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Smart Home

Posiedon rules the tiny seas caused by leaks in your home

Water damage from flooding or leaks can be one of the most costly home or business repairs. Posiedon is a system that catches small problems before they have a chance to become outrageously costly. Battery-operated, wireless sensors get placed throughout the home in areas such as the bathroom, next to a water heater, dishwasher, laundry room, basement, or anyplace where water would be most likely to leak or overflow. The sensors use two leads, that when shorted with water, will trigger an alarm that is connected to a Web site. The Web site alerts the homeowner through their mobile device and a small wall mounted device. All of this is connected to a central controller that monitors the overall system, which is apparently located in the user’s home. It’s unclear as to how much instillation may be involved, if any, for the central controller and wall mounted unit, and whether or not any special software installation skills may be needed, but this seems like a great idea in the making. This campaign is seeking to raise $45,000 by November 10, 2014. For $240, backers get the basic system of the central controller and one sensor. Larger pledges will include more sensors. Expected delivery is May 2015.

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Smart Home

Smart Outlet lends you the power of the plug

The fastest way to create home automation is to start off with the infrastructure. If your outlets are smart enough to be turned on and off automatically, so too can any device plugged into them.

The Smart Outlet from Newbeem is a wall outlet that adds more features than simply providing power. With a built in surge protector, this device turns any outlet into three outlets, one of those three being Wi-fi enabled. With that and the variable dimmer inside, any light or appliance can be plugged in and controlled manually using a phone or set up on a timer or programmable dimming pattern. Newbeem is trying to raise $20,000 CAD to fund mass production of the outlets. Picking up a Smart Outlet will only cost supports $30 CAD, with an expected shipping date of November.

Anything that makes smart electricity more accessible and easy to use is always a welcome addition to the market. Two questions stick out when viewing this product however. First, how does it differentiate itself from competitors like WeMo or Brightup? Second, why is only one of the outlets Wi-fi enabled? Without adequate answers, this may prove to be a product of middling quality at best.

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Smart Home

Campoint brings your home security footage into a central point

Over the past decade, home monitoring and security systems have been reduced from elaborate systems requiring hundreds of dollars of start-up and maintenance costs to just a few in-home, Internet-connected cameras requiring less money to maintain. Problems still abound, though, namely in the form of monthly service fees to store and view a user’s own video, false alarms, and privacy.

CamPoint’s in-home monitoring system is looking to address those problems. The device connects via Wi-fi to up to three HD cameras, allowing a user to enjoy the features of a monitoring system without a monthly fee. What’s more, CamPoint uses an algorithm that constantly learns what’s important by sending alerts to a user’s smartphone for review. Once decided, CamPoint will never send another alarm about the event again. CamPoint also liberates users of the worry associated with streaming video to unknown places for review by unknown people with both local and cloud storage depending on the user’s location. Even then, it doesn’t eat up all your bandwidth with the capacity to schedule your day into the system. Potential backers can go all in with a pledge of $279, which nets them a CamPoint with three cameras. If the cameras are unnecessary, a CamPoint solo can be had for just $149. The company is looking for $50,000 for mass production and assembly.

The elephant in the room when speaking about home monitoring is certainly Dropcam and all of the privacy issues the company has spurred. Addressing privacy concerns with smart design is good business sense, and CamPoint has hit the nail on the head. Although users of the system will appreciate that, the included seven days of cloud storage and its three camera maximum might be problematic. CamPoint has potential, but the company will need to keep innovating: the features they present can easily be copied.

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Sensors/IoT Smart Home

Notion can sense just about anything around your home

There are a wealth of different smart home solutions available to tackle specific tasks or watch certain parts of the home. From home intrusion tags on windows and doors to humidity sensors that can detect potentially dangerous conditions for collectibles, having a home that does all of this requires a lot of products, not to mention a lot of money.

Notion is a smart home sensor that prefers to do a lot with a little. The small adhesive pucks that Notion uses for sensors can be placed on any surface or device and programmed to monitor multiple different kinds of data, or just do one specific task. From detecting water leaks to safeguarding valuable or dangerous materials, when one of Notion’s built-in sensors is tripped, it sends a notification to the user’s phone, as well as to any approved contacts if the homeowner is not in a position to respond quickly to urgent matters.

Notion can sense eight different kinds of stimuli: acceleration, light, sound, proximity, temperature, orientation, water leaks, and natural frequency. Whether a window is left open upon leaving the house or if a smoke alarm is going off, Notion promptly reports it. Loop Labs, Inc., maker of the Notion, needs $50,000 for testing, design, and production. The base kit including one hub and one sensor puck is priced at $129 and will launch in July 2015.

