Tag Archives: smarthome

ADT pairs the power of Google Nest and monitored security @ CES 2023



ADT Smart Home SecurityHome security is a top focus for a lot of people. The problem is that creating a safe and secure home can be challenging. You can buy pre-fabbed kits with connected sensors, but you end up locked into their ecosystem, but you’re required to monitor and respond to the alerts yourself. The other option is to go with an installed and monitored system, but you’re usually locked into their proprietary hardware, so if you ever want to change, you’re pretty much out of luck. Luckily, ADT has found an excellent middle-ground for consumers.

Who is ADT?

ADT is one of the biggest names in monitored home security. The company helps people to protect their homes without having to worry about installation, monitoring, or managing a home security system. The biggest advantage of one of the company’s systems is that emergency response is 8 times faster when managed by ADT as opposed to other competitors or even self-monitoring.

For those who are interested in their own installation, either for privacy reasons or a DIY spirit, ADT offers self-setup systems. Even if you install a system yourself, you had the ability to use the company’s monitoring services to improve peace of mind.

ADT’s connected home

In the spirit of self-installation and expanded options, ADT has begun offering connected home options. The company’s monitoring system can now be integrated with Google’s Nest product line. This means that Nest Cams, Nest Doorbells, Nest Thermostats, and even Nest Wi-Fi can be connected to ADT monitoring. In fact, you can use these connected devices while also having professional setup from the company’s installers.

One of the benefits of using consumer smart devices as part of your professional security setup is that you get all of the benefits of a smarthome while also getting all of the benefits of an ADT system. Using the Nest product line means that you can connect to your cameras, thermostat, and more while you are away. So, if someone rings your doorbell, you can see who is at the door even if you are on vacation. But, if there is a problem, an agent is able to respond and call the authorities if needed.

In addition, by using regular consumer hardware, you have the ability to make a change to your setup if needed. A change in life circumstances might mean you need to discontinue active monitoring. In that event, you are able to still access your Nest devices on your own and maintain security for your home on your own. This gives some flexibility in the hardware you have installed, as opposed to being stuck installing hardware that only works with the service provider that installed it. This gives owners more choices and reduces electronic waste in the event of a change.

Summary

ADT’s traditional security hardware and Google Nest integration are available for professional and self installation now. For more information about the company’s product and service offerings, you can head to their website or call (800) 750-0372.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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AirCozy is a smart pillow that promotes healthy sleeping @ CES 2023



AirCozy smart pillowHealthy sleep can be a real challenge. For a lot of people, getting comfortable at night is nearly impossible. This is made even more problematic if you change positions throughout the night. Every time you move, your pillow is suddenly not supportive in the way you need it, especially if you do it while you are still asleep. Fortunately, there is a new pillow – AirCozy by DozzyCozy – that is designed to promote healthy sleeping no matter your position.

What is AirCozy?

AirCozy is a smart adjustable pillow that automatically adjusts its height to suit your sleeping position. It knows when you shift from your back to your side or vice versa, and dynamically adjusts itself so that it is always a comfortable distance from the mattress. Proper head position can improve breathing and reduce stress on your neck, back, and even heart.

AirCozy also has the added benefit of helping you get deep sleep more quickly by improving your body’s natural alignment while you sleep. It is designed to provide the perfect pillow height for back sleepers (a fist high) and side sleepers (half a shoulder width), making sure your head, neck, and spine are properly supported.

Not only can AirCozy help improve your sleep posture, but the pillow is also equipped with built-in speakers that can stream white noise, lullabies, and relaxing music to help you drift off faster. If you like to listen to your own music or even TV shows while you fall asleep, you can connect the speaker to your phone or tablet to prevent your sound from disturbing your partner. AirCozy even has an auto shut-off feature so your sleep isn’t disturbed by the sound of your music playing all night long.

In addition to improving sleep quality, AirCozy can also help with snoring. The pillow is designed to provide optimal neck support, and this can help reduce snoring. This pillow is the perfect choice for those who share a bed with a partner, as the product’s adjustable height allows both you and your partner to sleep comfortably while also reducing snoring volume.

Who is AirCozy for?

AirCozy is for anyone who wants a healthier, better night’s rest. It can help improve your sleep posture and reduce snoring while providing the perfect pillow height for back sleepers and side sleepers alike. It is also for people who find themselves with tingling, numbers, or back, neck, or shoulder pain in the morning.

