Insert Coin: Piper melds home automation and security in a simple hub (hands-on)

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Insert Coin Piper puts sensorbased home automation and security in one hub handson

Home automation and security cameras seldom combine elegantly, especially for apartment dwellers who can't rewire their living spaces. Blacksumac, however, believes it can seamlessly meld those technologies through its upcoming Piper hub. The device links both a fisheye camera and environmental sensors to a Z-Wave-based home automation system. Out of the box, it can watch for intruders, listen for (or produce) loud noises and monitor local conditions like temperature. Once Z-Wave peripherals are involved, you can program sophisticated triggers and responses: Piper can send a warning when a door opens, for example, or turn on air conditioning when it's hot. We've had a chance to see Piper in action, so read on for both our early impressions and details of what you'll get if you make a pledge. %Gallery-slideshow73286%

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Source: Indiegogo

Fibaro home automation system comes to the US, company releases smart power strip (video)

Fibaro home automation system comes to the US, company releases smart power strip (video)

If you've heard of Fibaro already, you'll just have to forgive us this post: although the home automation system is already available in 43 countries, it's just arriving in the US, with the main box about to go on sale for $699. In a nutshell, the system works not over WiFi, but using the Z-wave protocol. The base station itself can connect to as many as 240 lights and switches, with support for all sorts of devices: heat and cooling systems, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, doorbells, dehumidifiers and motion sensors. For each of these, you can program any number of macros -- e.g., "close the shades when the temperature reaches 68 degrees". Like Nest (a North America-only product) it eventually learns your usage habits, and offers up tips on how to conserve energy.

In particular, though, the system uses geolocation to track members of the household, so you an also do things like set the heat to come on when you're a mile away from home. Separately, the company is also releasing a smart power strip, which logs your energy use for various gadgets, and then sends that data to an iOS app. (An Android version is in development.) No word on how much it'll cost in the US, though in Europe it'll cost 64 euro, tax included.

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Almond+ WiFi router coming to Kickstarter: touchscreen, 802.11ac, home automation

Almond Kickstarter project

Securifi isn't your average Kickstarter outfit. It already has one Almond wireless touchscreen router under its belt, currently sold at Amazon, and now it's about to bid for crowdfunding to build a sequel: the Almond+. The new device will incorporate a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 touchscreen for PC-free setup, dual band 802.11ac for speeds of up to 1,167Mbps, plus an integrated Smart Home hub that works with the slightly esoteric Zigbee and Z-Wave protocols. In conjunction with the iOS and Android app, this would let you access regular home automation tasks from anywhere, including security alerts and heating and lighting control. We'll see more of it when the project launches at Kickstarter, at which point it'll have a $250,000 funding goal.

Continue reading Almond+ WiFi router coming to Kickstarter: touchscreen, 802.11ac, home automation

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