JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's a season of giving, but you don't want it to become a season of taking. With the holidays and people traveling, empty homes can become easier targets for burglars. But you have the power to stop criminals with technology in the palm of your hand. Tiny motion activated cameras send live high-definition video to your smartphone -- alerting you when the devices detect activity at your home.
Through the I-TEAM's crime reporting, we know Monday morning at 7 a.m. is the most common day and time for home burglaries.
WATCH: I-TEAM breaks down peak days, times for crime
While they can happen any time, you really want to be careful around the holiday travel season because News4Jax Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith says home burglaries are crimes of opportunity -- thieves striking when they know you're not there.
You've likely seen ads or commercials for the security devices Canary, Nest or Ring Video Doorbell. Maybe you've considered buying one -- or perhaps it's on a loved one's gift list. They each normally cost about $199 from the manufacturers, but we noticed there are some seasonal discounts available if you want to purchase now.
So which one would work best for you and your family? News4Jax just put all three to the test to see how they could deter -- or catch burglars -- with a touch of a button.
We tried the devices with the help of Tiziana Onstead. Her awareness about her own personal safety is heightened after a burglary a few blocks away from her boyfriend's home in Jacksonville Beach.
We had Tiziana at a nearby park while we pretended to be burglars breaking into her house to see just how these devices work.
Ring Video Doorbell
You install the Ring Video Doorbell outside your home, and then you download the app for free. It then sends you an alert on your smartphone every time motion is detected near your door. And this time of year, it can capture package thieves. Once you are alerted, you can actually talk to a person at your door, making him or her think you are home when you're really somewhere else.
Remember, Tiziana is at the park, and we are at her house. With the Ring installed, we approach her front door and trigger the device.
"Hello, I'm with the cable company. There seems to be some problems with the reception in your neighborhood. I need to get into your house," we said at Tiziana's front door.
"I'm busy at the moment and I didn't order any cable service. And you're not dressed like a cable technician," Tiziana responded from a nearby park, through her app.
Tiziana was able to see us clearly from her location, able to speak to us, and in turn, giving the impression she was talking with us from inside the house. If a burglar thinks you are home, police say most thieves will just leave.
Nest
If a burglar is going to try and break in through a window, that's when the home security device, the Nest, can come into play. The Nest is a small, motion-activated camera that can shoot, record and send live video of the burglar straight to your phone.
Inside Tiziana's home, the Nest detected us and sent a notification right to Tiziana, and she can look at what's happening in real time through live video on her smartphone.
"Hey, get out of my house. I can see you. I'm calling the police right now," Tiziana said from the park, which we heard from inside her home.
We are being recorded and Tiziana can continue to talk to us -- and if we were real burglars, we would have no idea where she is.
Canary
The Canary security device also alerts Tiziana, records and sends live video straight to her phone, but it does one other thing.
With the simple push of a button, Tiziana can sound an alarm inside her house -- a 90-decibel siren -- that can catch a burglar off guard.
The alarm is piercing and according to News4Jax Crime and Safety Analyst Gil Smith, once a burglar hears this, the criminal is out the door.
"When a burglar hears that alarm, they immediately leave," said Smith. "I've never had a situation when I was a police officer that the burglar stays there and continues to burglarize. They usually know that police are on the way."
With another push of the button on the Canary app, Tiziana can call police.
Video evidence
With these devices, if we were real burglars, Tiziana would have a solid case against us -- with undeniable video evidence.
"That's one of the first things that a burglary detective will look for. Do you have any type of video that may have captured an image?" said Smith.
WATCH: Tarik Minor interviews Gil Smith about home protection
The Nest and Canary record 24 hours of video that you can access online or through the app but if you want up to a month of accessible video recorded subscriptions start around $9.99.