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homeappliance11 · 3 months ago

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Remote Control for Your Home: The Power of Wi-Fi Smart Sockets

In today’s world, convenience and energy efficiency are at the core of every smart home. With the rapid advancement of home automation, Wi-Fi Smart Sockets have emerged as one of the simplest yet most effective ways to transform ordinary appliances into smart devices. Whether you want to control your lights, coffee maker, or TV remotely, a Wi-Fi Smart Socket allows you to do so with just a tap on your smartphone. If you are looking to buy Wi-Fi Smart Sockets online, this guide will help you understand their benefits, features, and how they can revolutionize your home.

What Are Wi-Fi Smart Sockets?

A Wi-Fi Smart Socket is an innovative plug that connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control any plugged-in appliance remotely via a mobile app or voice commands. These smart sockets provide greater control, energy efficiency, and automation, making your home smarter and more efficient.

If you’re considering upgrading your home with smart technology, buying Crabtree Wi-Fi Smart Sockets is a great choice. Known for their reliability, safety, and premium quality, Crabtree Smart Sockets enhance convenience and energy management.

Benefits of Wi-Fi Smart Sockets

1. Remote Control of Appliances

With a Wi-Fi Smart Socket, you can control your home appliances from anywhere using your smartphone. Whether you’re at work, on vacation, or simply in another room, you can switch appliances on or off remotely. This is especially useful for:

Turning off forgotten appliances (like a heater or curling iron)

Scheduling devices to turn on before you arrive home

Ensuring your devices are only on when needed

2. Voice Control for Hands-Free Convenience

Many Wi-Fi Smart Sockets are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, allowing for voice-controlled automation. Instead of manually operating appliances, you can simply say commands like:

“Alexa, turn on the living room lamp.”

“Hey Google, switch off the coffee maker.”

“Siri, power off the fan.”

3. Energy Savings and Lower Electricity Bills

One of the most significant advantages of using Wi-Fi Smart Sockets is energy efficiency. By scheduling appliances to turn off when not in use, you can reduce energy wastage and lower your electricity bills. Some smart sockets even provide energy consumption reports, helping you monitor and optimize your usage.

4. Automation and Scheduling Features

A Wi-Fi Smart Socket allows you to set timers and schedules for various devices. Imagine waking up to your coffee maker already brewing your morning cup or having your lights turn on automatically at sunset. These automation features make daily routines seamless and hassle-free.

5. Enhanced Home Security

By using Wi-Fi Smart Sockets, you can create the illusion that someone is home even when you’re away. Set up automated schedules to turn lights and devices on/off at random intervals, deterring potential burglars.

6. Compact and Easy Installation

Unlike complex smart home setups, Wi-Fi Smart Sockets are easy to install. Just plug the smart socket into an existing outlet, connect it to your home Wi-Fi using the manufacturer’s app, and start controlling your devices remotely.

7. Compatibility with Smart Home Ecosystems

Crabtree Wi-Fi Smart Accessories and Sockets integrate seamlessly with popular smart home ecosystems, allowing you to connect them with other smart devices like smart thermostats, security cameras, and lighting systems for a complete home automation experience.

How to Choose the Best Wi-Fi Smart Socket

When you decide to buy Wi-Fi Smart Sockets online, consider the following factors to ensure you get the best product for your needs:

1. Wi-Fi Connectivity and App Support

Ensure the Wi-Fi Smart Socket is compatible with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks and supports a user-friendly mobile app for seamless remote control.

2. Power Rating and Load Capacity

Check the power rating of the smart socket to ensure it can handle the electrical load of the appliances you plan to connect. High-powered devices like air conditioners or refrigerators may require higher-rated sockets.

3. Voice Assistant Compatibility

If you use voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, choose a Wi-Fi Smart Socket that supports voice commands for hands-free control.

4. Scheduling and Timer Functions

Look for smart sockets that offer customizable scheduling, countdown timers, and automation features to optimize energy usage.

5. Energy Monitoring Features

Some advanced Wi-Fi Smart Sockets provide real-time energy consumption tracking, helping you identify which devices consume the most power and take steps to reduce waste.

6. Compact Design and Safety Features

A compact design ensures the smart socket doesn’t block adjacent outlets.

Surge protection and overload protection enhance safety by preventing electrical hazards.

Where to Buy Wi-Fi Smart Sockets Online

If you’re ready to transform your home with smart technology, you can buy Crabtree Wi-Fi Smart Sockets from:

Official brand websites (Crabtree and Havells)

Authorized e-commerce platforms

Home automation stores offering smart home accessories

Before making a purchase, check for:

Customer reviews for reliability and performance

Warranty details for long-term assurance

Installation and setup guides for ease of use

Smart Home Automation Ideas Using Wi-Fi Smart Sockets

1. Automate Your Morning Routine

Schedule your coffee maker to start brewing when you wake up.

Turn on your bedroom heater or fan before you get out of bed.

2. Effortless Evening Setup

Program your living room lights to turn on at sunset.

Set your TV and entertainment system to switch off automatically at bedtime.

3. Save Energy While You’re Away

Turn off all unnecessary devices remotely when leaving home.

Use the vacation mode to randomly turn on lights and appliances to give the impression of occupancy.

4. Secure Your Home at Night

Set up motion-activated lighting with smart sockets.

Automatically switch off outdoor lights in the morning to save energy.

Final Thoughts

A Wi-Fi Smart Socket is a small yet powerful addition to your smart home setup, providing convenience, energy efficiency, and enhanced security. Whether you want to remotely control appliances, schedule device usage, or integrate with voice assistants, these smart sockets offer unmatched flexibility.

If you’re looking to buy Wi-Fi Smart Sockets online, go for Crabtree Wi-Fi Smart Sockets, known for their superior quality, advanced features, and seamless integration with smart home ecosystems.

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netseg · 10 months ago

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How to Choose the Best Security Camera for Your Home?

Choosing the best security camera for your home involves considering several key factors to ensure it meets your specific needs and provides optimal security. Here are the main points to consider:

1. Camera Type

Indoor vs. Outdoor: Determine if you need cameras for indoor, outdoor, or both. Outdoor cameras need to be weatherproof.

Wired vs. Wireless: Wireless cameras are easier to install but may need regular battery changes. Wired cameras offer more reliability but require professional installation.