Notion isn’t the first all-in-one smart home super-sensor, nor will it be the last. But as the smart home grows and develops, and companies try to tackle the functions of the ideal smart home one at a time, it’s refreshing to be able to invest in a product that pulls its own weight in every room of the house.

 

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Sensors/IoT Smart Home

Eve smart irrigation system gives plants what they crave

The Premise. Why should the indoors reap all the benefits of automated smart home technology? What homeowners can also use is something that makes their lives easier when it comes to home and garden maintenance, while also cutting back on utility bill costs.

The Product. Eve is a smart yard system that uses real-time data to determine when to water a lawn or plants. The Eve itself is a control panel that can control smart sprinkler systems and monitors weather forecasts to make a decision on whether to water or let mother nature handle the job. Eve’s field operatives are little green ground pegs called Adam sensors, which can be pushed into soil at any location and will monitor soil moisture both at the surface and at the level where a plant’s roots will be. In combination with Eve’s eye on the weather, the Adam sensors report back to Eve to let the system know when a watering is needed. Better still, Adam sensors have a battery life up to one full year without being changed.

The Pitch. Eve comes right out and points out the shortcomings of other outdoor smart watering systems as little more than glorified timers. Getting into further detail about the Zigbee and SmartThings systems that Eve runs on, developer Plaid Systems makes a strong argument for why their product stands as the first truly smart irrigation system. Plaid Systems is raising $75,000 to finance molding and production.

The Perks. Adam sensors start at $55 with $50 added for each additional sensor. The Eve controller can be picked up to support as many as 16 zones for $100, but both Adam and Eve require a SmartThings Hub. To get everything required, the $295 tier bundles an Eve, 1 Adam sensor, and a SmartThings Hub, with the hub arriving in October and the Adam and Eve arriving later in March 2015. Multiple tiers are available offering varying multiples of each product.

The Potential. As the campaign points out immediately, this feels like one of the first smart yard systems, offering a combination of weather data and soil moisture to determine when to water and how much instead of just controlling timers with a smartphone. The requirement of a SmartThings Hub feels more like a setback for most homeowners, save those who are already using the platform and other Zigbee devices in their smart home. The devices can work without the trio assembled, but lack a strong degree of the functionality that will sell people upon looking into Eve and its campaign.

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Connected Objects Smart Home

Dorr drives into the crowded connected garage door space

The Premise. Automated garage doors sure are useful, but not when you spend the beginning of every drive wondering whether or not it was left open. This usually happens when you’re already pretty far from your home, forcing most to waste time returning just to make sure. 

The Product. Dorr is an extremely straightforward product from Buelgo that comes in the form of a sensor that attaches to your garage door. In exchange for its new permanent home, it determines whether or not said door is open using its built-in accelerometer. Most importantly, Dorr uses your own wi-fi network to communicate with your smartphone to let you know if you need to open or close your garage door from wherever you are. Password protect Dorr with 128-AES level encryption to prevent unauthorized access, or just the chubby fingers of a little one. 

The Pitch. The campaign is as straightworward as the product itself, with the featured 43 second video introducing the inventor and showing off Dorr in all its authoritarian garage door glory. As with the doors it opens, backers won’t have to have to wait too long if they spring for one: Dorr has a February 2015 delivery date. 

The Perks. Buelgo is offering single worthwhile perk in the form of a Dorr unit for $75 — unless you really, really want a T-shirt that tells the world about your backer status for $25. 

The Potential. Smartphone-enabled garage door openers have been a thing for quite some time. Many companies currently offer their very own take on the product that frankly have far more functionality than Dorr. Products from companies like Open-MeCraftsman, Garageio, BTmate, and Liftmaster offer features like shared access between more than one user and responsive design that detects when you’re near. Dorr is extremely basic compared to some of these more sophisticated solutions and really offers nothing new to the space. Its price isn’t even all that attractive considering that BTmate in particular can be had for as little as $30. Smartphone-enabled garage doors may not be a huge industry right now, and products like Dorr certainly aren’t going to make it much bigger.

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Home Smart Home

Qhome runs your home, doesn’t need to get paid

The Premise. Smart home systems are cropping up everywhere, but tend to specialize in one particular concept or feature, whether it’s energy-saving, security, or climate control. These devices give the illusion of a smart home while leaving several components woefully unconnected.

The Product. Qhome is a smart home hub that offers a greater degree of functionality than the partial smart home devices that have shown up to swell the market. Operating through a series of distinct modes as well as individual customization, Qhome can open curtains, close windows, keep a running grocery list as things are removed from the fridge, and send cleaning robots out as needed to keep things tidy, all from a smartphone or through its own programming.

