Let there be no further doubt that Prisma, the app that turns your photos into artistic masterpieces, is a hit. 

None other than famed author Neil Gaiman took to Instagram on Sunday to post a selfie using the app, and the result is almost as cool as a panel from one of his graphic novels. 

"Started to shave beard off but got too sleepy so just turned it into a styled beard instead. But it dies soon," wrote Gaiman on the Instagram post accompanying the image. 

Prisma has taken off in recent weeks as users have flocked to the app that uses artificial intelligence and neural networks to mimic the painting and drawing styles of famous artists. The app was initially only available for iOS, but an Android version dropped just last week. 

Earlier this month, the founders of Prisma told Mashable that there will also be a video version of the app coming in the not too distant future. And they're also dabbling with a 360-degree immersive version as well. 

No, human-produced art isn't obsolete just yet, but when one of the masters of graphic novels starts using Prisma to express himself, it's time to start wondering when someone will produce an Prisma-generated graphic novel that takes the app to the next level. 

With Yahoo's big sale to Verizon finally becoming official and a new look at how the iPhone without a headphone jack could work, you may have missed some of this week's best new apps.

Each weekend, we round up a few of our favorite new and updated apps. This week's list includes a DJing app, a new puzzle game and an app that will make your GIFs look like they came out of Harry Potter.

Check out the gallery below to see our top picks. If you're looking for more items to fill up your smartphone, take a look at our last roundup of can't-miss apps.

Just because you and your friends have moved to different corners of the globe doesn’t mean you have to stop watching shows and movies together.

Trying to all hit play at the same moment — as well as juggling between Netflix and Skype, a Facebook chat, Slack, Discord or any other online chat program — isn't exactly the most convenient thing in the world. Luckily, there is another way. 

There are several great apps, extensions and websites with the goal of syncing up Netflix streams across the Internet, but they all have their ups and downs. Some are exclusive to Chrome, some have top-notch chat features and some don’t go full screen.

Here are the pros and cons of the best ways to watch Netflix with your friends online.

Netflix Party

Netflix Party is a Google Chrome-exclusive extension that only requires one person to install it, making it the easiest of the three to set up. 

Once you install it, choose a movie or show, pause it, and then click the red “NP” button at the top right of your browser to get a link to a shared session. The extension allows you to chat with everyone in the viewing session, but doesn’t allow you to put in a name, so you’ll have to remember your friends’ random symbols.

Netflix Party allows for full-screen viewing and anybody in the session can hit pause, play or scrub through the timeline. The stream adjusts seamlessly.

The biggest downside to Netflix Party is that if you want to watch a few episodes of something or another movie, you’ll have to create a new session every time. Even if Netflix autoplays to the next episode, it will kick everyone out of the session and you’ll have to send out a new link to everyone.

Rabbit

Rabbit is one of the most well-rounded stream-sharing services available, partially because it can be used with any browser and partially because you can share all your favorite streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, Crackle and more.

Rabbit requires you to have an account and add the people you want to share a stream with as your friends. It works by having one person in control of the stream, which is shared via a proxy browser right on the Rabbit website. This means you're essentially sharing the view of a full browser with everyone in your party, and you can go anywhere on the web that you like.

While this is a great feature, it doesn't give the best stream quality. Even when watching something in a Rabbit room alone, the Netflix stream is pretty pixelated. It also cannot be put in full-screen mode or resized, relegating your viewing area to a small portion of your actual screen. If you're watching on a laptop or tablet that's 13 inches or less, good luck seeing much of what's happening.

The chat options on Rabbit are great, though. The chat window on the right shows everyone's username and picture, and you can even do voice and video chat.

Showgoers

The Chrome-exclusive extension Showgoers is pretty similar to Netflix Party but requires everyone to have the extension. It will drop the sharing party if you decide to go to a different movie or episode, but it has an improved chat feature that allows you to pick your own name.

Image: showgoers

This is definitely the best Netflix-sharing service as long as everyone has a Netflix account and uses Chrome. Just send the syncing link to anyone you want after you start playing a show or movie and anyone can pause, play or scrub through the stream.