Doorbell Cameras: These combine the functionality of a doorbell with a security camera and are great for monitoring your front door.

2. Resolution

Video Quality: Higher resolution (1080p or 4K) provides clearer images, which can be crucial for identifying faces or license plates.

3. Field of View

Wide-angle Lens: A wider field of view means the camera can cover more area, reducing the number of cameras needed for comprehensive coverage.

4. Night Vision

Infrared or Color Night Vision: Ensure the camera can capture clear footage in low-light conditions. Infrared provides black-and-white images, while some advanced cameras offer color night vision.

5. Storage Options

Cloud Storage: Convenient but may require a subscription fee. Ensure you understand the costs and privacy policies.

Local Storage: Uses SD cards or external hard drives. This can be more secure but may have limited storage capacity.

6. Smart Features

Motion Detection: Alerts you when movement is detected. Some cameras have advanced features like differentiating between people, animals, and objects.

Two-way Audio: Allows you to communicate with people through the camera, useful for greeting visitors or deterring intruders.

Integration with Smart Home Systems: Ensure compatibility with your existing smart home devices, like Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit.

7. Power Source

Battery-powered: Easier to install and move but require regular charging.

Plug-in: Constant power but requires an outlet nearby.

Solar-powered: Ideal for remote locations but depends on consistent sunlight.

8. Design and Aesthetics

Discreet vs. Visible: Decide if you want your cameras to be a visible deterrent or blend in with your home’s decor.

9. Budget

Cost vs. Features: Higher-end cameras offer more features but come at a higher cost. Balance your budget with the essential features you need.

10. Reviews and Reliability

User Reviews: Research customer reviews and ratings to gauge real-world performance and reliability.

Brand Reputation: Consider reputable brands known for quality and customer support.

Conclusion

Choosing the best security camera involves balancing your specific needs, budget, and desired features. By considering the above factors, you can select a security camera system that offers optimal protection for your home. For more details visit Netseg.me

#business #camera #security camera #cctv #cctvsecurity

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bestearbuds · 4 years ago

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Tips and best practices for optimizing your smart home

You’ve figured out the basics of setting up your smart home, now it’s time to raise your game. I’ve spent years installing, configuring, and tweaking dozens of smart home products in virtually every product category. Along the way I’ve figured out a lot of the secrets they don’t tell you in the manual or the FAQs, ranging from modest suggestions that can make your smart home configuration less complex, to essential decisions that can save you from having to start over from scratch a few years later.

Here’s my best advice on how to optimize your smart home tools, top tips and best practices.

1. Choose a master platform at the start These days, an Amazon or Google/Nest smart speaker or smart display can fill the role of a smart home hub (and some Amazon Echo devices are equipped with Zigbee radios).

There are three major smart home platforms on the market, and your smart home will probably have at least one of them installed: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Home Kit. The industry now revolves around these three systems, and virtually every significant smart home device that hits the market will support at least one of them, if not all three.

These platforms are different, of course. Alexa and Google Assistant are voice assistants/smart speakers first, but the addition of features that can control your smart devices has become a key selling point for each. Home Kit is a different animal, designed as more of a hub that streamlines setup and management. But since Home Kit interacts , it too offers voice assistant features provided you have your iPhone in hand or have an Apple Home Pod.

All three of these platforms will peacefully coexist, but you definitely don’t need both Alexa and Google Assistant in the same home, and managing both will become an ordeal as your smart home grows larger. It’s also completely fine to use Home Kit for setting up products and then using Alexa or Google Assistant for control. If you have a Home Kit hub device (either an AppleTV or a Home Pod), you’ll want to use it, as it really does simplify setup.

2. You don’t necessarily need a smart home hub In the early days of the smart home, two wireless standards, Zigbee and Z-Wave, were going to be the future. These low-power radios offer mesh networking features that are designed to make it easy to cover your whole home with smart devices without needing to worry about coverage gaps or congestion issues.

The main problem with Zigbee and Z-Wave devices is that they require a special hub that acts as a bridge to your Wi-Fi network, so you can interact with them using a smartphone, tablet, or your computer (while you’re home and when you’re away, via the internet). Samsung SmartThings is the only worthwhile DIY product in this category at present; its only credible competitor used to be Wink, a company that is now on its third owner and which has a questionable future at best. The Ring Alarm system has both Z-Wave radios onboard, but it’s much more focused on home security than home control.

As simple as Smart Things and Ring Alarm are, you’ll still face a learning curve to master them, and if your home-control aspirations are basic, you might find it easier to use devices (and the apps that control them) that connect directly to your Wi-Fi network and rely on one of the three platforms mentioned above for integration. It’s worth noting here than the 800-pound gorilla in the smart lighting world—Signify, with its Philips Hue product line now offers families of smart bulbs that rely on Bluetooth instead, so they don’t require the $50 Hue Bridge.

That said, however, you’re limited to controlling 10 Hue bulbs over Bluetooth. The Hue Bridge is required beyond that, and it’s also required if you set up Hue lighting fixtures, including its outdoor lighting line.

The bottom line on this point: Unless you want to build out a highly sophisticated smart home system, I recommend sticking with products that connect directly to your network via Wi-Fi, rendering a central hub unnecessary.

3. Range issues can create big problems

The downside of installing Wi-Fi only gear is that everything in the house will need to connect directly to your router. If your router isn’t centrally located and your house is spread out, this can create range issues, particularly in areas where interference is heavy: the kitchen, bathrooms, and anything outside.

Your best bet is to check your Wi-Fi coverage both inside and outside the house before you start installing gear. Make a map of dead zones and decide whether you can live with them. If not, you’ll want to consider relocating your router or moving up to a mesh Wi-Fi network with two or more nodes. You can read more about mesh Wi-Fi networks here.

Interference can also be a troubling problem that changes over time. If your next-door neighbor upgrades or moves his router, you may find that an area of the house with a once-solid signal has suddenly become erratic. You can tinker with the Wi-Fi channel settings in your router’s administration tool, but deploying a mesh network is a more sure-fire solution. Netgear even has an Orbi mesh node that can be installed outdoors to cover your backyard.

