The steady creep of wireless technology into homes has made the ability to stay informed less of a luxury, with home automation and sensor options becoming more commonplace as their design and price reflect the simplicity of their utility. The biggest danger with this approach is running the risk of being too simple.
Many years ago, a device like the FLASHNUB door activity monitor would possibly turn some heads, but now can only be a lackluster idea at most. The device works by attaching a battery-powered sensor to a door that contains a contact point. Once that contact point is broken by an opening door, the device sends an alert through Wi-Fi to the connected USB-dongle that emits a three flash light.
The product itself is incredibly simple and is more of a DIY project than something to be considered a serious product, so its $60 price tag is a bit of a mystery. As such, there are other far more mature solutions for situations that require staying informed. The FLASHNUB campaign is looking for $50,000 to get the product out to backers by September 2015.