Tag: home automation

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Smart Home

airBell connected doorbell alerts you to shenanigans via Wi-Fi or phone call

In this day and age of drone deliveries and comet landings, physically knocking on a door and waiting for someone to open it can seem a little dated and, frankly, boring. Even missing deliveries seems like something that really shouldn’t happen anymore, but for most people, it can be a commonplace occurrence.

With airBell, you can rest assured that you’ll always know exactly who’s at your door at any time and be able to promptly react. The connected doorbell sports a 3.5″ touchscreen, a motion sensor to detect guests, and can call you, send you an SMS or a push notification, or even facilitate a video chat using the onboard camera with your Wi-Fi or GSM connected smartphone or tablet. This means that you won’t have to rush anymore to open the door or miss anymore packages as you could direct the deliveryman accordingly. An alarm sounds if the airBell senses a suspicious presence and a one-touch SOS gives you the power to call proper authorities based on unexpected emergencies too. The campaign’s $25,000 goal aims to get the $159 airBell into backer’s homes by December 2014.

Although the airBell serves up a multitude of functionality and can be occasionally useful with the wayward package every now and then, its biggest problem is the fact that smartphones exist. Why buy a completely separate device that can basically do what a smartphone already does? Just because something can be automated doesn’t mean it deserves to be, but at least the product will serve as a great a conversation starter for all those home automation fetishists out there.

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Smart Home

ShutterEaze makes sure your smart home isn’t blindsided

Home owners over the past few years have enjoyed the explosion of support for all things home automation. Everything from your toaster to your thermostat to your doors can be controlled with a smartphone, leading to increased convenience. Even as so many of these parts of home are being automated, there are as many that haven’t been, like shutters. Automating them is a time-consuming, complex process. ShutterEaze is looking to make it extremely easy.

The ShutterEaze system works with all types of shutter louves and is easily installed using nothing but clip-on parts. When it’s on, the system can be controlled with a remote control or an iOS/Android device. The ability to control shutters in groups, set a sunrise and sunset mode, and set your own schedules are the added benefits of using a smartphone or tablet, relieving homeowners of the daily burden of having to open or close their shutters. No HomeKit integration has been announced, but the company is currently working on ZigBee integration to expand the ShutterEaze system’s usefulness. The product is currently priced at $159 with an estimated delivery date of May 2015. The campaign is looking for $40,000 to make its way into homes everywhere.

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Smart Home

ActuSwitch renders you obsolete, turns on lights by pushing switches

Home automation is all the rage now, but most products require all kinds of installation methods to control the small parts of your home, like light switches. Sometimes the hassle required to do so outweighs the benefits of having the capabilities in the first place. ActuSwitch’s more motorized take on the issue ensures that anyone will be able to enjoy automatic, wireless control of anything controlled with a light switch.

ActuSwitch works as an easily installed, motorized cover for a wall switch that can be remotely controlled. Inside, a mechanism moves up and down to trigger the switch, moving back to a central position so it can still be used activated regularly. Its battery-powered designs installs over existing switches without any prior wiring knowledge required and lasts for one year, though only works with flat-styled switches for now which limits those who can enjoy it. Users can set up scheduling features to automate lights when not at home and set up profiles to provide different switches their own timing with iOS and Android apps. For now, those who are looking for a multi-switch design are out of luck as the company doesn’t have one available, but if the product still piques interest it can be had for $37 by February 2015. The campaign is looking for $60,000 to achieve their funding goal.

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Smart Home

Smart control kit lifts the difficulty in controlling window blinds

One of the biggest hurdles that home automation faces is the cost and complexity of installing devices for every small or mundane aspect of a house.

Tilt My Blinds thinks that smart blinds are a great addition to any home, and wants to make the process simple for anyone. Working with virtually any kind of existing blinds, Tilt My Blinds is a simple device that takes less than 15 minutes to install on each set of blinds and allows for scheduled opening and closing of the blinds as well as control via Bluetooth devices or wireless switches. The blinds are powered by a battery which can be charged using any USB outlet or with an optional solar panel to save even more time and energy. It’s going to take $50,000 to make a properly-funded endeavor. A Tilt My Blinds retrofit kit will cost backers $75 and arrive in February 2015.

For those automating their home piece by piece, Tilt My Blinds is a great way to add some futurism into even the most quaint of dwellings. The solar panel is  great for taking even more effort away from managing the blinds, and the TV plug add-on to reduce viewing glare demonstrates the kind of foresight that should make this product successful.

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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.

Categories
Lighting

Bright Switch turns off the lights when the kids don’t

Bright SwitchFor those who are beginning to feel like a scratched CD in regard to getting the kids to turn off the lights, there is Bright Switch. Though it’s not entirely clear how it works, from watching the video it appears to be similar to setting up the screen saver on a computer. Users can choose how long they want the lights to stay on in a room that is void of activity before the lights are automatically shut off. For $17, backers get one product with an expected delivery of September 2014.