4. You don’t need smart gear everywhere

Many a smart home enthusiast has dreamed of wiring his entire home from top to bottom with smart products. A smart switch in every room and a smart outlet on every wall sounds like a high-tech dream; in reality, it can spiral into a nightmare.

The biggest problem is that while smart gear can be amazingly convenient, it also adds complexity to your environment because all of it must be carefully managed. Does installing 50 firmware updates sound like a great way to spend the weekend? Or troubleshooting that one switch that just won’t suddenly connect properly? Deploying smart speakers all over house, so you don’t need to yell for one to hear you, sounds like a great idea, too—that is, until the speakers have difficulty deciding exactly which one you’re talking to.

Devices such as Leviton’s Decora Smart Voice Dimmer with Amazon Alexa make it easy to put Amazon’s digital assistant in every room, which sounds like a great idea until they start fighting each other to answer your commands. In choosing where to install smart gear, think first about necessity. The hard-to-reach socket where you always plug in your Christmas tree is a perfect place for a smart outlet that can be set on a recurring schedule. The kitchen is a great option for voice control, so you don’t need to touch anything with dirty hands. My living room feature is lighted by three lamps which would normally have to be turned off and on individually; with smart bulbs and Alexa, it’s easy to power them on with a couple of spoken words. But does the overhead light in the master closet really need to have any of these features?

And finally, there’s the obvious issue: Smart gear isn’t cheap, and outfitting a large home with smart gear can quickly become exorbitantly expensive. Think about what happens when your gear becomes outdated (and out of warranty)?

The bottom line: While it’s a great idea to install everything you think you’re going to use at the start of your project, don’t overdo it. You can always add on to your system down the road. Install smart gear only where you legitimately know you will use it.

5. Consolidate vendors It might sound like common knowledge to suggest you try to stick with a single vendor when it comes to all your switches or light bulbs, but it’s easy to be wooed by a product that promises new features or better performance. Avoid taking the bait: Over time, bouncing from one vendor to the next will leave you managing multiple apps, and you’ll likely get confused about which one goes with which device.

Many smart outlets and switches don’t carry a visible brand logo, so it isn’t always as easy as just checking the hardware itself to see where you should go. (Making matters worse, many smart products use a management app with a name that that has no relation to the hardware’s name.) And while most HomeKit-capable apps can control other vendors’ Home Kit devices, you’ll still usually need the official app to get things set up initially and to perform regular maintenance.

The good news is that Tech Hive has plenty of buying guides in almost every smart home category to help take the guesswork out of figuring out which brands to build your home around, so you needn’t experiment to find the best products on the market.

6. Give your gear short, logical names By default, many smart products will give themselves a name during setup that consists of generic terms and random digits, none of which will be helpful to you in identifying them later. It’s best to give your gear a short but logical and easy-to-remember name when you first set it up.

Start by giving all the rooms in your house a name in the management app, even if they don’t have any gear in them. (You might install equipment there later.) “Bedroom” is not a good name unless you only have only one. You’ll want to use the most logical but unique names possible here: “Master bedroom,” “Zoe’s bedroom,” “Guest bedroom,” and so on.

Now, when you install a product, standardize names using both the room name and a description of the item—or what the item controls. For example: “Master bedroom overhead lights” for a wall switch or “Office desk lamp” for a smart plug connected to said lamp. In rooms where you have multiple products, you can use a longer descriptor, numerical ID (1, 2, 3…), or something similar. In my living room, the three lamp smart bulbs are named Living room lamp left, center, and right, so if one isn’t working in the app, it’s easy for me to figure out which is which.

Doing this work up front will save you time if and when you connect your gear to a voice assistant. Not only does having a standardized, logical naming system make it easy for you to remember what to say, changing the name of a product in its app generally means having to re-discover the product within your voice assistant app, which is a hassle.

7. Wiring never looks like it does in the pictures

Manuals and online guides always make in-wall wiring look like a standard, well-organized affair, but I can assure you that many an electrician has taken some significant liberties with the way that switches and outlets are wired in the average home. Don’t be surprised to find multiple black line/load wires when you expected to find just two, strange in-wall hardware that doesn’t look like the picture, and wiring that simply doesn’t make sense.

The neutral wire required by the vast majority of smart switches and outlets is typically white. So which of these two white wires is the neutral? Of course, you can always experiment as long as you’re patient. There’s little risk of damaging the product if you miswire it the first time. Just make sure you’re turning the power off at the circuit breaker before you touch anything.

As a last tip on wiring, note that neutral (typically white) wiring is essential for most of the smart switches on the market. If there is no neutral wire in the electrical box where you want to install a smart switch, you’ll need to seek out the handful smart switches and dimmers that don’t require a neutral wire, like these C by GE models or certain switches.

8. Expect problems to emerge without warning

You know how your computer suddenly starts crashing every day, or your printer abruptly vanishes from the network? The same kind of things happen to smart home gear, which, after all, are miniature computers of their own, all prone to the same types of issues. Expect the occasional product to abruptly disconnect from your network, vanish from the management app, or stop working altogether—even after months or years of otherwise trouble-free operation, without any discernable reason. In many cases, you’ll need to manually reset the product to get it to reconnect to the app. Sometimes the app will guide you through this process, otherwise a quick Google search can get you squared away.

9. Pay attention to battery life

Devices not attached directly to the grid rely on battery power to operate. Door/window and motion sensors, smart locks, smart doorbells, many cameras, smoke alarms, and more are all likely to require regular battery replacements or recharging, and while many devices claim to last for multiple months or even years, the reality is often shorter than that.

Take stock of the batteries each of these devices use—some are truly oddball cells that you won’t have in the junk drawer—and keep spares on hand for when they die. Devices that use a rechargeable battery like the Ring Doorbell are supposed to alert you via the app when the battery is running low, so you can recharge it before it goes totally dead, but my experience is that these alerts are rarely actually delivered (or end up being ignored).

If your Ring Video Doorbell’s battery is dead, you’ll never know if someone’s ringing the bell (which, in my case, usually means a “missed delivery” slip from FedEx). I check my Ring’s battery life in the app once a week (it’s under Device Health), and when it hits about 35 percent, I remove the cell and charge it back up (you can also buy spare Ring batteries and just swap a dying battery for a freshly charged one).