Showgoers also has a public viewing party section of their website which allows you to join strangers' viewing parties.

These three services have their upsides and downsides but they are the best Netflix-sharing services available, at least for now.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

A new survey by Quartz reveals that if Apple doesn't dramatically alter the iPhone 7 from the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, nearly 90 percent of iPhone users will not upgrade. 

It's probably not the news Apple wants to hear since iPhone sales are on the decline. But now that we all have iPhones, and after nearly 10 years of using them, it's no surprise there's fatigue. Not only that, but the iPhone 7 in particular looks truly underwhelming.

The online survey, which involved 525 respondents through SurveyMonkey, showed that nearly 63 percent of users would be interested to see a revamped iPhone.

But less than 10 percent would be "very likely" or "extremely likely" to line up for the iPhone as it is. 

Rumors about the new iPhone hint at tiny changes most of which look super annoying (RIP, headphone jack). There are also fears of restricting all of the worthwhile updates to the 7 Plus/ Pro. 

Then again, CEO Tim Cook has said that 60 percent of iPhone users own a version older than iPhone 6. And iPhone is testing out a new program that lets users pay off a new phone on credit, and then update once a year. So who knows, things could change dramatically come November. We'll see soon enough. 

Twitter woke up this morning to a wonderful appreciation of #Blackgirlmagic, cataloguing centuries of achievements by black women with the hashtag #BlackWomenDidThat

Currently, only 1 in 10 science or engineering jobs go to black women (despite being the most educated demographic overall, according to the National Center for Education Statistics). But every day, more and more women break through the ranks. Read on to see how black women have paved the way for advancements in STEM throughout history.

1. Shirley Jackson, who allowed us to connect with loved ones from afar, and to screen their calls

2. Ola Orekunrin, England's youngest doctor

3. Claudia Alexander, who oversaw a NASA flight to Jupiter and the European Rosetta comet mission

4. Dr. Joy DeGruy, who studied the residual effects of PTSD in the descendants of former slaves

5. Alice Bell, a chemist who invented an injectable oil extract to treat leprosy

6. Mae Jemison, first black woman in space and frequent guest star on Star Trek

7. Dr. Katherine Johnson, the physiscist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory for humans to fly to the moon

8 & 9. Mildred Kenner and Mary Davidson, sisters who invented and held patents for the sanitary belt and toilet paper holder

10. Marie Van Brittan Brown, who invented the home security system in 1966

11. Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark, who along with her husband published research that showed the negative psychological effects of segregated schools 

11. Dr. Alexa Canady, who holds a patent to treat hydrocephalus, an abnormal accumulation of fluid inside the brain

12. Dr. Patricia Bath, who discovered ways to treat cataracts with lasers or ultrasound 

13. Octavia Butler, considered one of the important science-fiction writers of all time, and author of over a dozen novels

14. And finally, Bessie "Queen Bess" Coleman, daring aviatrix who was famous for her death-defying piloting  stunts

A new trend seems to be rising among Chinese manufacturers, and it's an odd one at that. While rumors chalk off Apple's MacBook Air as dead (the reasoning being that it's been all but replaced by the company's new ultra-thin MacBook) a crop of new ultraportables with "Air" in their names are showing up in China. 

A few days ago, it was Xiaomi's Mi Notebook Air; on Thursday, Lenovo  launched the Lenovo Air 13 Pro, a 13-inch, Windows 10-based ultraportable with a dedicated graphics chip. 

The Lenovo Air 13 Pro has a 13.3-inch full HD screen, an Intel Core i5 or i7 (Skylake) processor, 4GB of RAM, 256GB/512GB of SSD storage and Nvidia's GeForce GTX940MX graphics chip.

It sounds like a dead ringer for Xiaomi's 13-inch offering, but there are differences. The Lenovo starts with less RAM — 4GB vs. 8GB — but it comes with a fingerprint sensor, and it has a more powerful graphics chip (2GB of RAM vs 1GB). The price of the two (at least during Lenovo's pre-order period) is the same: RMB 4,999, or roughly $750.