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Smart Home

Homey will get your back when it comes to controlling your home

The Premise. Since Star Trek, homeowners have always wanted to be able to control their home devices with simple spoken commands. Now that the smart home is quickly finding adoption around the world, a voice-controlled module will greatly propel that market into a must-have for anyone.

The Product. Homey is an attractive little orb that can control devices across seven of the most common wireless protocols (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, NFC,  Infrared, and more) with simple, spoken voice commands. The device is designed to be easy to use and adjust as more and more devices can become controlled by taking to one’s home.

The Pitch. Athom, developer of Homey, has put together an attractive video that shows users adjusting the thermostat, queuing up movies with subtitles, and even setting the mood in the bedroom. Athom is far along in the development process, but are raising money through crowdfunding to keep retail costs down and fund the manufacturing process, with a goal of €100,000. Stretch goals are available at €200,000 to create if-then flow commands that will automate things even more, and at €300,000, multiple colors will be available including a Pokémon-themed Poké Ball color scheme.

The Perks. Setting up a home with a Homey will take a pledge of €229, with an extra €20 for shipping in June 2015. For €239, the Geek Edition is available, giving developers two wireless transceivers, jumper cables, and access to the development kit to add more features to the device. Homey can be had a little sooner for €399, arriving in April instead of June.

The Potential. Home automation is an industry that everyone wants a piece of, and Homey looks like it might become the interface that people want to adopt. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Google Nexus Q and adopting a similar feature set to the EmoSPARK, the Homey already might look like a copycat device, but the sheer number of wireless connectivity options and flexibility of functions makes it an intriguing option. Another chief competitor for the Homey will be the Ubi, which right now might be a little less powerful in terms of precise control, but also offers users the ability to answer basic internet questions by asking them out loud. With so many choices, it’s the little differences that will separate the success stories from the footnotes, and it seems like Homey might be able to edge out most of the competition when it comes to features and design.

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Smart Home

tado° lets you keep your cool with your smartphone and air conditioner

The Premise. As summer approaches, homeowners everywhere are coming home to hot, sticky houses that take time to cool down. The alternative is leaving the air conditioner running all day, but that strategy requires spending more on utilities and isn’t environmentally conscious.

The Product. The tado° is a cooling system that can be controlled through an app, but will also power off the air conditioner when nobody is in the home and turn it on within a set proximity to make rooms nice and cool upon arrival. The system can be controlled from room to room as well, so that only enough cooling that is needed is used. The app is available for iOS and Android devices, and the tado° system is compatible with virtually any remote-controlled air conditioning system.

The Pitch. We learn about tado° through Harold and Lizzie, a couple who prove the axiom of opposites attracting. tado° helps keep their energy costs down while Lizzie is at work and Harold is out shopping, reading, and generally forgetting to turn the air conditioner off when he leaves. Because Tado, Inc. is already launched and experienced in climate control in Europe, their presentation is well-shot, attractive, and eye-catching. From explaining the app to listing the various brands of compatible air conditioners, almost any question about the tado° system is answered. Tado wants to raise $150,000 to

The Perks. A tado° system with app is available to backers who pledge at least $99 per unit. For those who have a uniquely colored room and want the tado° panel to match, color can be customized for $179. Developers who want to use the same technology behind the device for other purposes can get a developer kit for $299. All rewards will ship out in August 2014.

The Potential.  Similar systems are already rolling out for lighting and heaters, so air conditioners are a natural step. And while tado° may not be first to market, the sleek presentation, easily hidden sensor panel, and compatibility with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infra-red make the tado° a solid choice for anyone wanting to come home to cool temperatures without having a massive power bill. The functionality is comparable to the Friedrich Kuhl or Quirky+GE Aros air conditioner, but part of the beauty of tado° is its compatibility with a wide variety of different brands of air conditioner, meaning a new system doesn’t need to be purchased and any brand loyalty can remain firmly in place.

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Connected Objects Music

M1 speaker sits in the corner, may still exhibit good behavior

m1Part of the cartoon ideals of home automation that sell it to so many buyers is the discreet, sometimes imperceptible way that a homeowner interacts with his or her property. The M1 Speaker from Nepsu is designed to follow that philosophy of being functional yet not take up space. These tetrahedral speakers can fit into the corners of any room and mount snugly, working with Bluetooth devices and Android and iOS apps to allow home automation control and audio enjoyment without being bulky and taking up space. However, these speakers are wired, as the out of sight/out of mind design would be compromised if the speakers needed to be repeatedly charged. Alas, Wi-Fi support would allow for longer range for nifty multi-room audio. The M1 speaker will fill rooms with sound in September for $199 CAD.

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Sensors/IoT Smart Home

Zstat brings the heat (or cold) to your smart home, senses danger

Zstat 20140220113721-zss9[1]If you’re still suffering from the sticker shock of your last utility bill, Zstat might be able to take the bite out of the future ones. While not as sleek as the Nest. it costs considerably less and offers more safety features such as sensors for smoke, carbon monoxide, and air quality. It also comes in white or stainless steel and is easily controlled with the Zstat app or text messages. For at least $100, early bird backers get the version with the safety features and an expected delivery of August 2014.