There are many ways to control your Hue WiFi-connected lighting system – smart Hue Switches, apps for mobile devices or computers, Alexa voice commands, IFTTT – but those are limited in various ways. Perhaps there are some areas, like a dark hallway or stairs, where you would like a hands-free way of turning on the […]
Philips adds a motion sensor to the Hue lighting system Read More
If your home is anything like mine, we don’t use our front door much. More times than not, we come and go through the garage door, even when not using a vehicle. Inevitably, the door gets left open, creating an ideal habitat for many friendly (and not so friendly) woodland creatures. This doesn’t happen much
Chamberlain MyQ Wi-Fi hub and Home Bridge Review Read More
Automating a home is fun – opening an app and adjusting the temperature in your house or turning on a light when you’re not at home is so useful and gives you such a sense of power. These are especially fun when you’ve left people at home – you know, just a little flicker of
Oittm Smart Touch Switch and Smart Plug Socket review Read More
Last year I reviewed the original Switchmate Smart Light and now they have recently come out with version two which they’ve named the Switchmate Bright. Let’s give this smart light switch controller a try.
Switchmate Bright instant smart lighting switch review Read More
As I slowly add parts to automate my home, I’m always interested in the gadgets that are being released to make life easier or just cooler. The Wemo Dimmer is one of those devices that just makes sense.
Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Dimmer Light Switch review Read More
I’m in the process of slowly automating my home, so when the opportunity to review the Koogeek SK1 Smart Socket, I jumped at the opportunity. I anticipated turning light on and off from afar, and dimming them to suit a particular mood… I get ahead of myself.
Koogeek SK1Smart Socket review Read More
The LEDVANCE Gateway is a smart hub that interprets commands from a Wi-Fi network and transmits them to devices on its ZigBee network, and also monitors the status of those devices and reports it to authorized users. It is metaphorically the jam that holds all of the intelligent LEDVANCE products together. But, like the jam that holds your sandwich together, there are
LEDVANCE’s Sylvania Lightify Gateway review Read More
If you’re a seeker of new and innovative accessories to control your smart home, read on fellow venturer! The PureSwitch smart plug, made by PureGear, is a gem of a find and integrates with Apple Homekit to allow you to operate your appliances and doohickeys from wherever you are. Let’s check it out.
PureSwitch Wireless Smart Plug review Read More
Brilliant Controls replace your existing light switches to add smart home control capabilities to your rooms. The Brilliant Control features a color LCD touch screen that allows everyone in the house to access music, temperature, and more with just a simple touch or voice command. Don’t worry, no smartphone is required.
Make your home smarter by replacing your light switches with Brilliant Controls Read More
Using your phone or tablet to control IoT (Internet of Things) gadgets is cool, but it can get annoying when you have to pull your phone out of your pocket, turn it on, navigate to a specific app and then tap an onscreen button to perform the desired task. If you want to save a
Flic wireless smart buttons review Read More
The Evo Motion sensor from Elgato is a wireless motion sensor with HomeKit technology for Apple devices. This sensor can detect a user’s presence or absence in a room to enable or disable power outlets, heating and air conditioning systems, lights and more without needing to open an app or voice commands with Siri or
Elgato Eve Motion presence sensor puts you in control of home automation Read More
I’m a huge fan of home automation. Several of the lights in my house are programmed to turn on when a person walks in the room, turn off when there is no longer motion, or turn off at a specific time. Although I love my setup, some of my lights can only be turned on
Pebblebee Stone review Read More
Stringify is an IoT (Internet of Things) platform that makes your smart gadgets smarter by allowing users to create macros that they call “flows”. Flows are commands that are strung together that control and react to their existing gadgets. It’s like IFTTT, but more powerful and customizable because unlike IFTTT, Stringify can create multiple actions
Stringify gives you control of all your things Read More
Home automation is totally my jam and I really can’t seem to get enough of it. The devices that I have so far are all compatible with the Amazon Echo and I thought this would be enough for me, however….this Koogeek Smartplug is the first device I’ve tried that is compatible with Apple Homekit
Koogeek Homekit Smartplug review Read More
Have you seen the acronym IoT? It stands for Internet of Things and according to Google it means: a proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. Someone at google needs to update their definitions because this isn’t something we’ll have in the future. It’s
Switchmate Smart Light Switch review Read More
If you’ve dreamed of being able to control your home with just your voice, Simple Control and an Amazon Echo will give you that power. Imagine sitting on the couch and being able to turn on the TV just by saying “Alexa, tell Simple Control to turn on the TV” or being able to turn
Simple Control is adding support for Amazon Echo to create a voice controlled home Read More
Apple’s HomeKit is expected soon, and HomeKit-compatible devices are hitting the market in anticipation of this. iHome has just announced their iHome iSP5 SmartPlug, its first entry in a planned series of products from the new iHome Control line of smart home accessories. The SmartPlug is a WiFi-connected smart power outlet that lets you control a
iHome announces their HomeKit-enabled iSP5 SmartPlug Read More
Phillips has a variety of lights for their WiFi-connected Hue system. There are color-changing bulbs, white light-only bulbs, strips lights, and tabletop lamps, but they all have one thing in common: they have to be screwed into a lamp socket (bulbs) or plugged into a power outlet to work. The Go lamp is the first
Phillips adds the portable Go lamp to the Hue lineup Read More
I’ll admit that I thought this was an April Fool’s joke when I saw it yesterday, but it’s a real offering from Amazon. The Amazon Dash Button lets you re-order laundry detergent, paper towels, diapers, pet food, even mac & cheese with the press of a button. You just adhere the button to your washing
There are a variety of ways you can open and lock your home’s door without using a key. I tried a WiFi-connected deadbolt that didn’t work, no matter what type of interpretive dance I used to approach it. I’ve been intrigued by other Kickstarter products that still haven’t made it to market long after the
Replace your door’s deadbolt key with Sesame and a smartphone app Read More