That price will go up when the device hits stores. The least expensive version, with 4GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and an Intel Core i5 processor will cost RMB 5,499 ($827). The variant with the same SSD but with a Core i7 processor and 8GB of RAM will go for RMB 6,299 ($947); if you want a 512GB on top of that, you'll have to pay RMB 6,999 ($1052).

In terms of design, the Air 13 Pro doesn't stray too far from today's standards, with a black keyboard on a gold or silver body and a subdued company logo on the lid. It weighs 2.84 pounds and has a 0.58-inch thick body — exactly like Xiaomi's Mi Notebook Air, and somewhere in-between Apple's MacBook and MacBook Air. 

As far as ports go, we've counted 2 USB 3.0 ports, a USB Type-C port, a memory card reader and a headphone jack.

Lenovo's ultraportable is aimed for the Chinese market. Availability in other countries has not been announced. 

When it comes to Pokémon Go, not all locations are created equal.

If you don't live in a heavily populated area, then everything from catching Pokémon to locating Gyms can be much more challenging. Luckily, if you live in the suburbs, there are a few steps you can take to maximize your success and minimize your frustration. (If you live in a very remote area, then these tips may be of limited use to you — but they should be a good place to start for people who live in suburbs or smaller towns and cities.)

Know where to look

Unlike densely populated cities like Manhattan or San Francisco, where there are PokéStops and Gyms seemingly on every corner, suburban areas force you to look a little harder.

Keep in mind that while PokéStops and Gyms are often located at local landmarks, including parks, churches and statues, they are also found near local businesses. There's no foolproof way to find them, but the Yelp app can be an extremely helpful tool. 

Of course, you'll need help locating actual Pokémon, not just the PokéStops. Finding the right places to catch new Pokémon can definitely be an exercise in frustration in less populated areas. While it may sometimes be a matter of pure dumb luck, there may be a few things you can do to maximize your chances.

Some users on Reddit have noted that truck stops and rest stops near highways often make for good spots for Pokémon hunting. The theory is that areas where there is increased cellular activity tend to have a higher concentration of Pokémon spawning. 

Pokémon trackers are your friend

If you still need a little extra help, Pokévision, a website that tracks the locations of Pokémon near you, is another excellent resource. The website uses data from Pokémon Go's own servers, making it one of the more accurate Pokémon-tracking services out there. Use the website to scan your location and it will show you all the Pokémon in your area. You can only scan a new location every 30 seconds, however, and the site's Twitter account indicates that, like Pokémon Go, it sometimes has server troubles of its own.

Similarly, there are a handful of third-party apps, like Poké Radar, that aim to help players scout out the locations of nearby Pokémon. 

Don't forget eggs

If you simply aren't having any luck finding new Pokémon nearby, there is another way to get new characters: eggs. 

You can find eggs at PokéStops (see above) and hatching eggs is a great way to get new Pokémon that you may not otherwise be able to find in your area. Of course, as with all of this advice, there is a little luck involved — but with some patience (and a lot of walking) you can use eggs to grow your Pokémon collection on your own.

Republican Party nominee for president of the U.S., Donald J. Trump, made good on his promise and held a Reddit AMA (ask me anything) session late Wednesday.

And while many thought this would be a disaster, Trump and his supporters on Reddit managed to turn the normally open concept of the AMA interview into a very on-message experience.

Trump played this one smart. Instead of doing the AMA — basically an open-ended interview, where the Reddit community asks the questions — on Reddit's IAmA subreddit, he did it on the pro-Trump subreddit The_Donald. There, the subreddit's moderators could filter any unwanted questions, which is exactly what they did. 

The result was a fairly boring and short AMA session, with a total of 13 answered questions. Many of these were non-answers — to a question about NASA, Trump said, "Honestly I think NASA is wonderful! America has always led the world in space exploration."

