Tag: smart home

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Podcasts

Backerjack Podcast #15: Telemedicine Tricorders, Privacy Protectors, and Milk Minders

In Episode 15 of the Backerjack Podcast, surly Steve and redeeming Ross check out some of the latest products seeking funds and preorders:

  • MedWand, a 7-in-1 telemedicine enabler that combines measuring your vitals with spot checks of ears, nose and throat
  • Shellfire Box, a tiny network device that routes all your home traffic through a tested virtual private network
  • SmartQsine, a system of connected miniature scales that can let you know when you’re close to running out of foods or recipe ingredients.
Continue reading “Backerjack Podcast #15: Telemedicine Tricorders, Privacy Protectors, and Milk Minders”
Categories
Smart Home Television

We are all just living in smart homes with TVs ruled by mighty Paigo

The Internet of Things is really just a mess of standards trying to operate with each other at this point, leaving the door wide open for in-home solutions to the problem.

The Paigo smart home system is a challenger in this regard, serving as the digital brain to someone’s connected life. The smart home system is a comprehensive solution to connected quandaries. For one, it offers users home automation capabilities with anything in the home that is Z-Wave enabled, along with anything that uses electricity — even if the campaign itself is slightly vague on how exactly it does that.

Home security is another key focus for Paigo, as the system connects itself to equipment such as motion sensors and IP cameras to keep the home safe. For times when the main goal is to relax, the Paigo set-top box can connect to a TV and be used as a media center, browser, or Skype tool. Users can use Paigo’s companion “air mouse” capable remote to facilitate all these actions from afar.

All of Paigo’s capabilities culminate in a product with which users can check in on their home at anytime with a smartphone, tablet, or PC no matter where they are. Scenes can be set to automate devices all at one, either automatically or with a tap of a button. The Paigo Smart Home system will be awarded to backers for $584, and the $107,752 campaign goal is promising the product in December of this year.

The Paigo’s scope is incredibly impressive, but only if its owner has all the necessary equipment to have it truly perform at its most optimal — a huge financial investment if not already set-up. All in all, the campaign is slightly misleading in what it offers, and even vague, at points. In comparison, products like RoomBox and xRemote are clear about the extent to which they can and cannot do things — something backers surely appreciate.

Categories
Smart Home

iSensor HD Patio outdoor security camera senses trouble in rain or shine

While there are many outdoor security cameras on the market, many are not specifically designed for outdoor use. What’s more, many of them provide mediocre images at best, in part because they are stationary and lack the ability to pan.

The iSensor HD Patio outdoor security camera stands out in this regard. The product was specifically designed for use outside the home and is housed in a clear, weather resistant casing. It can be controlled remotely by users via both Android and iOS apps. The camera comes standard with 4 GB of onboard memory and can remotely pan 170 degrees via a user’s mobile device. Further, the camera has a motion sensor and a 240 degree range of view without distortion, according to its Indiegogo campaign. If suspicious activity is detected, the camera will instantly inform users via notifications, snapshots, and HD-quality video that is automatically uploaded to the user’s Google Drive; all for no extra charge. It comes in a choice of black or white at $199 and will ship in May. Its maker is looking to raise $1,000 by April 5.

ISensor HD Patio holds great promise, offering clear advantages over many rival products.

Categories
Lighting Smart Home

Want to add smarts to light switches without replacing? Switchmate has them covered

editors-choiceControlling home lighting via a smartphone app can come in handy. But all too often setting up such systems can be overly complicated.

Switchmate does away with all of that complexity. It consists of a white cover that easily snaps over a standard light switch using magnets. It gets paired via Bluetooth with an Android or iOS app and the user can then easily take control of the switch via their smartphone. In a nice touch, the app can control multiple Switchmates. Notably, users can see the status of their lights within a Bluetooth range of about 150 feet. Each Switchmate will cost $60 and is scheduled to begin shipping in December. Its maker set an Indiegogo campaign goal of raising $50,000 by April 1.

Switchmate holds a great deal of promise if truly is compatible with any standard light switch and if the setup process is as easy as the campaign advertises. The device takes the ease of Emberlight one step further insofar as it attaches to a light switch instead of a light fixture itself, thereby eliminating the need to have a ladder or really tall person nearby.