Say goodbye to struggling with uncomfortable pillows and sleepless nights, AirCozy is here to help you get the best possible rest. The pillow can help reduce snoring and keep both you and your partner happy. Enjoy a deep and comfortable sleep every night with AirCozy from DozzyCozy. It is the perfect pillow for anyone who wants to improve their sleep posture, reduce snoring, and get the best night’s rest possible.

Summary

AirCozy has everything you need for the perfect night’s sleep – no matter your sleeping position. To learn more about AirCozy or any of the other sleep products from DozzyCozy, check out the company’s website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch.

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SECURAM Systems: Wi-Fi-enabled biometric home smart lock @ CES 2022



SECURAM Systems smart securityEvery aspect of our lives is getting smarter. From our cars to our lightbulbs, we have the ability to turn things on and off, lock and unlock devices, and open and close our doors. One company that is getting serious about connecting one of the most high-profile aspects of our homes, our door locks, is SECURAM Systems, which has introduced a new smart lock for the home.

Who is SECURAM Systems?

SECURAM Systems, Inc., a leading supplier of safe locks, announced that it has won the Mark of Excellence Award from the Consumer Technology Association for its EOS Smart Home Lock. The touch-to-open lock can be controlled with your smartphone and comes with a host of features to make your home more secure, including Wi-Fi connectivity and a built-in alarm.

The company’s products are designed to give you peace of mind and security in your home, whether you’re there or not. The company’s commitment to quality has earned it the trust of major banks and financial institutions around the world, which rely on SECURAM’s safe locks to protect their valuables.

What does the SECURAM Smart Home Lock offer?

The SECURAM EOS Smart Home Lock is a touch-to-open lock that can be controlled with your smartphone. The Wi-Fi-enabled lock comes with a built-in alarm and is designed to make your home more secure. It contains a number of features that we have come to expect from connected locks, such as a keypad and biometric sensor. But, it adds some features that are missing on other products.

First, it is a fully connected lock. That means that you can access the state of the lock remotely. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, you can verify that you have locked your door even after you’ve left the house. If you forgot, you can fix it remotely, as well. Plus, you can unlock it if someone is there and is having trouble getting in.

Most interestingly, the company has directly addressed the lack of a physical key. Normally, the key is a backup in the event the battery fails or the sensors stop functioning correctly. In the case of this lock, the company has added a hidden 9-volt battery contact on the outside. With that, you can power the lock for a short burst in order to get in. The biggest drawback is that no one carries a 9-volt battery, and most people don’t have one at all (outside of a smoke detector).

What are some other features of SECURAM’s home security suite?

In addition to the SECURAM Smart Home Lock, the company also offers a line of new products in its home security suite, including a garage door controller, a smart light switch, and a siren that detects intrusions. These products are designed to give you peace of mind and security in your home, whether you’re there or not.

The SECURAM Garage Door Controller lets you control your garage door from your smartphone. The controller is Wi-Fi-enabled and comes with an app that allows you to open and close your garage door from anywhere in the world. You can also set up alerts so that you’re notified when someone opens or closes your garage door.

The SECURAM Smart Light Switch gives you the ability to turn on and off your lights remotely. The switch is Wi-Fi-enabled and can be controlled with your smartphone. You can also set up schedules so that your lights turn on and off at certain times of the day.

The SECURAM Siren is a battery-operated device that detects intrusions and sounds an alarm. The siren is designed to alert you to potential danger, whether you’re home or away. The siren can be placed anywhere in your home, and it comes with an app that allows you to control it remotely.

Summary

SECURAM Systems is dedicated to making our homes smarter and more secure. With its new line of home security products, they are helping us do just that. To learn more about SECURAM Systems’ EOS Smart Home Lock or any of its other products, visit the company’s website or Amazon store.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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Homey: Control all of your devices from anywhere with Flow @ CES 2022



Homey connected home companionConnected homes have become a normal part of our lives, but they can be more frustrating than helpful. This is because not all of our devices work together. Unless you go out of your way, every item you add to your home uses a different app and runs on a different platform. You might get lucky and have access to them through a service like Alexa or Google Assistant, but that’s not guaranteed. Luckily, Homey is here to help literally bridge that gap.

What is Homey?

Homey is the one-stop-shop for all your smart home needs. With this system, you can control all your devices from one central place, no matter where in the world you are. Homey also allows you to automate just about anything with its powerful Flow feature. Flows are simple to create and use and allow you to automate your entire home with ease.

This is all accomplished with a small spherical device that looks like it’s on wheels (though it’s not). It features a colored LED ring around its center to indicate power and activity. This unassuming little device is part of a system that is able to take all of the many connected products on various platforms and give you a single entry point for all of them.

