16 • July 2014 • UPBEAT TIMES The Friendly Tech


GLEN ELLEN, CA. ~ I be- lieve the most interesting field of development in the last few years and mo ving forw ard into the next de- cade will be smart de vices and home auto - mation. These


are


both new inventions to make your life easier and electronic, internet aware takes on the household classics that are now smart devices. Often these new devices are things that could not of been manufactured or used even 2 years ago but are just now possible thanks to breakthroughs in micro elec- tronics and wireless technol- ogy. One of my favorites is Tile a one inch white tile that can be attached to your key chain, bi-


by Ben Hampton • Questions? E-mail: Ben@sequioacomputer.com Smart Devices & Home Automation


cycle, laptop or purse and con- nects to your smartphone wire- lessly, then when you have miss placed an item with a tile on it your phone can help you find it. From your phone you can see where you last


had your tile, force it to make a noise and even see how far away it is. If you try and walk away without a Tile your phone will notify you that you are leaving something important behind. The Tiles don’t need batteries and never need to be recharged, these are sure to be a hit with forgetful people ev- erywhere! and they can even help you locate a stollen item. Two Home automation de- vices that use the internet and


smart phones to make your life just a little bit easier are Nest the smart home thermostat and Kevo, Kevo isn’t your grand- fathers dead bolt. Kevo can be used as a normal deadbolt with a key, but is also uses Wifi and Bluetooth to interact with the internet and your smart phone wirelessly, allowing you to use your phone as a key. Meaning the door is always unlocked when your phone is in your pocket, want to let your friend in the house Saturday? Just email them an E-Key and their phone will act as a key dur- ing the hours you allow or get notifications when children or guests enter the house. If you don’t always have a smart phone Kevo comes with a key fob that allows for the same functionality and you can al- ways use your traditional key. Nest the smart programmable home thermostat allows you


... continued on page 20 Made In America


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16 • July 2014 • UPBEAT TIMES


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