My wife and I run a makerspace. We often describe it as a “gym for artists.” We have all sorts of equipment and resources that artists and makers can come in and use so they don’t have to make the investment themselves. We also had a few private studios to rent out for artists who wanted a dedicated space.
So you want better home security? That’s smart. But with so many different options from so many different companies, where do you start? What would it take to turn “home sweet home” into “home safe home”? A quick shopping spree on Amazon can have you up and running in no time.
If you are building out your smarthome you will want to check out the $69.99 Amped Wireless Smartplug AWP138W. While it is a bit on the expensive side, it is an easy way to turn a standard home electrical product into something fitting for your Amazon Alexa-enabled abode. Setup is simple and using it is as easy as speaking.
I recently began a two-part review of the Vivint home automation/security solutions. Read the review here before you move on to part 2. The system has definitely become an important part of our home. Part 2 will cover the Playback DVR, door locks, thermostat, smoke detector and other detectors installed.
Pet doors have long been a staple of pet ownership. They make it much easier to automate the process of letting your dog or cat outside and back in again. If you have a fenced in yard, for instance, it doesn’t make sense to stop what you’re doing and let your dog in or out every hour on the hour.
As a huge fan of HomeKit products one thing that I truly longed for was an adequate surge protector. Now that Apple has begun opening up their Smart Home platform to more companies and changed their framework a bit, you’ll see more and more smart home products popping up left and right, but the Koogeek Surge Protector REALLY caught my eye.
In search of good HomeKit smart plugs that not only look phenomenal but can control all of your home appliances with ease, the iU9 Smart Power Outlet by Taiwan-based company Opro9 may be one of the best plugs I’ve used in a very long time.
The I’ve seen many smart home devices, but none of them actively protect your home from danger more so than the Flo leak detection system. Flo is a security system for your home’s water system that constantly monitors to catch leaks, prevent water damage, and save you money. Flo is available for purchase at an introductory price of $499.
If you’re still throwing your keys and wallet on a countertop when you get home, you’re going to appreciate the Pitaka MagHive. Not only is it an attractive central location for you to keep the things you can’t leave home without, it’s an intelligent hub the whole family can use.
This week Vizio announced their 2018 fleet of products, giving substantial upgrades to their E, P, M & D Series lines. Starting at $350, the higher end models can go upwards of $2,599.99 depending on the features you desire. However, no matter which model you get, you know that Vizio won’t let you down.
Ring, who recently made the news after it was reported that Amazon is acquiring them, has another security camera worth fawning over. The Ring Spotlight Cam Solar is a WiFi security camera that can be mounted almost anywhere and is powered by the sun. Priced at $229, it illuminates the night with built-in LEDs when it senses motion.
I’ve made a terrible mistake. See, I complain A LOT about Siri, because, well, she’s not the brightest AI assistant around. But she apparently has been listening in, and she’s been trying very hard to make my life miserable lately. Here are a few examples:
I’ve had a couple Amazon Echo Dots for about a year now. I thought they were great. Then this past Christmas, I picked up a couple Google Home Minis just because I wanted to check them out. Now Amazon’s Echo Dot has been pushed to a backup system as I think the Google Home system is so much better.
My family can’t be the only one who’s accidentally left the garage door open overnight, right? Chamberlain wants to solve that problem by making your dumb old garage door smarter with the MyQ Smart Garage Hub, which allows you to open and close your garage door or check its status from your smartphone. Grab yours today for $99.99.
Just about everything is becoming “smart” and wirelessly connected these days. And now Night Owl, a company that has been very successful in the wired home security camera market, is about to launch a connected smart safe.
Sonos has seemingly put the final nail in the coffin for the extremely overpriced HomePod by announcing a deal that will get you not one, but TWO Sonos One speakers for the same $349 you would get for Apple’s latest speaker.
Kwikset has become a leader in the smart lock space, but for some their rounded Kevo lock design was too traditional. That’s why Kwikset has come out with the Kevo Contemporary. Like with the original Kevo, the Kevo Contemporary offers a DIY smart lock solution with a neat touch-to-open feature. But instead of a traditional rounded look, the Kevo Contemporary thinks it’s hip to be square. Of course all of the features you’ve come to expect from Kevo have carried through to the Kevo Contemporary, that includes being able to use your phone as a key, the ability to track…
It’s a natural progression for the smart speaker market to go from speakers alone to adding screens. Mobile assistants are becoming an everyday part of our workflow, and being able to move from query to visual aid quickly, or from voice request to tv show, adds a whole new level of value.
Apple’s absence from the smart speaker market is being corrected in early February with the release of the HomePod, but it won’t improve their fortunes in that market. It isn’t because HomePod is too expensive, or too late to the market, it’s because HomePod is handicapped by Siri. Sweet, but painfully useless Siri.
Smart toothbrushes have been around for a few years, and all, for the most part, have the same premise: Making sure you’re teeth are clean, while giving you a better glance at how well (or not) you are doing so. Then there’s the Kollibree Ara Toothbrush, which uses artificial intelligence endgames to encourage longer brushing.
Back in 2016, I wrote a pretty lengthy review of my experience with the original Logi Cam by Logitech. I still use them to this day because it’s the one camera on the market that works straight out the box, uses the cloud, and on top of that, doesn’t look blatantly obvious in my home. So when the company sent me their WIRELESS Logi Cam 2, I’ll admit, I was excited to try it out.