The internet of things. It’s the new buzzword. Cisco claims it’ll generate $14.4 trillion in value within 9 years. Exactly why a company like Zuli hopes to snag a small piece of that pie. They hope to do so with these new Zuli Smartplugs ($40). Use your smartphone to control each plug and automate your home appliance usage. Connect three and they’ll form a mesh network, where each plug can talk to each other. In other words, gossip about you while you’re out of the house. With greater usage, the smartplugs eventually learn your behavior and lights, tvs and stereos will magically turn on every time you enter the room. And to think people used to use a primitive device like the Clapper.
Tag: smart technology
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Smarty Ring: One Finger To Rule Them All
Before pretty much anyone could get too deep into this whole smartwatch thing, BAM!… the smart ring is now a thing. Smarty Ring ($275 when it goes on sale) features a built-in LED screen that connects to your phone and shows text messages, caller ID, social network updates, and more via Bluetooth 4.0. Designed for use with iOS and Android devices, Smarty Ring also promises to let you manage your phone’s apps, like its camera, and even set off an alert tone if you stray too far from your phone. If you like it, you know what to do.
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Powerslayer: Smart USB Charger
With all these ‘smart’ devices out there, one glaring component has been sorely overlooked in the electronics-with-a-brain category: the charger. Yes, the little thing that delivers your phone’s precious juice has been an afterthought… until now. The Powerslayer is billed as a smart USB charger that intelligently powers up your devices while eliminating energy waste and improving long-term battery performance. Thanks to the embedded software, Powerslayer powers off and on automatically, delivering energy only as needed to protect against over-charging. It’s made in California and they have some pretty smart people there if you subtract the Clippers management.
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Goldee Light Controller: New For Your Hue
If you own any Philips Hue LED bulbs, take notice of this Nest-ish looking smart light switch from Goldee ($249). It can work with any type of bulb, but with the Hue and similar systems is really where it shines. Thanks to internal sensors, this thing can your automatically turn off your lights off when you get into bed, turn them back on when you get up because you forgot to brush your teeth (tsk tsk), and provide a host of lighting effects for you to adjust your moods to. Maybe one of those shades will remind you to floss?
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LOCK8: World’s First Smart Bike Lock
Now that we’re not 7-years-old anymore, most of us have stopped getting our bikes stolen from us in-person. I say ‘most of us’ because I must admit, Butch, the neighborhood bully, actually did swipe my Huffy the other day. But this story isn’t about me, nor the ethically-challenged Butch; it’s about those other crafty thieves that prefer to do their dirt while we’re not watching. Lock8 is the world’s first GPS-tracked, siren-alarmed, sensor-enabled bicycle lock. This thing is bad news for those guys. There’s no key involved here, just use your smartphone to lock and unlock the device on your bike. And if your bike still does get stolen, the GPS will tell you exactly where it is. (Probably at Butch’s treehouse, FYI.)