And many of the questions were heavily biased in Trump's favor to begin with. When you get questions like, "We firmly believe Hillary will try and steal this election through vote fraud (...) What is your campaign doing to ensure that we have a fair election?" or "Are you getting tired of winning," the answers just flow. 

The few answers that weren't just phrases were pretty basic outlines of various aspects of Trump's proposed reforms. On a question about immigration, Trump essentially linked to the "immigration reform" portion of his website. To a question about Obamacare, the answer was a few pointers from Trump's proposed healthcare reform.

Trump also listed his favorite U.S. presidents (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, if you're wondering), endorsed "new media," as a "great way to get out the truth," and used the rest of the answers to highlight the shortcomings of Clinton and her campaign. 

Check out all of Trump's answers here.

Given the number of high-profile blunders during Reddit AMA sessions, it was probably prudent of Trump and his camp to keep this one tightly controlled. What makes Reddit AMAs interesting, however, is the unpredictability of the questions. Often, you'll see celebrities, politicians and other high-profile figures being asked very detailed, extremely well-informed or surprising questions, the likes of which you'll never see on, say, a live TV interview. If you remove that unpredictability from the equation, the result is just boring. 

Uh-oh, Nintendo. The Pokémon Go Plus accessory — a wristband that will alert you to the presence of the little pesky creatures, among other things — will be out two months later than originally announced, the company said in a tweet. 

While Nintendo pointed out that the original launch was planned for the "end of July," it did not specify what time in September the device will be launched. 

This is probably why Nintendo recently made clear that the financial impact of Pokémon Go's stellar success will be limited: It doesn't make the game, it only partially owns the intellectual property rights for the Pokémon franchise, and the only real Pokémon Go-related product it's making will come significantly later than expected. Nintendo's stock price plummeted after Monday's announcement. And it's stayed at roughly the same value since then. 

Pokémon Go has been dominating the top apps charts since its release in early July, but interest in the game has slightly waned from the first (admittedly crazy) couple of days. The ideal time for the launch of Pokémon Go Plus would have been three weeks ago. Nintendo now has no choice but to hope a September launch doesn't prove to be too late. 

Pokémon Go Plus is a bracelet that connects with your phone via Bluetooth and alerts you to nearby Pokémon and PokéStops, hopefully saving your phone's battery. Even better, if you've caught a Pokémon before, you'll be able to catch it again by simply pressing the button on the bracelet instead of throwing a virtual Pokéball at it on your phone every time. 

Tesla let the press into its giant new battery-producing plant, called the Gigafactory, for the first time Friday. 

Experts told Wired the factory will be necessary to power Musk's dream fleet of EVs and hybrids (the company's goal is 500,000 cars a year). Currently, Tesla's battery production is outsourced to Asia, a costly and slower option. The new domestic factory, however, is expected to cut costs by 30 percent and is a one-hour plane ride away from the company's headquarters in Palo Alto, California. The 3,200-acre plant is located in Reno, Nevada.

Musk also told the BBC he wants to see more of these soon, "in Europe, in India, in China ... ultimately, wherever there is a huge amount of demand for the end product."

The factory was built in collaboration with Panasonic, which invested $1.6 billion. Robots will be responsible for most of the assembly inside the plant, streamlining Tesla's manufacturing process. 

They will be building every part of the electric vehicles, including the solar panels to power that production. Panasonic will bring the necessary raw materials, like lithium, by rail.

As of now, the Gigafactory is about 14 percent completed, but is expected to produce 35GWh of battery power by 2018, more than the combined global production in 2014, according to the BBC. 

Only a few select news outlets have gotten a peek so far, but the general impression remains similar. It's very big, it's very powerful and could get even more so: Wired reports Tesla has purchased another 1,864 acres near their plot. 

BlackBerry is not done with handsets, yet.

On Tuesday, the once-dominant cellphone manufacturer delivered its thinnest BlackBerry device to date, the DTEK50.

The name is significant, since DTEK also applies to the BlackBerry's security watchdog software that we first encountered on the admirable, but too-expensive Priv. 

