software, Google is counting on hooking users into trusting the company with a lifetime of memories, transferring brand loyalty away from the particular device in their hands and toward Google Photos. Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
Small business accounting: 10 terms you need to know
Running a small business can be exciting and rewarding. But it also happens to come with a long list of responsibilities and tasks that have little to do with the reason you decided to open a business. Unless you hire someone else to handle it, accounting will be one of those responsibilities. And even if you hire an accountant, understanding key accounting terms is still an essential part of being a successful business owner – helping you to spot red flags, stay in compliance with state and federal regulations and make more well-informed decisions for your business. Here are 10 important accounting terms for small business owners to understand. Costs may vary depending on the plan selected - click "Learn More" for details Tracks your business expenses as they happen, as well as your income. Users can use app to do invoicing, accept payments, manage their cash flow, maximize tax deductions, track travel miles, run reports, send estimates, manage bills and 1099 contractors, plus pay employees Yes Yes, bank and credit cards, plus third-party apps like PayPal and Square Accessible from any web browser and also offered in both the App Store (for iOS) and on Google Play (for Android) Verisign scanning, password-protected login, firewall protected servers and the same encryption technology (128 bit SSL) used by the world's top banks. QuickBooks also offers multiple permission levels that you can set for additional users' access Terms apply. One of the most fundamental accounting terms in the business world, accounts receivable, is the money your business is owed either for its products or for the services it provides to clients. In other words, your company has already provided the good or service in question, and an invoice has been issued but not yet paid. "Accounts receivable is money owed to you by customers, and managing accounts receivable ensures steady income and avoids cash delays that can disrupt operations," says Steven Terrigino, Partner and Small Business Advisory Service Line Leader at The Bonadio Group. Your accounts receivable is considered an asset and is the opposite of accounts payable. The money your business owes to others, such as vendors or suppliers, is referred to as accounts payable. These are unpaid bills and might include, for example, money you owe for inventory purchased on credit or payments due to contractors for services they provided your company. Accounts payable also include expenses like utility bills and any subscriptions your company may have. "Staying on top of accounts payable helps maintain good relationships and prevents overspending or missed payments to accounts," says Terrigino. Accounting software like QuickBooks can automate these payments so you won't lose track. Gross revenue, revenue, or gross income, is the amount of money your business generates. Gross revenue takes into account money from all sources, whether that's sales of a product or service or the sale of stocks. This calculation also encompasses any interest your business may earn, along with money generated from such things as selling property or equipment. This figure does not reflect the deduction of expenses incurred in the course of doing business. Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here. Net profit, also called net income, is the money remaining after a business's operating expenses have been deducted. "This reflects your gross revenue less all the expenses incurred in bringing that product or service to fruition," says David Leichter, CPA and CEO of Leichter Accounting Services. Determining net profit requires subtracting all types of operating expenses, everything from rent to salaries, along with taxes that your business must pay to the government. Cost of Goods Sold (or COGS) refers to the direct costs incurred to create the product your business sells or the cost associated with the service your business provides. Knowing the COGS is an essential part of establishing prices for your goods or services to ensure you make a profit. "This is easier to understand in a product-based business. For instance, the cost of the cotton required for a t-shirt is a Cost of Goods Sold," says Caitlynn Eldridge, CPA and CEO of Prospera Strategy. "The labor to make the t-shirt would also be considered a Cost of Goods Sold." Break-even point refers to the point at which your revenue is equal to your expenses. At your break-even point, there is no loss for your business. But there's no gain either. "Basically, it's the point where you're not losing money, but not making any either," says Paul Miller, CPA and managing partner for Miller & Company. "Knowing this number helps you set realistic sales goals and price your products or services correctly. It's a critical milestone every business should be aware of, especially in the early days." A balance sheet lists all of your assets, along with their liabilities. Balance sheets also include shareholder's equity, which is determined by calculating the difference between a business's liabilities and assets. It's a key statement that's prepared at the end of an accounting period in order to provide a financial snapshot of a business at that moment in time. "A balance shows your financial position and helps assess stability and value," says Terrigino. Similar to a business's balance sheet, a profit and loss statement (or P&L) is a key document that provides a summary of how much your business is earning and how much it is spending. Profit and loss statements are often prepared quarterly or annually by businesses in order to gauge their financial progress. "Your P&L shows your revenues, expenses, and profit over a specific period of time. It's one of the most important tools to see how your business is actually performing," says Miller. "As a small business owner, checking your P&L regularly can help you spot trends like rising costs or seasonal dips before they become big issues." An accounting software like QuickBooks can help you track all of these moving pieces. Depreciation is a tax deduction related to the cost of items you've purchased for your business, typically expensive items and assets. It is a term used to describe the gradual loss in value of those assets. The IRS allows businesses, over time, to recover the cost of purchasing some assets. This is accomplished through an annual tax allowance for the "wear and tear, deterioration, or obsolescence of the property." This means your business can claim a deduction for a portion of the cost incurred in purchasing the deteriorating asset. The depreciation allowance spreads the cost of a purchase over multiple years rather than claiming the entire cost in one year. While land your business purchased cannot be depreciated, the IRS does allow depreciation for buildings, machinery, vehicles, and even some intangible assets like patents or computer software. Finally, the portion of your business's net profits that you retain for future uses, rather than distributed as dividends or through owner's draws, is known as retained earnings. "The reason why the retained earnings figure is so crucial for the business is because it is a strong determinant in the businesses' ability to qualify for loans or get backed by investors," says Leichter. "Banks and investors will look at this figure to see that you're building a financially healthy and self-sustained business — not just for now, but for the future as well." "If you want to know whether your business is stable and profitable over time, retained earnings is where you go to gauge that," Leichter adds. At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every debt-relief product review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of debt-relief products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Qualcomm's (QCOM) Long-Term Prospects Shine, Even if the Stock Doesn't
