Many people would like to be able to record snippets of people approaching their door. Good to know what's going on when you're not there so you can calibrate your fears with reality. Now you need to send the recording somewhere.

You have two choices: maintain your own recording equipment, or upload. The former is a major hassle. Ring smartly found an opportunity to make a simple service people want.

You say the "US is such a bizarre place" but that is simply untrue. Petty theft is a part of many cultures. For example, petty theft in the UK is far more common than the US.