The 7.4-millimeter, 5.2-inch, Android-based DTEK50 is, accoridng to BlackBerry, built for security. It offers full-data encryption, built-in malware protection, hardware support for tracking and provisioning (which should make the DTEK50 attractive for businesses), the DTEK security app and additional "hardening" of the Android OS.

Unlike the Priv, which has a physical QWERTY keyboard hidden behind its large touchscreen, the DTREK50 is touch only. On the software side, BlackBerry does provide a smart, learning keyboard that will offer suggestions as you type. Like other BlackBerry devices, the DTEK50 also comes with BlackBerry Hub communications consolidation software.

The device also includes a 13 MP camera, dual LED flashes and expandable memory (up to 2 TB via a micro SD card slot).

Some have noted the DTEK50's resemblance to the new Alcatel Idol 4S (right down to the thickness — 7.4 mm — and the unusual button on the side, which BlackBerry calls a customizable Convenience Key). BlackBerry did confirm to Mashable that it did not manufacturer the phone. The company did not reveal, however, if the DTEK50 was made by Alcatel.

What may excite BlackBerry fans (those who remain) the most, though, is the price. The DTEK50 is on sale for preorder right now, starting at $299 (the Priv started at $699).

Technology is changing the way we connect with our family and friends, so it only makes sense that it would also change how we remember them — something Google Street View is facilitating in surprising new ways. 

In recent years, more and more users of Street View have been harnessing the power of the service's time shift feature, which allows you to move backward and forward in time to sometimes catch loved ones as they were captured by Google's Street View cameras. 

Google's street mapping tool offers images of a wide range of locations dating all the way back to 2007. Because of that, some users are taking nearly decade-long trips back in time and discovering images of deceased members of their families as they were photographed at their addresses. 

When compared to a photograph of the same address from more current Street View scans, the contrasting images offer a surprisingly stirring bit of nostalgia only possible in our new digital context. 

The faces are, as a rule, blurred, and you'll usually only find someone you know if you know exactly where to look.

Yes, the faces are, as a rule, blurred, and you'll usually only find someone you know if you know exactly where to look. But equipped with the right address and a sharp eye for detail, Street View turns into a kind of "god view" of the world, exposing moments in time you wouldn't have otherwise seen.  

A search on social media services like Twitter and Facebook quickly reveals a number of surprise Street View memories unearthed by users. But some, like Bill Frankel, have mustered up the courage to share their emotional discoveries. Last month, Frankel shared the pain of his brother stumbling upon their father on Street View, just months after his death. 

Another user, going by the name "DUCKS_PDX503" on Reddit, shared his story of finding an image of his grandmother added to Street View just prior to her passing. 

"What surprised me, was that Google captured one of the last few pictures of my grandma, because she passed away less than a year after that picture was taken," the user wrote. "I thought it was such an uplifting and awesome picture because it showed just how laid back and awesome she was."

But the Google-facilitated reminiscing isn't limited to human connections. A number of users have taken to Street View to surface old images of their beloved pets as well. 

And whether the subject is furry or related by blood, no one is immune to the inadvertent magic of Street View. 

While researching the story for more Street View-powered remembrances, I decided to try it out on one of my own deceased relatives. To my surprise, back in 2007 (the year Street View was launched), I found the familiar image of my late grandmother's car in her Florida driveway and, when I moved the time span control to present day, the driveway and the house were devoid of any trace of her time there. I sat and stared at the image, letting the feelings associated with the memory of my time with her there wash over me. And I was grateful for the accidental archive. 

That brief dip back in time provided a powerful tableau of two family images — present and past — juxtaposed against Street View's normally utilitarian function, and it's something I won't soon forget. 

Hopefully, Google will take note of this increasingly common cultural hacking of its mapping service by its users and find a way to make these digital ghosts live on, impervious to software updates and database refreshes. In a perfect Street View world, everyone gets to live forever.   

h/t Mashable France 

SINGAPORE — Another day, another Pokémon Go-related drama.

On Sunday, Singapore's minister for communications and information, Yaacob Ibrahim, told reporters that he had serious concerns about the hit game and suggested that it should be closely monitored.