10. Dimmers can be particularly problematic

Electrical dimmers like the old-school wall-mounted dial type work by lowering the amount of electrical current being sent to the load device, which will, say, lower the brightness of an incandescent bulb or slow down a fan. Unfortunately, dimmers pose particular problems for many devices. Smart home devices are especially problematic when dimmers are attached, because they contain electronics and radios that simply won’t work if the power isn’t coming through at full strength. As such, it’s a bad idea to connect devices like smart light bulbs to circuits that are connected to a dimmer.

On a similar front, you’ll need to be especially observant if you replace an old toggle switch with a smart dimmer. As a shortcut, sometimes switches are wired with pass-through circuitry that is meant to pass along current to other devices (such as a nearby power outlet). If you swap out this switch with a dimmer, you might inadvertently connect the dimmer to those outlets, causing them to lose all or partial power, making for a complex troubleshooting session.

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tuyasmarthome-blog · 6 years ago

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6 Aspects of Smart Plug you should know

Today’s market is filled with smart devices for our homes, selling the promise of smart control and monitoring. This market is growing fast and it is expected that by 2022 there will be a total of 216.9 million homes worldwide with at least one smart device. One of the key smart devices available is the smart plug.

Today, I wish to briefly introduce this kind device and hope it can help you to

know more on a smart plug.

What is the history of Smart Plug?

The oldest news, tracked by the authors, that presents the concept of the smart plug, is from 2008 where Woods presented an ‘intelligent’ plug for energy savings and energy efficiency. Smart plugs enable the retrofitting of electrical resources and provide us with basic functionality, such as scheduling or the creation of rules and scenes. However, to achieve a complete futuristic smart home solution, similar to the one seen in Smart House (1999) movie, is almost mandatory to have a virtual assistant with voice control support — meaning, one more system is required. A big challenge for users is also the aggregation of multiple systems and platforms from various brands, a job that can easily be overwhelming to the ordinary user.

Besides the smart plugs available on the market, some scientific publications propose new approaches and/or solutions. For examples, using Zigbee as a communication protocol. A low-cost smart plug using IEEE 802.11 for wireless communication is proposed. A more evolved smart plug is proposed in, with the goal of detecting and act during on- and off-peak periods.

What Is a Smart Plug?

Let's make this clear: Whether they're marketed as smart switches, smart outlets, or any variation thereof, smart plugs are ultimately plug-in outlets (or power strips). A smart plug plugs into your regular old wall outlet or traditional power strip but usually comes with a corresponding app, so that you can control whatever you plug into it remotely. You plug the smart plug directly into an outlet, then plug any device into the smart plug. You will then be able to control whatever device you plugged in even when you’re not in the room or even the house. Using an app, you’ll be able to do things like turn off your living room floor lamp even from across town. You’ll also be able to get the coffee maker started without leaving the comfort of your bed, or check that the slow-cooker is on while you’re still at work.

Smart Plug Product Picture is as following:

With that in mind, the first thing to consider is where you want to place your smart plug. While most are svelte enough to fit next to one another in your typical wall outlet, not all of them are, and power strips are a different story entirely. If you have a crowded power strip, it's important to consider where the plug's outlet is located. Some feature outlets on the side. Layouts like this can be easier or more difficult to access depending on the type of power strip you're using and where it's located.

What Does a Smart Plug Do?

Once you're sure a smart plug will fit properly in your home, it's important to consider what it can do. Every plug we've tested lets you use your phone to turn control power—so if you've plugged in a lamp, for instance, you can turn it on or off no matter where you are. And most smart plugs also offer some form of scheduling. If you simply want to turn your connected coffee machine on at the same time every weekday morning, you can do that with any of the plugs on this list.

Scenes (this is the term most often used, but it might vary) let you program several devices to interact with each other. Some let you program scenes based on conditions such as temperature, humidity, and sunrise or sunset times. Others have preset "away" scenes for when you're on vacation, that turn connected devices on and off to make it look like someone is home. Scene options vary from plug to plug, so it's good to keep in mind what automation options fit your lifestyle.

If you're concerned about the environment or hoping to save a few bucks, look for a plug that supports energy monitoring. Just keep in mind that the energy data collected isn't uniform across all plugs. Some provide a detailed breakdown of how long your device has been on over the entire day, your daily average "on" time, your (estimated) monthly and daily power costs, and your average power usage in watts. Others simply give a cursory overview of hours used over a period of time. And many don't report power usage at all.

Features aside, installation and app design are also major factors. Luckily, pretty much all the plugs we've tested are easy to install—you basically just plug them in and connect them to an app on your phone. App quality, on the other hand, varies. We take a close look at each plug's companion app in our reviews and consider its usability in our rating.

What is the smart plug price by branded manufacturers?

Overall, it can be concluded that current commercial devices provide very similar and basic functionality (i.e., they can remotely turn on and off the outlets, monitor energy consumption and set schedules and timers). However,

The price is big gap depended on a different manufacturer.

How will the hot cake–smart plug be in the market?

The trends of Smart Plug is going up by previous 5 years as Google trends data showing below:

As UN Comtrade Labs TrendEconomy shows, the value of exports of commodity group "Plugs & sockets for a voltage not > 1000V" from China total $ 2.13 billion in 2017. Sales of commodity group plugs and sockets from China went up by 6.06% compared to 2016: exports of commodity group 853669 "Plugs & sockets for a voltage not >1000V" went up by $ 122 million (cumulative exports of commodity group 853669 from China amounted $2.01 billion in 2016), you can know clearly from the following picture:

General speaking, the smart plug market size is very big, and it is a promising future business.

What Is the Best Smart Plug to Buy?

Ultimately, the best smart plug for you is the one that easily interacts with the products you already have. For example, if you have an iPhone, an Apple TV, and a HomePod, you'll get the best experience from a plug that supports Apple's HomeKit protocol. Similarly, if you already use Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice control, make sure to get a plug that supports your voice assistant of choice. Some plugs feature native support for a particular brand of smart home products, while others can interact with nearly anything via IFTTT. We've noted which features are supported by each plugin the chart above to help determine which one best fits your needs.

So if you can't settle on a family of smart light bulbs, or you don't want to shell out big bucks for a set of new connected kitchen appliances, consider connecting the products you already own with a smart plug. Whether you're just dipping a toe into smart home tech, or you're a pro at writing your own IFTTT applets, smart plugs make it simple and affordable to automate just about anything in your home.