Categories
Connected Objects

Luna smart bed cover covers all the bases to provide good night’s sleep

Objects all around keep getting smarter and smarter. But the bed, one of the most important things that people use every day and a key part of our health, isn’t getting any smarter.

The San Francisco-based makers of the Luna smart mattress cover are out to change that. Luna is able to manage the user’s bed temperature and tracks sleep habits using multiple hidden sensors, including an ambient light sensor and temperature humidity sensor. The thin cover can also be integrated with the user’s other smart home devices to turn off lights, lock doors, change the thermostat, or make sure coffee is brewed when the user needs it each morning. Luna’s dual zone technology provides the option for users and their partners to select different temperatures for each side of the bed.

Luna works with any kind of mattress, its maker claims. Backers who pledge $199 for a queen or full size cover, $219 for a king size cover, or $229 for a California king size cover when it ships in August. The $100,000 Indiegogo goal has been set to pay for product validation testing and tooling to manufacture enclosures.

The product holds great promise, going a few steps further than the ThinkPillow smart pillow and Beddit sleep and wellness tracker that are both more reliant on their apps than Luna is. An iPhone or Android smartphone is required only the first time the user installs Luna. Consumers who are sleep-challenged will find it especially valuable.

Categories
Smart Home

Domus home automation system regulates your domicile’s energy

Smart home systems are all the rage these days. People love the ability to control and keep and eye on their homes when they’re away.

Domus is another smart home automation solution that monitors electronic devices in the home via an app for Android and iPhones. But the product goes one step further, allowing the user to also save energy by monitoring power consumption and calculating what the energy bill will be. It notifies the user if a space heater or other appliance has been on too long, which not only conservers energy, but also could prevent an accident.

The black remote control unit that serves as the system’s hub has a built-in Wi-Fi repeater module that enables the product to also extend the user’s Wi-Fi range. The user plugs a smart iPlug into any standard power outlet, then connects a device to the iPlug and downloads the app to control that device. Backers who pledge $39 CAD (~$33 USD) will get one smart plug, while those who pledge $49 CAD (~$41 USD) will get one remote control unit when Domus ships in June. The Vancouver company, Domus Living, is looking to raise $100,000 CAD (~$83,600 USD) on Kickstarter.

Domus Living’s combined focus on home automation and energy consumption regulation, along with the added Wi-Fi extender function add value to the product. But, as is the case with similar products, including Linkio, one drawback is that the more devices the user wants to incorporate into the system, the larger the cost because each one needs a separate smart plug.

Categories
Smart Home

Neeo thinking remote is the one system that can control all devices in your home

editors-choiceHaving a smart automation system that can control all the devices in a home is something that a growing number of consumers are looking for. Neeo from the Cupertino, California, company of the same name combines some of the best features of a mobile app-based smart home automation system with those of a universal remote control. It also adds a few features that rival devices just don’t have, such as four antennas that integrate Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, ZigBee and Z-Wave protocol functionality.

There are two main parts of the Neeo system: the “Brain,” a small hockey puck-shaped device made of solid aluminum and acrylic glass, that will command all of the user’s devices, including TVs and Blu-ray players; and the remote, which provides instant control of all those devices. Sensors in the attractive remote detect the user’s palm and matches it with that person’s profile. It then displays that person’s personal playlists, movies and favorites from connected devices instantly, the company claims. Also attractive is the remote’s 291 pixels per inch touch display.

If the user can’t find the remote, an SOS alarm function that is activated via an iOS or Android smartphone will help track it down. Neeo has a database of more than 30,000 devices that it can connect to and control, and is compatible with all major AV products made in the last 10 years. Kickstarter backers who pledge $148 will get one Brain in April and the free app. Those who pledge $219 will, in May, get the Brain and the remote in either the standard aluminum version or one of two limited edition SKUs, in black or white. The system’s maker is looking to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

As long as the Neeo remote is indeed compatible with as many devices as the company claims and the set-up process is as simple as it says, the system is among the most promising products to come along in the home automation and universal remote categories lately. It surpasses most similar devices including last year’s Droplit. As a universal remote, it also stands to be a major challenger to the popular Harmony remotes from Logitech.