According to Ibrahim, the game risks having a negative impact on Singapore's society, and it was therefore necessary that the government "study very, very carefully whatever is brought into Singapore."

People are obviously not happy with this sentiment. Following Ibrahim's comments, Tan Min-Liang, CEO of gaming company Razer, took to Facebook to post a lengthy rant.

In his post, Tan criticised the government for its "schizophrenic" approach towards the gaming industry in the country.

He went on to describe how such attitudes that belong "in the 19th century" needed to change in order to make way for creativity in gaming to thrive.

"In case you missed it, gaming is an artform, it's also now the biggest medium for creative expression — far outstripping movies and music," he wrote. "And try as you might, you're not going to get very far censoring and banning games willy-nilly because games will always find a way— to game (ba-dum-tss) the system."

Pokémon Go still has yet to launch in Singapore, although there have been rumours that it will be dropping sometime this week. The wildly popular game was released in Hong Kong on Monday, making the city the second Asian stop after Japan.

After more than 24,000 miles, a solar-powered plane just completed the final leg of its flight around the world. 

Solar Impulse 2 — the experimental solar plane which first set out on its circumnavigation attempt in 2015 — has just landed in Abu Dhabi, its final landing spot and the city where its around-the-world bid began.

For this last flight, pilot Bertrand Piccard took off from Cairo on July 23, landing on July 25 at around 8:05 p.m. ET. 

Piccard and his fellow Solar Impulse pilot André Borschberg set out on this world tour to raise awareness about solar power and clean technology that could one day change the way we travel.

Solar Impulse 2 is making use of energy efficient batteries and other technologies that could one day help make flight more fuel efficient and friendly for the environment.

"The [clean] technologies exist," Piccard told Mashable during a Facebook Live. 

"What is lacking today is the state of mind to use them because you have too many people who are resistant to change. They are prisoners of the old ways of thinking and doing."

After his flight Piccard wants to work with governments to help promote green technologies and help make this tech an economic reality.

Solar Impulse 2 is a scaled-up experimental plane based on the first Solar Impulse which flew years ago. 

Both planes were designed to help prove out technology that could one day lead to flights that are only solar powered with no supplemental type of fuel.

But their trip may have been worth it if only for the views.

Flying the plane hasn't been easy. Piccard and Borschberg take turns flying the craft, which is a one-seater that doesn't even provide enough room for the pilots to stand up straight.

The circumnavigation effort began in March 2015 in Abu Dhabi. From there, Solar Impulse 2 flew around the globe in 17 legs that brought the plane and its pilot across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and landing in several countries.

"The raccoons are back," I frustratingly said to my wife the night after installing the Ring Stick Up Cam in our backyard. 

You see, last summer we had a mommy raccoon and her three babies coming into our backyard and ravaging through bins, looking for every morsel of cat food they could find. 

We made some changes. We started storing the food inside and assumed we had gotten rid of them once and for all. We were wrong, and now I have the video to prove it. 

Ring first broke into home security with its Ring Video Doorbell. When someone rings the doorbell, an alert is sent to your smartphone and you can view and talk to whoever's at your door. Alternatively, the doorbell can begin recording when it detects motion at your door and send alerts to your phone. And thanks to its built-in infrared LEDs, the camera works at night. 

The $199 Ring Stick Up Cam works in a similar fashion, save for the doorbell part. Ring’s goal is to help ease your security fears by providing multiple products that complement one another instead of forcing you to buy a doorbell from Ring and an outdoor security camera from another company.

With the Stick Up Cam, Ring basically took its doorbell design, changed the housing color to all black and removed the doorbell button. 

The two of them look nearly identical. That’s a bit disappointing, especially when you take into consideration the company’s Video Doorbell Pro, which is smaller and far more stylish.

Recycled design aside, the Stick Up Cam isn’t necessarily ugly. Its black housing is unassuming, albeit a little mundane — a welcome trait for a security camera you want to draw as little attention to as possible. 