The Pitch. Developer Quatanium introduces viewers to Qhome by showing a young professional who can only focus so well on his job because his home monitors and operates itself. From getting him up in the morning all the way to notifying him that there’s no more jam in the fridge, Qhome steers the video’s hero through all the aspects of his home life right up to his date that night. Unfortunately, as viewers ask how all of this might be possible, the campaign page itself has no follow-through, focusing more on general discussion of the history of smart home technology and how it functions rather than explaining how the product itself works. Backers might be interested in helping Quatanium reach its huge $500,000, but will have to do so with several questions still in their minds.

The Perks. Getting started with a Qhome system costs as little as $99, to get the app and control components for two devices. A more complete system with a hub, 5 components, and a wireless music player costs $249. Those who are more concerned with security can add an extra 5 control components and a wireless security camera to their system at the $599, while anyone who wants their system designed to maximize effectiveness in their home can get a personalized system built for $1,999. All tiers except the personalized system will ship by March 2015, with the latter shipping in July 2015.

The Potential. When it comes to potential, the idea behind Qhome has an awful lot of it. However, without more details and more explanation, it’s easy to get the impression that nothing may ever come of all that potential. Qhome makes a lot of bold claims and is fairly cost-effective. Now, all that remains to be seen is if it can back up all of its talk.

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Smart Home

Kepler gas monitor helps keep homes from exploding

The Premise. Gas leaks are a common, dangerous occurrence in homes. It can be difficult to tell exactly when gas is leaking and often too late to fix the problem. In addition, when it’s known that a gas leak is occurring, it is unclear when the room should simply be aired out, or the house evacuated altogether. Carbon monoxide is another silent killer that can only be detected by technology.

The Product. A home gas connector, Kepler sits on the wall and features a rechargeable battery for maximum utility. It has an alarm for when gas levels reach a high level and the alarm gets louder as levels become dangerous. The product’s look seems a bit inspired by that of the Nest Protect, or perhaps it’s Honeywell thermostat, the Lyric. — gray, white and round with a monochrome display. The alarm beeps and also flashes red. When not in use, the display shows the time. It’s portable and can be transported into any room in the house. Since cooking leads to many gas leaks, Kepler also has a built-in timer to make preparing food safer. Kepler also sends alerts to your smartphone using an accompanying app.

The Pitch. Kepler’s creator talks about the dangers of gas leaks in the video, explaining that he has lost loved ones in such a situation. The rest of the campaign features detailed photographs displaying each of the product’s capabilities. This Chinese product hopes to raise $30,000 CAD during its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. Kepler offers two early bird tiers at $60 and $70 CAD. At a regular price with different color options, Kepler costs $80 CAD with estimated delivery in November 2014. Reward tiers go all the way up to $8,000 CAD.

The Potential. Kepler’s appeal comes from its all-inclusive design. Many gas/carbon monoxide detectors exist, but not all have as many features as Kepler does. The Kidde Gas/Carbon Monoxide Alarm Dector, for example, doesn’t have the kitchen timer, app integration and general portability of the Kepler. In addition, it simply doesn’t look as good. Kepler’s smart and stylish design make it a perfect addition to any home safety system.

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Lighting Smart Home

Emberlight makes smart lighting simple

emberlightControlling lights with a smartphone or tablet is a great entry point into creating an energy-saving smart home. Unfortunately, the setups can be complicated to install or have a high price barrier. Emberlight is designed to be a simple, intuitive access point for creating a smart lighting system, simply by screwing the device into any light fixture and installing a dimmable bulb. Immediately, multiple presets can be used and the Bluetooth Low Energy features allow lights to turn on upon entering a room, and off while leaving. Outfitting a whole home with Emberlights may be a little expensive, but the energy saving costs and simplicity will make up for that initial hit. Emberlight can brighten any home for $49 in February 2015.

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Sensors/IoT Smart Home

GeckoEye camera taps solar energy to shed light on intruders

geckoeyeSecurity is a massive concern these days  — not just digitally, but in the physical world as well. GeckoEye offers versatile security in the home, car, or office in a stylish, compact package. Shaped like a disc, GeckoEye can be mounted on any surface and provide security recording of any environment. On its own, GeckoEye isn’t all that revolutionary, though the ability to be mounted anywhere is a big help. What really serves to set GeckoEye apart is the solar panels on the device that can keep it powered without moving it to be charged. Monthly fees for cloud storage and an overall lack of features may hurt the device, but the solar charging is a great benefit. GeckoEye can be picked up for $189.