How does Homey help?

If you have a connected home, you know that the disconnected platforms make things incredibly difficult. You’re incapable of combining a light bulb from one company with a speaker from another into a single routine – everything has to be in one system. Homey bridges the gap between these different platforms, allowing you to combine devices into a single scene.

Take, for example, wanting to trigger a Monster Smart Illuminessence Prism to change to green and an Amazon Echo to play a particular sound every time someone subscribes to your Twitch channel. For the Monster Prism, you would have to use the Razer Chroma platform and the Echo speaker would require an Alexa integration. But assuming there are connectors for both platforms and an app for Twitch, you would be able to create a single routine to trigger everything at once.

Expanding the Homey system

The Homey App Store also provides access to a wide range of apps that can be installed on your device, making it even more versatile and customizable. There are tons of apps at your disposal, and you can install those applications similarly to how you install apps on your smartphone. With over 750 apps available, finding the app to pair with the brand of your devices shouldn’t be a problem.

Not only that, but you can also find apps for other familiar services like Twitter and Discord. So, this experience can be broader than one would imagine initially. These applications pair with your devices for the purpose of teaching Homey how to control your device. Once your Homey understands, set up those Flow Cards for easy access to your preferences.

Summary

Whether you’re looking to control your lights, thermostat, or any other devices, Homey has you covered! To learn more about the product or get one for yourself, check out the company’s website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch.

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Energizer Connect is a perfect solution for your smarthome @ CES 2021



Energizer Connect affordable IoTSmart home devices are becoming nearly ubiquitous, but there can often be huge costs involved. The products themselves can be expensive, they can require additional devices, like hubs, or even subscription services. But, one brand that has been ubiquitous for decades itself has taken on the challenge of making connected devices that avoid all of these financial issues: Energizer Connect.

Energizer Connect has a wide variety of connected devices, ranging from indoor lightbulbs, outdoor light fixtures, switchable outlets, and security cameras. In addition, all of the devices are controllable through a single Energizer Connect app. You can set up schedules and smart scenes, make devices respond to one another, and more. This year, the company is expanding its line with some new products in its lineup, particularly in outdoor security.

First up is a smart 1080p HD indoor/outdoor battery camera. This camera features full HD video and is battery-powered, meaning you can install it in places where you might not be able to run a power cable. However, if you are able to power it, you can do that, as well, using the included weatherproof power cable. Inside is a long-lasting battery (this is Energizer after all), which is made to run longer because the camera is able to go into a low power mode when not being fully used. The camera attaches to the base using a strong magnet, so pulling it down to charge is easy.

Next up are the spotlight and dual floodlight offerings. These lights can be used for both home security and general daily usage and entertaining. The floodlight offers an integrated security camera with motion and people detection, as well as activity zones. It also features night vision for general night usage. It also has 2000 lumens of multi-white light available for all uses. There is also a smaller spotlight version, which offers 1000 lumens.

Some of the products are available now, while others are coming soon. To learn more about the product offerings or to make a purchase, head over to the Energizer Connect website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Direct Smarter All-in-Sensor protects your connected home @ CES 2021



Direct Smarter All-in-SensorIf you have followed our CES 2021 coverage, one of the major trends you have likely noticed is the growth of the connected home and smart home. With lighting, cameras, temperature sensors, and more, our homes are getting more and more connected. But, there is a problem inherent in those connections – privacy. The Direct Smarter All-in-Sensor is a new solution to maintain your privacy while getting the benefits of a connected home.

Over the past few years, we’ve discussed a number of scenarios where a connected home has been invaded or various levels. Ring doorbells can be accessed by law enforcement without a warrant in communities across the country. In some cases, indoor cameras and even baby monitors have been accessed by the outside world. In some cases, hackers have actually spoken to children through these breaches. While testing a new product in our office, we accidentally got paired with a local camera in someone’s home.

The Direct Smarter All-in-Sensor is a device looking to prevent just that scenario. The general problem with a connected home is that it relies on a connection to the internet for each device. That connection pushes all data to a cloud server somewhere, where hackers have a single point of entry to access hundreds, thousands, or millions of devices. This device allows you to keep all of your individual sensors behind your firewall, and connect directly to this instead of the cloud.

The device itself has a collection of sensors built-in, but it can be expanded using additional tabs. This can include alarm capabilities, smoke detection, and more. You can also add external modules, such as smart power, and more.