Set-up is simple 

Ring uses its Android or iOS app to complete initial setup of the Stick Up Cam, something you’ll want to do before mounting it to an outside wall.

Using the provided Micro USB cable, you charge the camera and then follow instructions in the app. The process involves pressing a button on the back of the camera, searching and connecting to its temporary Wi-Fi network and connecting it to your personal Wi-Fi network. 

Installation, on the other hand, can be a bit more involved depending on your comfort level with a screwdriver and putting holes into your house’s exterior. Inside the box you’ll find screws, a screwdriver, a drill bit, and two different mounts. 

Using any combination of the provided tools, you can do everything from mount the cam to an overhang or directly to an outside wall. 

Because I have to return the product after the review period ends, I didn’t want to put any holes in my home. But after looking through the instructions it was clear that installing the camera is a straightforward process that shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. 

Don’t worry about placing it somewhere rain or snow can’t reach; the camera is weather resistant and should be able to withstand some moisture. My review sample survived three heavy rainstorms in as many weeks without any issues.

Solar power is optional 

Ring states the battery in the Stick Up Cam should last six to 12 months on a single charge, depending on activity and use of its Live View feature. Alternatively, you can provide constant power to the camera through a Micro USB cable and a smartphone charger. Or you can spring for the $50 Solar Panel to provide consistent power to the Stick Up Cam. 

The Solar Panel comes with a 5-foot Micro USB cable and a weather-resistant sleeve to help protect the charging port when connected to the camera. 

Ring advises users to place the panel in an area where it will receive direct sunlight for two or three hours every day. Naturally, Ring includes all appropriate mounting supplies in the box along with the Solar Panel. 

I used the panel during my time with the Stick Up Cam, and found the battery to maintain a charge of 65 to 70 percent. 

Motion detection still needs some work 

Having used the Ring Video Doorbell for the past year, I’ve grown accustomed to its finicky motion alerts. I’ve gone through troubleshooting with customer care, turned off motion detection altogether, turned off only particular sections the camera monitors, turned it back on, and everything in between. 

I’ve come to live with the fact that it’s not perfect and that I have to deal with the random motion alerts pushed to my phone. 

As much as I wanted to believe things would be different with the Stick Up Cam, they weren't. I received several alerts during testing in which I was unable to see any movement at all in the recorded video. I don’t know if something quickly passed by the camera and it didn’t start recording fast enough or if there was a bug that flew by and set off the motion sensor. Look at this video and see if you can find what triggered it. I sure can’t see anything. 

For its part, Ring tells me the company is constantly working on improving motion detection for the Doorbell and the Stick Up Cam through software updates (installed without you having to do a thing), and that the Pro version of its Doorbell has "more advanced motion features." Why that same technology wasn’t brought over to the Stick Up Cam is a mystery to me.

Live view and cloud recording 

All Stick Up Cam users have access to the company’s Live View feature. Using Live View, you don’t have to wait for a motion alert to view your camera’s stream. You can open the app, tap a button and watch. 

In testing the feature before launch, I never had an issue with the amount of time it took to establish a connection (both on Wi-Fi and a cellular connection), nor did I experience any issues with stream quality. The Stick Up Cam captures 720p video, by the way. 

Ring offers a cloud recording plan at a cost of $3 a month or $30 per year for each camera connected to your Ring account. With an active subscription, you can go back and view old videos captured during a motion or live view event, complete with audio from both involved parties. 

Peace of mind is worth the price 

Thankfully, the highlight of my time with the Stick Up Cam was it capturing the raccoon helping itself to dinner. 

The Stick Up Cam did provide peace of mind. Knowing if anything was moving around on the side of my house, be it an animal or would-be bad guy, I would at least have video proof. 

The overall design is boring and the fact that motion alerts arrive when there’s no motion is annoying. Hopefully, Ring is able to figure out the second of these frustrations through future software updates. 

Spending $200 on a camera, plus another $50 for the solar panel, is an investment. But it's an easily justifiable one if you live in an area where added serenity will help you and your family sleep better at night.