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petnews2day · 3 years ago

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Ring Spotlight Cam Pro review: Buy one, but not for Bird's Eye View

New Post has been published on https://petnews2day.com/pet-news/bird-news/ring-spotlight-cam-pro-review-buy-one-but-not-for-birds-eye-view/

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro review: Buy one, but not for Bird's Eye View

At a glance

Expert’s Rating

Pros

Available in plug-in, wired, battery-, and solar-powered configurations

Ties tightly into Ring’s and Amazon’s ever-expanding smart home ecosystems

Radar-based motion detection

IFTTT support opens lots of integration possibilities

Cons

You can use Ring’s Pre-Roll feature or Bird’s Eye View, but not both

Spotlights produce only 576 lumens (less for the batter-powered models)

Not fully compatible with Google Nest or Apple HomeKit ecosystems

Our Verdict

Bird’s Eye View is an oversold feature, but the Pre-Roll view it competes with is more valuable anyway. Beyond that, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro offers plenty of features and performance to earn our strong recommendation—unless you’re a Google Home or Apple HomeKit afficionado.

Best Prices Today: Ring Spotlight Cam Pro, Plug In

$229.99

The Ring Spotlight Cam offers a host of new and innovative features, including radar-based motion detection. And that’s the basis for the camera’s most-hyped feature—Bird’s Eye View—an aerial map of the motion events that triggered the camera to turn on its dual spotlights and/or record a video event. The Ring Spotlight Cam is a great home security camera, for reasons we’ll explore in depth, but I found Bird’s Eye View to be its least compelling feature.

Here’s why: Bird’s Eye View depends on the Ring app’s picture-in-picture mode, but so does another important feature: Pre-Roll, which has the camera start recording a few seconds before the camera’s motion detection sends you a push notification. You can enable either feature in the Ring app, but you can’t have both at the same time. Picture-in-picture mode works just as it does on your TV, with either pre-roll or Bird’s Eye View displayed in a small window overlaid on the larger main view. Tap on the small window and it will swap places with the larger one.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras.

Overlay a motion detection zone over a satellite photo of the area the camera is set up to monitor, and Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature will trace the path a person takes as they move through that zone.

Michael Brown/Foundry

Bird’s Eye View sounds like a great feature: It shows you the path a visitor—or prowler, as the case may be—took while they were in motion detection range, even before that motion has triggered the camera to send you a notification. But what would you rather see, an aerial view of your property with a series of animated dots overlaid on it tracking a visitor’s path? Or video of the person moving in the camera’s view before you received a push notification?

I’m not saying the Ring Spotlight Cam’s radar-based motion detection is a gimmick—the technology makes for more accurate motion detection and fewer false alerts. You can also restrict motion alerts so they’re triggered only by people, while other movement—from animals and cars, for instance—is ignored. I just found Pre-Roll to be a more compelling application than Bird’s Eye View.

This screenshot of the Ring app shows Ring’s new Ring’s Bird’s Eye View feature: The dots show an aerial view of the path I traversed while walking in front. There’s also an option to show a satellite image of your home, which you’ll see in another screenshot.

Michael Brown/Foundry

Installing the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro can operate on AC from an outlet (the $230 Plug-In model, reviewed here) or from hardwired AC power (the $250 Wired model is a good option if you’re replacing an existing fixture). If AC power isn’t available, there are two models that run on battery power (the camera has a chamber that can accommodate one or two of the quick-release rechargeable batteries that Ring uses in its doorbells and other battery-powered cameras).

Each of the two battery-powered options come with one quick-release battery: The $230 Battery and the $250 Solar, with the latter adding Ring’s second-generation solar panel to trickle-charge its battery(ies). The specs and operation of the lights and camera are otherwise identical, and you can add batteries to either of the AC-powered models.

The battery-powered models are the easiest to set up, simply because you don’t need to find a nearby outlet or wrangle a cord. Any model can be mounted to either a vertical surface, such as a wall, or a horizontal surface (e.g., a roof eave). Ring also sells accessories for mounting to objects such as a rain gutter or a pole. You can tighten a security screw to make it harder for a thief to steal the camera’s battery, but it doesn’t take a Herculean effort to pop the camera out of its socket mount.

The ball on the back of the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro fits into a socket that you mount to a wall or to your home’s roof eave. The camera is powered via USB-C cable and an plug-in cable in this model. You can also plug a solar panel into this port if you want to run the camera on battery power.

Michael Brown/Foundry

The obvious advantage of the AC-powered model is that you never need to worry about batteries going dead. Ring provides a generously long power cord (I measured it to be roughly 18 feet) with a USB-C connector at the camera end, a two-prong plug at the other end, and an in-line power supply so you don’t need to worry about jamming a wall wart into the bubble cover on an outdoor outlet. In addition to the screws you’ll need to mount the camera, Ring also provides cable clips to keep things neat, although I needed to supplement what came in the box with some cable staples I had in my basement.

You’ll need the Ring app on your mobile device (Android or iOS) to add the spotlight camera to your Wi-Fi network. This is a simple matter of opening the app, tapping the menu bar on the left-hand side of the app and then selecting Set Up a Device, choosing the Security Cams option, and then scanning the QR code on the camera. You’ll need to provide your Wi-Fi network credentials (dual-band—2.4-/5GHz networks are supported), but if you’ve previously installed any other Ring devices, the app will automatically apply that information to your new camera.

This is the aforementioned socket. You can tighten down the camera by tightening the screw that goes through that gray collar, but I was still able to pop the camera free from its socket with a reasonable amount of force.

Michael Brown/Foundry

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro camera features

As with other Ring security cameras and doorbells, you will only get a live view from the camera unless you sign up for a Ring Protect subscription plan. The Basic plan, which covers a single camera or doorbell, costs $3.99 per month or $39.99 annually. The Plus plan costs $10 per month or $100 a year, but it covers an unlimited number of Ring products. The Pro plan that most Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro users likely subscribe to covers all Ring device and includes professional monitoring that can dispatch first responders in the event of an emergency. That tier costs $20 per month or $200 per year.