Categories
Smart Home

HomeTraq monitoring system tracks second home, reports any funny business

Keeping tabs on a rarely-visited second home with a remote home monitoring system presents a special challenge. That’s because most monitoring system depend on either a landline or Internet connection–two things many people don’t want to pay for unless they are actually at home.

The HomeTraq remote monitoring device resolves that issue by using a SIM card that does away with the need for a landline or Internet connection. HomeTraq monitors the temperature, humidity and alarm system of a property, and also keeps track of unusual sounds. A SMS text or email alert will be sent if the device detects an issue, such as the property being too hot or cold.

HomeTraq comes with a SIM card that will not expire and automatically roams until it finds a cellular network to connect to. There is no contract or activation fee. But there is a $6 fee for any month that the user wants the SIM card to monitor the home. However, users can opt to use their own SIM cards to avoid paying that monthly charge. Backers who pledge $29 will get a HomeTraq device when it ship in May as part of a discounted early bird Kickstarter special. The Lewisville, Texas, inventor is trying to raise $15,000 by early February.

The device is clearly designed for a very niche market. But there are many consumers who will find it appealing–such as snowbirds who spend half the year in Florida and half the year in a colder place.

Categories
Sensors/IoT

GUARDOOR security system easy to set up, keeps intruders at bay

The main issue preventing many consumers from buying a home security system is the cost. Some consumers are also reluctant to set up a system because it’s too complicated to do it themselves.

GUARDOOR from San Francisco-based company, KIKTEC, offers a simple and relatively inexpensive way to keep home and office doors and windows secure, and it’s simple to set up. Each GUARDOOR is a small, triangular-shaped sensor that the user just has to stick to the corner of a door or window.

When the device senses movement, an instant alert is sent to the user’s Android or iOS mobile device. Backers who provide $59 in financing to the device’s Indiegogo campaign will get one GUARDOOR in April as part of an early bird special. That’s $20 less than its planned retail price and one month earlier than those who provide $79 in backing. KIKTEC is hoping to raise $10,000 to help with the cost of further development, manufacturing and production of the first prototype.

GUARDOOR is similar to Korner, another promising security device featuring small triangular tags that stick to the corner of a door or window. But GUARDOOR does away with the Fob device that is used with the Korner devices and must be plugged into a router. GUARDOOR, however, costs more money if the user is looking to use it with more than one door or window. A Korner starter pack including three tags for three doors or windows costs only $99.

Categories
Smart Home Technology

Linkio offers affordable home automation solution

Mobile home automation systems offer the undeniably appealing ability to turn off your appliances and other electronic devices when you forgot to shut them before leaving the house from anywhere. French newcomer Linkio is yet the latest company to enter the growing category with an affordable and simple solution.

The company isn’t shy about celebrating native language with the system’s components. The main component of the white Linkio system is “Le Hub,” a central control unit resembling a router that communicates with the rest of the Linkio system and wirelessly links the user’s mobile phone to their electronics in conjunction with “Le Remote,” a remote infrared controller that looks somewhat like a typical smoke detector. A separate “Le Plug” connector allows any electronic device that it’s plugged into to be turned on or off via a free mobile app. Also part of the system is “Le Switch,” a component designed to replace mechanical wall switches that enables lights and ceiling fans to be controlled manually and through the app. The targeted price of a full Linkio system package is €99 (~$123), and it includes one each of the Linkio components.

Linkio’s system is targeted at consumers who aren’t interested in buying an entire smart home ecosystem, but instead want the ability to control just a few of their electronic devices from outside the home. Linkio will also sell plugs individually at €19 (~$24) each. The company’s Kickstarter goal is to raise €50,000 (~$60,000), in order to mass produce the finalized versions of the Linkio components. Linkio expects electrical design optimization to be finished in January and for the finalized product to follow in October.

There’s been similar home automation system concepts before. The Webee smart home system is just one of many competing products to seek crowdfunding. Belkin’s WeMo Switch, meanwhile, is a competing product that’s already widely available. An advantage that Linkio has over some of its rivals is that it’s an independent system that requires no server dependency. Also, unlike at least some rival devices, Linkio supports Windows Phone in addition to the more ubiquitous iOS and Android. But the home automation category is just too crowded to expect Linkio will become a major mass-market consumer product.