The Direct Smarter All-in-Sensor can be pre-ordered now for $198. To learn more about the product or to purchase one, head over to the Direct Smarter website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Smart Home Need helps you identify needs and solutions @ CES 2021



Smart Home NeedThe concept of the smart home is getting pretty popular. A recent study shows that 13% of homes have a smart bulb and 9% of homes have a smart outlet. With acceptance like that, it is no surprise that some concern over the way these devices work together is beginning to creep into the public consciousness. Unless you buy into a multi-brand system, the chances of two brands working together are pretty small. Even Todd Cochrane says that few of the items in his own home are compatible. This is one of the ways in which Smart Home Need is helping consumers on their smart home journeys.

The Smart Home Need system is designed to help you identify your needs by asking questions. Once your needs are identified, it helps you understand what those needs are why any they are important. Not all of these needs are easily solvable via technology, so an assessment is made as to which make sense to apply tech to solve. Then, you have the ability to act with meaningful habits and smart home technology to help address those needs.

Clearly, the intention is to improve your overall well-being without adding additional stress to your life. By designing and implementing a technology solution that can address your needs without adding a large collection of unrelated devices into your life, they can help with that goal. Even with all of these benefits, the service is offered to customers to try without charge. This is because of relationships with manufacturers and donations.

Smart Home Need is available now to the public. To learn more about the service, to learn what products are currently in the system, or to give it a try for free, you can head to the company’s website. Try tier is offered for free. Learn and Flourish tiers are charged yearly.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Millo Appliances brings a small blender on the go @ CES 2021



Millo Smart BlenderSome areas of our lives get regularly updated, while others tend to stay about the same. The kitchen has mostly stayed the same over the years, with the exception of the occasional trendy appliance. However, the next major change in the kitchen has been coming for a few years and is starting now with Millo Appliances.

For years, we’ve heard about the wireless kitchen of the future, but it always seems just out of reach. But Millo Appliances has made it a reality with the Millo Smart Portable Blender. Now, care of this small, portable device, you can have smoothies and more anywhere you are. And, unlike the traditional wireless kitchen promise, this device is battery-powered, meaning you can take it with you to the park, the beach, and more.

The portability and size are possible because of the technology that powers the device – a magnetic air drive. Rather than using a traditional motor, which requires a lot more power because of the loss of torque, this motor uses magnets to drive the blades, which almost entirely eliminates the torque issues. Less force requires less power, meaning that this little kitchen device can run on a battery. This battery can charge up in about 2 hours and will last for up to 10 smoothies.

To go along with the unique driver, the Millo Smart Portable Blender also employs a unique interaction design. The carafe simply sits on the base without the need for a docking pin (because of the magnetic drive). In addition, the entire base is a control surface, meaning there is no front or back. When you touch the base, a segment of capacitive buttons lights up, giving you full speed control. If you rotate the base and touch a new spot, the buttons will follow you.

The Millo Smart Portable Blender is available for pre-order now at $399 and will be shipping soon. For more information or to pre-order, head to the company’s website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Nooie brings beauty and security together in your home @ CES 2021



Nooie Cam DoorbellThe technology field is full of fascinating products that, while doing a great job to help the user in his chosen field, are not very attractive to look at. This is where Nooie is so different. The Nooie line has beautiful cameras and a smart-looking doorbell.

Nooie was created in 2018 in San Francisco by co-founder and designer Sasha who introduced us to Nooie. The Nooie Cam Doorbell is designed for beauty and smart function. One of the advantages of the Nooie Cam Doorbell is the ease of installation and use. The wiring has been eliminated and replaced with a powerful battery with a 10,000 mAh capacity. The base station, on the other hand, plugs into a standard outlet and must stay within 20 feet of the bell. One of the things that set this doorbell apart is that it is a 2K camera instead of HD. This will give greater clarity when viewing remotely or reviewing footage.

Another product of this company is the 360-degree camera with night vision. It has horizontal and vertical rotation with advanced algorithms that can track motion wherever the action is. The night vision has two 940nm infrared LEDs that will ensure a perfectly crisp and clear picture up to 32 feet, even if it is pitch black. There is also a 2-way audio system allowing you to listen and talk to your family and even your pets anywhere in the house. It has a built-in anti-noise feature and a mic and speaker. You can share streaming and recordings with others if desired. There is a capability of also using it with Alexa, making it like having a personal assistant in your own home.

These designer security products are available now on Amazon. The Cam Doorbell retails for $149.99. The Cam 360 is retailing for $49.99. To learn more about these and other Nooie products, check out the company’s website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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