If you do have a Ring Alarm Pro system, which offers an integrated Eero Wi-Fi mesh router, you’ll have the option of plugging a microSD card into that base station. The video from any or all your compatible Ring cameras and doorbells will then be processed and stored locally, as opposed to being uploaded to the cloud. I’ve italicized “compatible” because it’s worth noting that several relatively new Ring products, including the Ring Video Doorbell 4 and the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, are not compatible with Ring Edge (you’ll find details at the preceding link).

The camera in all four models of the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro is the same and can accommodate two rechargeable batteries.

Michael Brown/Foundry

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro’s camera captures video in 1080p resolution with high dynamic range (HDR) color. Its lens has a 140-degree horizontal/80-degree vertical field of view, and its customizable motion sensors deliver up to 30 feet of range. You can also create up to two privacy zones that will overlay a black block over areas that you don’t want to monitor—a neighbor’s door or window, for instance—when you stream a live view or watch a recorded clip.

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro features excellent night vision–color night vision when you turn on its spotlight.

Michael Brown/Foundry

In addition to motion-activated recordings, Ring’s Snapshot Capture feature will periodically snap a still photo every 30 seconds, every minute, or every three minutes (your choice, including turning it off to preserve battery life). View the camera in the Ring app, and you can scrub back and forth on a timeline to view these snapshots stitched together, stop-motion-animation style. Yet another way to trigger a recording is to link the camera to other Ring devices, including other cameras and smart lighting devices. In this fashion, motion detected by the Ring Alarm Pro at one location can trigger that camera to record and at the same time trigger any other Ring camera to record, and it can trigger any of your Ring smart lights to turn on in and around your home.

And because Ring supports IFTTT (If This, Then That), these triggers can go out to any third-party smart home devices that also support that service. I set up an IFTTT applet so that if someone rings the Ring video doorbell at my side entrance, that camera will record a video clip, the Ring Floodlight Wired on my deck will turn on, the Hue lights inside the house above the side door will turn on, and the Sonos speaker in my home office will play music.

This inline power supply eliminates any worries about fitting a wall wart into the bubble cover of an outdoor outlet.

Michael Brown/Foundry

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro supports two-way audio support with noise cancellation, so you can speak to someone near the camera, and there’s a remote-activated siren should you want to deter that person from hanging around.

Ring isn’t perfect when it comes to third-party support, however; for starters, you can’t easily integrate Ring products into Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. It can be done, but it involves third-party hardware and a bit of poking around. Ring is also only partially compatible with Google Home hardware. You can’t view a live stream from any Ring camera on a Google Nest smart display, for instance. For the time being, if you decide to set up Ring home security products, you should plan to use Amazon Echo-compatible smart speakers and displays with them. Here’s hoping Matter eventually makes those kinds of interoperability issues go away.

The Ring Alarm Pro has a large speaker on the bottom of the camera for two-way audio. The QR code makes for easy setup.

Michael Brown/Foundry

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro lighting features

The spotlights on either side of the Spotlight Cam Pro can be turned on and off on demand, programmed to turn on when it’s dark and motion is detected, or programmed to turn on and off according to a schedule. The twin spotlights are much less powerful than those of the permanently-wired-to-power Ring Floodlight Pro—562 lumens when plugged in, compared to 2,000 lumens for the larger camera—but the Spotlight Cam Pro is much less visually intrusive.

Both devices produce a relatively warm white light of 3,000 Kelvin. While you don’t get the option of multi-colored light, you can dim the Spotlight Cam Pro if you’re entertaining guests and don’t want the patio to look like a prison yard. In addition to excellent black-and-white night vision, the onboard will record video in full color at night when its dual spotlights are turned on.

You can create multiple motion detection zones and block certain features–such as my neighbor’s windows, which I did in a different step–using the excellent Ring app.

Michael Brown/Foundry

The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro is a good value

Don’t let my criticism of Bird’s Eye View dissuade your from buying the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro—you might even find that feature to be the bee’s knees—or at least more important than the Pre-Roll feature it competes with. This camera records high-quality video—albeit at only 1080p resolution—under all the circumstances you might want, it’s easy to set up, and it can be easily integrated into the Ring and Amazon Alexa ecosystems, with hooks to an even wide array of third-party products and systems via IFTTT.

Be aware, however, that you will need a Ring subscription to get full use out of it. A security camera isn’t very useful if you can only view a live feed from it. Speaking of live feeds, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro is probably not the right solution if your smart home revolves around Google Nest or Apple HomeKit.

#Bird News

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montreallong · 3 years ago

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Smart timer 8 outlet

#Smart timer 8 outlet Bluetooth#

Additional features: Some smart plugs have other interesting features, such as device and energy monitoring.That’s less of an issue if they support Apple HomeKit, in which case you can control them when you’re away from the house if you have a HomeKit gateway (an Apple TV, a HomePod Mini, or a stay-at-home iPad). That means they may not work if you aren’t relatively nearby.

#Smart timer 8 outlet Bluetooth#

Bluetooth-based smart outlets, by contrast, require you to be within Bluetooth range to control them-often a few tens of feet away or less, depending on how your home is built. Wireless technology: Wi-Fi–enabled smart outlets are typically the easier and more affordable option because they allow you to connect inside and outside the house without the need for a hub to act as a middleman.Some plugs also offer compatibility with whole-house systems through SmartThings and IFTTT. The bare minimum should be voice-control integration through Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit (Siri), or Google Assistant. This allows a plug to, for example, work with your Echo speaker or a motion sensor. Smart-home compatibility: Every smart plug offers some level of smart-home support for other smart platforms.We gave bonus points to outlets that offered additional customization, including the ability to schedule individual days, modes for when you're away or on vacation (the randomness of which can help mimic someone being home), and triggers, like sunrise and sunset or temperature. This means you can set it and forget it, so you don’t need to bark out commands or use the app. Scheduling: All smart outlets allow you to schedule devices to turn on and off at specific times of the day or week.

