8 Simple Gadgets to Make Your Home Smarter
8 Simple Gadgets to Make Your Home Smarter
Price: $200 for three-bulb kit
Think you don't need a networked colored lighting system in your house? Okay, you probably don't, but Philips Hue is very cool nonetheless. Imagine soft, purple mood lighting as you stagger to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Some gamers have hacked their system to color-coordinate for extra playing ambience. And geo-fencing means your arrival can be illuminated, since version 1.1 can now connect to the iOS Location Services feature and recognize when you're within a certain range—no need to even put down the groceries.
Skip the stock app that comes with the three-bulb kit and opt for one like IFTTT (If This Then That) for your light show. (Think: If it rains, cue tiger-striped lighting in my living room). Setup is as easy as switching out conventional bulbs and connecting the included "bridge" to your wireless router.
Think you don't need a networked colored lighting system in your house? Okay, you probably don't, but Philips Hue is very cool nonetheless. Imagine soft, purple mood lighting as you stagger to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Some gamers have hacked their system to color-coordinate for extra playing ambience. And geo-fencing means your arrival can be illuminated, since version 1.1 can now connect to the iOS Location Services feature and recognize when you're within a certain range—no need to even put down the groceries.
Skip the stock app that comes with the three-bulb kit and opt for one like IFTTT (If This Then That) for your light show. (Think: If it rains, cue tiger-striped lighting in my living room). Setup is as easy as switching out conventional bulbs and connecting the included "bridge" to your wireless router.
2 Meterplug
Price: $50
Did you rack up that astronomical electric bill from running the washer/dryer too much, turning up the thermostat too high, or from playing Call of Duty for 12 hours straight during the last snowstorm? Wonder no more: Slip this nifty plug between the wall and your suspected watt guzzler of choice, fire up the app, and break down electricity consumption by the hour. Meterplug displays stats in actual costs and automatically adjusts according to local utility rates.
Did you rack up that astronomical electric bill from running the washer/dryer too much, turning up the thermostat too high, or from playing Call of Duty for 12 hours straight during the last snowstorm? Wonder no more: Slip this nifty plug between the wall and your suspected watt guzzler of choice, fire up the app, and break down electricity consumption by the hour. Meterplug displays stats in actual costs and automatically adjusts according to local utility rates.
Blue Angel Pumps Sump Minder 12-Volt Battery Back-up System
Price: Check with local retailer; around $880 uninstalled
Home flooding can't be taken too seriously. Spare yourself the uh-oh feeling when you're on a trip and seeing a storm barreling toward your house on the nightly news. This combination primary pump and backup sends an alert to up to five phone numbers (one could be your plumber's) when water levels get too high. More importantly, the backup pump self-tests every seven days. No wireless required for this one, but we couldn't help including it. One caveat: You must have a landline or digital phone service for the autodial to work.
Home flooding can't be taken too seriously. Spare yourself the uh-oh feeling when you're on a trip and seeing a storm barreling toward your house on the nightly news. This combination primary pump and backup sends an alert to up to five phone numbers (one could be your plumber's) when water levels get too high. More importantly, the backup pump self-tests every seven days. No wireless required for this one, but we couldn't help including it. One caveat: You must have a landline or digital phone service for the autodial to work.
4 Petnet SmartFeeder
Price: $199
This remote pet feeder allows you to drop dry food at the touch of a finger. If you run out the door and forget to feed the beast, now you're covered. SmartFeeder can also double as a nutritionist, helping you to maintain portion control for your pup and to remember whether this is the third snack today or the fifth. It doesn't account for scuffles at the trough, though, so if you have multiple furry friends at home and one tends to scarf down the other's food, you may need to leave your date to police feeding time.
This remote pet feeder allows you to drop dry food at the touch of a finger. If you run out the door and forget to feed the beast, now you're covered. SmartFeeder can also double as a nutritionist, helping you to maintain portion control for your pup and to remember whether this is the third snack today or the fifth. It doesn't account for scuffles at the trough, though, so if you have multiple furry friends at home and one tends to scarf down the other's food, you may need to leave your date to police feeding time.
SimpliSafe
Price: $200 for starter kit; $15/month thereafter
This battery-operated security system (a basic kit includes two sensors, plus a base station) triangulates to monitor movement in your house. Easy installation involves little more than pulling sticky tabs off the back of the mail-order pieces. The GSM cell service required for monitoring is included in the monthly price and means no need for phone wires or a wireless connection (and no contract, either). Simplisafe claims its coverage extends to 96 percent of the country. If you live in an area with spotty cell service, this could be hooked up to a broadband connection.
This battery-operated security system (a basic kit includes two sensors, plus a base station) triangulates to monitor movement in your house. Easy installation involves little more than pulling sticky tabs off the back of the mail-order pieces. The GSM cell service required for monitoring is included in the monthly price and means no need for phone wires or a wireless connection (and no contract, either). Simplisafe claims its coverage extends to 96 percent of the country. If you live in an area with spotty cell service, this could be hooked up to a broadband connection.
6 Goji Smart Lock
Price: $278
All the electronic locks out now have a slightly different set of features. We like that Bluetooth-enabled Goji allows timed access to guests through temporary, email-able access codes, useful for houseguests arriving while you're at work or for letting in a friend to water the plants. A built-in video camera and accelerometer means anyone who approaches (or tries to tamper with) the lock makes a cameo appearance on your smartphone. One drawback: It's obvious from the outside you're running a smart system on your home. If that's a dealbreaker, take a look at some of the other contenders.
All the electronic locks out now have a slightly different set of features. We like that Bluetooth-enabled Goji allows timed access to guests through temporary, email-able access codes, useful for houseguests arriving while you're at work or for letting in a friend to water the plants. A built-in video camera and accelerometer means anyone who approaches (or tries to tamper with) the lock makes a cameo appearance on your smartphone. One drawback: It's obvious from the outside you're running a smart system on your home. If that's a dealbreaker, take a look at some of the other contenders.
7 Prey
Price: Free
The ominous name of this app says it all: Prey on thieves if they prey on you. On GPS-enabled Android phones, stolen devices with this open-source app installed are instantly trackable once you've sent a text message to your home number; the software works by prodding Prey every time your device connects to a different cell antenna. IOS—4 and later only—requires a few more steps (ensuring certain settings configurations ahead of time and reporting the theft through a control panel on your computer). Prey on your PC will both shut down the computer and snap some mug shots of the thief through the webcam; it works the same way for a phone, only through Wi-Fi. Small perk: You'll feel as if you're in a thriller movie if you actually ever have to use it.
The ominous name of this app says it all: Prey on thieves if they prey on you. On GPS-enabled Android phones, stolen devices with this open-source app installed are instantly trackable once you've sent a text message to your home number; the software works by prodding Prey every time your device connects to a different cell antenna. IOS—4 and later only—requires a few more steps (ensuring certain settings configurations ahead of time and reporting the theft through a control panel on your computer). Prey on your PC will both shut down the computer and snap some mug shots of the thief through the webcam; it works the same way for a phone, only through Wi-Fi. Small perk: You'll feel as if you're in a thriller movie if you actually ever have to use it.
iCam
Price: $4.99
Download the app and turn your Macbook's webcam into a doggie monitor… which is the only use for iCam we are going to officially endorse.
Download the app and turn your Macbook's webcam into a doggie monitor… which is the only use for iCam we are going to officially endorse.
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