Smart & Savvy
Smart, savvy and efficient electronics for the home By Tom Tate
Gadgets, gadgets
everywhere! With the current tech explosion, “techies” find themselves in a veritable paradise. Let’s take a look at some really cool and, at the same time, useful gadgets on the market today.
Security for the home and family is a top concern. How about a door lock that you can control from a smart phone? August, Lockitron, Goji, Kevo Lock from Kwikset and others offer such locks. Installation varies by model, but they provide such nifty features as remote monitoring of lock status, temporary guest/contractor access, multiple users and more. Wifi and Bluetooth are the two networks used.
Smart thermostats like Nest and Lyric get all the press, but practically anything you can imagine in your home can be controlled from that “super computer” nestled in your pocket or purse. A popular website,
www.Smarthome.com, offers a variety of products. A search on “smart phone home automation” produced 4,695 results – how’s that for control?
Here is one example. The
WeMo line by Belkin allows you to control individual lights and appliances through the use of their little plugs. Insert the WeMo plug in an outlet, connect the light or appliance and then, via your existing wifi network and the WeMo app, you can create schedules and exercise control
over your home.
Phillips makes an individually controllable LED bulb called Hue. Using their app, you can control the light level, on/off schedule and color. They even developed a custom scenario for a recent SyFy series to recreate the mood of the series itself. A bit much perhaps, but pretty cool nonetheless. Yes – you can achieve energy savings and create a party mood all at once. In addition to controlling various aspects of your home’s operation, and thereby increasing both security and savings, you can monitor it from afar to be sure all is well. When you’re away from home, Smarthome’s Elertus ELRT-107 wifi Smart Sensor comes in handy. This single sensor can monitor temperature and the presence of water (say, from flooding or frozen pipes), among other things. While pricey, it could more than pay for itself in peace of mind and damage avoidance. Couple this with a smart water shutoff and, if you get a leak alert, you’ll be able to turn off the water to avoid damage—all via the comfort of your smart phone. If you envied Mr. Spock’s tricorder, check out Lapka. This sleek
and elegant set of sensors allows you to measure electromagnetic fields (EMF), radiation,
“LOOK UP & LIVE” 3
temperature/humidity and even the level of nitrates in foods to be sure they are truly organic. With Lapka, you can be sure your personal space is clean and healthy. All the results show up on the Lapka smart phone app. How about something for you tinkerers out there? Look no further than
www.littlebits.com. littleBits are just that, little bits of technology you snap together to make your own controls. How about a remote garage door sensor? Or a bark monitor? Or controlling a window AC unit via the Internet? All possible with littleBits’ Smart Home Kit. Or, you can build your own smart door lock with an Arduino and some other parts.
From energy savings to security to convenience to fun, the market is full of products and apps that put you firmly in control of your home and how it operates. It’s a gadget-lover’s paradise indeed.
1567000
Tom Tate writes on cooperative issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer- owned, not-for-profit electric
cooperatives.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136