#Smart timer 8 outlet

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macnews-org · 3 years ago

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HomeKit-Enabled Eve Aqua Gains Thread Support

Eve Systems today announced the launch of a redesigned version of the Eve Aqua, a HomeKit-enabled smart home device designed to automate irrigation systems and convert standard outdoor faucets into smart water outlets. The Eve Aqua water controller is able to automatically activate an irrigation system using the Home app on the iPhone, the Eve app, Siri voice commands, or a physical button on…

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mdrayhansblog · 3 years ago

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Kasa Smart Plug Mini 15A, Apple HomeKit Supported, Smart Outlet Works with Siri, Alexa & Google Home, No Hub Required, UL Certified, App Control, Scheduling, Timer, 2.4G WiFi Only, 4-Pack, White

List Price: $49.99 Details With Deal: $39.99 & FREE Returns You Save: $10.00 (20%)

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Apple HomeKit 4-Pack

WORKS WITH ALEXA

Add voice control by combining with an Alexa device

This item

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“Alexa, turn on the fan.”

Total Price: $79.98 Add both to Cart

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【Apple Homekit Support】This Apple HomeKit compatible smart plug fully integrates into your Apple ecosystem, just ask Siri to turn on/off the devices in your home. (Apple HomeKit remote control requires an additional networked Apple device at home such as an iPad, HomePod or Apple TV.)

【Energy Monitoring & 15A Max Load】Use the smart Wi-Fi home plug to monitor your connected device's energy usage in real-time and view its historical power consumption within the Kasa Smart app. 1800W, 15A max load supported.

【Super Easy Setup】Enjoy an extremely easy and quick setup process with this Amazon Frustration-Free Setup (FFS) & Google Seamless Setup (GSS) supported smart plug. You can also setup in a few steps with the Kasa App.

【Compact & Flame Retardant Design】Avoid blocking additional outlets with its compact design, and plug in your WiFi smart plug with confidence thanks to its UL certified flame retardant design and 2-year limited warranty.

【App & Voice Control】Control your WiFi smart plug from anywhere, anytime via the free Kasa App or just give voice commands to Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Samsung SmartThings. Your favorite smart assistant enables you to have a truly hands-free experience.

#wifiplug

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dailydoseoffunblogs · 6 months ago

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Kasa Smart Plug Mini 15A: Your HomeKit-Ready Power Solution

Gadgets and Home Essentials may earn a commission. You incur no extra cost when you buy through links on our site. Imagine a world where your home’s devices work perfectly with your Apple products. The Kasa Smart Plug Mini 15A makes this dream a reality. It changes how you handle your home’s energy and automation. This small but powerful plug integrates smoothly with Apple HomeKit. It brings…

#Apple HomeKit Supported #Energy Efficient Technology #Home Automation #HomeKit-Compatible Smart Plugs #Kasa Smart Plug Mini 15A #Power Monitoring Solutions #Smart Home Devices #Smart Outlet Works with Siri #Smart Plug Technology #Voice Control Devices

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bulletinwave · 4 years ago

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meross Smart Plug Dual WiFi Outlet Plug 2 in 1, Support Apple HomeKit, Siri, Alexa, Echo, Google Assistant, Nest Hub and SmartThings, Voice Control, Remote Control, Timer, No Hub Required, 1 Pack

Price: (as of – Details) Product Description Meross HomeKit Wi-Fi Dual Smart Plug Functions of Dual Smart Plug Remote control by Meross app Voice commands control after compatible with Apple HomeKit (iOS 13.0 or later), Apple Watch, Siri, Carplay, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and SmartThings. Create on/off schedules and timer for your appliance. Special Feature Compact Size: Occupies only…

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#plugs and outlets

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michaeldiaszkirindage · 4 years ago

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Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Outdoor Plug Review

Belkin’s Wemo Wi-Fi Smart Outdoor Plug ($39.99) is a dual-outlet smart plug designed to withstand the elements. It’s easy to install, it responds to Alexa, Google, and Siri voice commands, and it supports Apple HomeKit and IFTTT, so it works with lots of other smart home devices. The plug worked well in testing, but it’s disappointing that the two outlets can’t be controlled independently of one…

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droneseco · 4 years ago

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Bosma Aegis: Affordable and Secure Smart Lock

Aegis

9.70 / 10

Read More Reviews

Key Features

Auto Lock/Unlock

AES 128-Bit Encryption

Remote Unlock

Phone Unlock

Easy Installation

Door-breaking Detection

Fingerprint Unlock (Requires Bosma Sentry Doorbell)

Access Management

Bosma App

Amazon Alexa and Google Home Integration

Door Open/Close Detection

Specifications

Brand: Bosma

Connectivity: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

Integrations: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

Compatible Locks: Most Deadbolts

Battery: 4 AA

Keypad: N/A

Pros

Installation is extremely easy

Alexa Integration works well

Door Open/Close Detection is Surprisingly Accurate

Added Security with ~80Db Break-In Alarm

Retain Current Keys

Cons

Chimes At Open/Close

Slightly Askew When Installed Properly

Jams If Door Not Completely Closed/Swollen

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It used to be that you only had a few choices when selecting great smart home products. However, the last few years have put several fantastic new companies on the map. One of those companies is Bosma. Until recently, its product line included smart doorbells, intrusion sensors, and smart lighting. Now, the company’s newest product, an interior-only smart door lock called the Aegis—yes, like Zeus’ famous shield—aims to provide both homeowners and renters with the convenience of a smart lock.

But can this new device secure its place among significant competitors like August and Wyze? We're answering that question, along with a few others in this full Bosma Aegis smart lock review.

To celebrate the launch on April 6th, for one day only you can get 50% off the usual purchase price on Amazon with our exclusive coupon code 50MakeUseOf.

Meet the Bosma Aegis

The best way to describe Aegis is to call it an upgrade to your current door lock. The thing that makes the Aegis different is that it will allow you to retain your keys. It does this by replacing only the inner portion of your existing deadbolt. This setup is similar to both the August Smart Lock and the Wyze Lock, which are Aegis’ two most prominent competitors.

For those familiar with the August Smart Lock, the design of the Aegis is eerily similar. It uses a similar mounting plate, a similar rotational design, a matching set of plastic inserts for the deadbolt’s cam bar, and even similar packaging. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A broader selection of the same products often improves both quality and choice from a consumer perspective.

Additionally, Aegis offers built-in door detection, which can alert you if your door has been left open. Aegis does this without the use of stick-on magnets or additional sensors. For security, Aegis sends all data via AES 128-bit encryption. This extra level of protection keeps would-be data sniffers from potentially accessing information that could lead to a break-in.