Qualcomm (QCOM) has underperformed over the past year, declining 26%, primarily due to macroeconomic factors rather than internal company mechanics. Although the company's fundamentals remain very solid, it has faced some headwinds, such as concerns that its business is too concentrated on Apple (AAPL) for modem revenue, despite its broader operations still being more rooted in the Android ecosystem. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Still, that doesn't stop me from seeing the stock as a long-term Buy—especially since my bullishness comes from Qualcomm's key competitive advantage: its ability to build the Snapdragon platform, which integrates a modem, CPU, and even a GPU chip—something no other competitor can currently match. This positions the company to tap into new business opportunities that could help offset its current customer concentration. Beyond that, Qualcomm's asset-light model allows it to generate very high returns on its investments, highlighting its operational efficiency, strong financial health, and consistent value creation for shareholders. This helps justify the company trading at a slightly stretched valuation when considering its operational profits relative to enterprise value. When looking for value stocks, one of the most important factors—if not the most important—is a company's ability to generate consistent earnings. Examining QCOM's balance sheet reveals a capital-light, high-margin model driven by intellectual property (IP) and characterized by heavy investment in research and development (R&D). As a fabless semiconductor company, Qualcomm relies on external manufacturing partners such as TSMC (TSM) and Samsung (SSNLF) for chip production. Notably, only approximately 7% of its $55.3 billion in total assets is allocated to property, plant, and equipment (PP&E), which is relatively low compared to the industry average. This underscores the efficiency of its asset-light business model and the minimal physical infrastructure required to support its operations. Roughly 18% of its assets are classified as goodwill, indicating a strong track record of acquisitions, which is clearly part of its strategy to acquire intellectual property (IP) or talent rather than build everything in-house. One recent example is the $2.4 billion acquisition of the UK-based semiconductor firm Alphawave. Additionally, approximately 12% of Qualcomm's total assets are tied to IP licensing and chip design. That makes sense, given its dominant position in the Android smartphone chip market, especially in the high-end segment with its Snapdragon lineup. Given that around 37% of Qualcomm's total assets are intangible, it's worth considering the company's actual operational efficiency once these intangibles are excluded. To gain a clearer picture, it is sensible to examine how Qualcomm allocates its limited tangible capital to generate profits. Over the past twelve months, Qualcomm produced an operating profit of $12.3 billion. During the same period, its net working capital was approximately $2.7 billion, and its invested capital—mainly property, plant, and equipment, and other intangibles—totaled roughly $8.28 billion. Dividing the operating profit by this invested capital plus working capital yields an eye-catching ~112% return on capital (ROC). That kind of number highlights Qualcomm's exceptional operational efficiency, something typically only seen in asset-light, IP-driven tech or software companies. For context, most of these firms operate with a return on capital (ROC) well below 50%. In short, despite a balance sheet loaded with intangibles, Qualcomm proves that it's highly efficient with the real capital it uses. And that translates into three key advantages: sustainable value creation, a durable competitive moat, and stronger financial flexibility. Even a company with a high return on capital isn't necessarily a buy—not if you're overpaying for it. That's why it's vital to assess operating profitability in relation to the company's total valuation, not just traditional P/E or P/B metrics. One way to do this is by comparing operating profit to enterprise value (EV), which reflects what the market is actually paying for the entire business. In Qualcomm's case, we can measure this by dividing its operating profit by its enterprise value (EV). Over the last twelve months, Qualcomm generated $12.3 billion in operating profit, while its current enterprise value stands at $164.6 billion. That results in an earnings yield of 7.5%. To interpret that number correctly, it should be compared to Qualcomm's cost of capital. Using a 10-year treasury yield of 4.5%, a beta of 1.2, and an equity risk premium of 4–5%, the estimated cost of equity falls between 9% and 10%. Since the earnings yield of 7.5% is below this range, Qualcomm doesn't appear particularly cheap at the moment. However, judged against historic performance against the S&P 500 (SPX), QCOM stock has underperformed. That said, this isn't necessarily a red flag. Even if the stock looks a bit expensive on this metric, Qualcomm continues to create value through its exceptional return on capital and strong cash generation. This is reflected in its sustainable 2.28% dividend yield and $16.5 billion in share buybacks over the past four years. Given Qualcomm's maturity, profitability, and operational efficiency, a lower earnings yield may be viewed as acceptable, reflecting a premium for quality and stability. Analyst sentiment on Qualcomm stock is somewhat mixed. Out of 17 experts who've issued ratings in the past three months, eight are bullish, eight are neutral, and just one is bearish. Still, there's little hesitation when it comes to upside expectations. Qualcomm's average stock price target is at $177.75, suggesting ~14% in potential upside over the next twelve months. While traditional valuation metrics may indicate that Qualcomm is undervalued, I believe that perspective overlooks the company's strong operational efficiency. Qualcomm doesn't need to appear 'cheap' to represent a compelling investment opportunity. Its robust, above-average returns on capital, driven by an asset-light business model, demonstrate its ability to create substantial shareholder value and may, in fact, justify a valuation premium. Viewed through this fundamental lens, and given Qualcomm's consistent track record of long-term value creation, I consider it a solid long-term investment, even at its current, relatively full valuation. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
