( CNN ) -- For Airbnb hosts who want to keep tabs on their homes , a full home security system might be overkill . They 're expensive , and live cameras and motion detectors invade guests ' privacy . So how do they make sure guests keep the volume down , are n't smoking inside and do n't ransack their home ? A new device called Point combines microphones with environmental sensors to detect anything out of the ordinary in your home while you are away . A broken window while you 're at work , the sound of your teenagers throwing a raging party , Grandad sneaking an unauthorized after-dinner cigar . `` They want to have peace of mind and know that everything is fine , but they do n't want or need full security systems , '' said Nils Mattisson , co-founder of Form Devices , the start-up that makes Point . Small , round and plastic , Point looks like a traditional smoke alarm crossed with a speaker . Sounds are matched with data from the other sensors to figure out what might have happened -- a loud crash followed by a drop in temperature might mean a window was broken . It hears when an existing smoke detector goes off and sends an alert , though it 's not certified as an official smoke detector on its own . It has a microphone that can detect sounds outside that the human ear could pick up . Environmental sensors pick up temperature ; the particle sensor can tell what 's in the air . When Point detects any notable changes , it sends an alert to the owner 's smartphone . The mobile app also shows a timeline of all events , so someone can quickly scroll through the day to see when people were in the home . All the computation takes place on the device ; there is no live-streaming audio , no way to eavesdrop on your home and no overwhelming amount of data to sort through . Mattisson worked in the Exploratory Design Group at Apple for seven years , where he helped build prototypes for early , experimental product ideas . He left the company last year to start Form with co-founders Marcus Ljungblad , Fredrik Ahlberg and Martin LÃ¶Ã¶f . Together , they wanted to create a new genre of smart-home device . The original idea started with Airbnb hosts , but it 's for anyone who wants a lightweight security option for their home or office . It 's meant for anyone who does n't need a complex security system , or who is n't comfortable with images from inside their home being stored on the cloud . Internet-connected cameras like Dropcam are a popular alternative to full security systems , but images and videos stored in the cloud can be vulnerable to hackers . For example , a Russian website is hosting hacked streams of strangers ' video cameras . Point does n't store audio information , processing it all directly on the device . Form has raised $ 150,000 on Kickstarter and is working with a manufacturer in China on the first production run , though it has tested early prototype devices . Early next year , the Finland-based company will ship the device to its first pilot customer , a management company that rents offices for short periods . Form hopes to test it with a hotel soon after that , and make it available to consumers by next summer for around $ 100 each . Tech companies including Apple and Google , and traditional home stores like Lowe 's and Home Depot , are all pushing smart-home products as the next big thing . Mattisson saw that big companies were taking existing products like thermostats and refrigerators and adding Internet . `` We felt there was a need for something that was simple , '' said Mattisson . `` And we do n't have to make products that are in the same mold . ''
Point is a new kind of home security gadget that listens constantly for unusual sounds . It can be used to detect intruders, and even alert you if someone tries to break in through the window or door. Co-founder Nils Mattisson spent 7 years in Apple 's Exploratory Design Group .