The Aegis also supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Home. So, if you’re looking to control your smart lock with your voice, the possibility is there. Currently, the Aegis is for sale on Bosma’s website for $119 by itself and $249 if you bundle the lock with the Bosma Sentry video doorbell.

Who Is the Aegis For?

Because the Aegis doesn’t require permanent alteration of the door lock, this product is great for renters and homeowners alike. The device is also great for those with a mix of tech-savvy and non-techie folks living in their home.

If, for example, a family member would prefer to operate the Aegis lock using a standard key, they can. Meanwhile, those smart home users who would rather have the flexibility of an app can choose to forgo the keys altogether.

And, if you’d like to use biometrics with the Aegis, Bosma also manufactures the Sentry Video Doorbell that recognizes fingerprints to operate the smart lock without the need for a phone. We weren’t able to test the doorbell, but it looks promising.

However, if you’re looking for a smart lock that works with Apple HomeKit, the Aegis does not currently offer support. That may change in a future release, but for now, Aegis is limited to Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Related: Smart Home Products to Install When Moving to a New Home

What’s in the Box?

Inside the Bosma Aegis’ upscale packaging, there is the lock itself, the Bosma Gateway, four AA batteries, a set of three adapters, a length of painter’s tape, and an instruction guide. While I don’t usually comment on an item’s presentation, I feel it is essential to acknowledge the aesthetic appeal of Aegis’s packaging. To me, it just looks like a classy product.

Assembly and Installation

The Aegis smart lock is effortless to install. I had this lock set up and configured in less than ten minutes. The installation is as simple as applying the strip of included painter’s tape over the deadbolt’s front portion, removing the supporting screws from the back of the deadbolt, and installing the mounting bracket. Choose the adapter that works best for the cam bar, slide the lock portion on, and slide down the wings to secure.

It’s a surprisingly simple installation, and this is great for those who aren’t super handy. When getting the lock together, the only trouble I had was that I didn’t realize the battery compartment’s cover was magnetic at first.

Initially, I thought that the tabs inside the body of the lock were what fastened the cover to the assembly, and I tried to press-fit the cover together. After struggling for a few moments, I rotated the cover, and it magnetically snapped into place. While this wasn’t much of an issue, I think that Bosma might want to add a note about magnetic cover attachment in its instructions for the unit.

Once installed, you must connect the Aegis to the included Gateway device. This process is simple and consists of plugging the device into a power outlet, holding down a button until the light on the Gateway blinks, and then activating the lock. Again, this was straightforward.

Bosma also offers an app that is necessary to calibrate the lock. This application walks the user through calibration, and Bosma has taken every step to ensure that this process is foolproof. Anyone should feel confident that they can install this lock without any trouble.

Related: How to Install A Smart Door Lock

Testing the Aegis

After installing the Aegis, I spent a week testing the smart lock to see how it performed under ideal and less-than-ideal situations. I first tried the app’s lock and unlock functions from different locations in my house. As long as the wireless network was up, the lock functioned perfectly every time. I even tried rapidly locking and unlocking the Aegis to see if I could confuse it and cause it to jam. I could not get this to happen even after about a half-hour of constant locking and unlocking.

Next up, I tried to see what would happen if I “broke into” my home while the Aegis was active. One of Aegis’ key features is its “door-breaking” detection. This detection alerts the homeowner if someone is attempting to force the door open. I installed the Aegis on my back door, just so the neighbors wouldn’t think I was crazy, and subsequently tried to breach the door by kicking it a few times.

Once the Aegis registered the impact, I received an alert to my phone, and a siren sounded from inside the door. Bosma claims this siren is 80Db, though testing the alarm up close found the sound between 68Db and 76Db. Aegis’ siren also only lasted a few seconds, but it was loud enough to hear on the opposite side of the door when closed.

While this siren alone might be enough to deter would-be thieves, I think the more critical element is the notification that I received. If I had been out running errands and gotten this notification, I could have easily contacted the police. I think this is a remarkable feature, and I appreciate Aegis’s added security, without any extra equipment to purchase.

Next up, I wanted to see how Bosma’s offering performed when faced with a common issue in New England—door swell. The problem with swelling doors is that they often don’t close completely. Instead, there will be slight friction between the deadbolt and the strike plate on the door frame. I pushed and pulled my back door to emulate this condition until the deadbolt would not move smoothly past the strike plate.

As I feared, the Aegis motor engaged, extended the deadbolt slightly, and jammed after being unable to push quickly past the strike plate. To remedy this condition, I pressed against the door until the deadbolt could clear the strike plate, manually locked the door, and then tried to unlock it. At this point, the Aegis got a bit cranky, but once the strike plate was clear, the deadbolt slid into place.

This test wasn’t the most scientific, but it is worth mentioning. If your doors are prone to swelling, then this smart lock might not be the best choice for your home. On the other hand, if your front door doesn’t stick and has plenty of clearance, Aegis works excellent.

Finally, I wanted to see how this lock would work with Amazon Alexa integration. For that, you have to download the Bosma skill in the Alexa app. After setting the skill up and setting a passcode, I could lock and unlock the Aegis by asking Alexa to do so. Additionally, passcode integration ensures that no one outside your home can gain access by invoking your smart assistant.

Download: Bosma Skill for Amazon Alexa (Free)

What Do We Love About the Aegis?

I think there is a lot to love about the Aegis, but the primary draw is using this lock for different applications. If you’re a renter and don’t want everyone knowing that you have a smart lock, Aegis will fit the bill perfectly. Its removable nature also means that it’s easy to swap out when you move. That means you can take it with you, from home to home, without any loss of function.

The included Gateway is also a nice feature for operating this lock remotely. That means if you want to give access to friends or family while you’re away, then you can do so with just a few taps on your screen.

Aegis has also got to be one of the most straightforward smart home products I’ve ever installed in my smart home. I wish some of the other products that I’ve purchased over the years were this simple to get up and running. If you can use a screwdriver, you can add Aegis to your home in a matter of minutes.

What’s Not to Love?

There are only a few minor complaints I have about this smart lock. The first is the position of the lock when closed. On the outside of the hexagonal shell of the Aegis, there is a Bosma logo. In a perfect world, that logo would be parallel to the ground when installed. However, because of some play in the lock shell, I find that the unit turns a bit past the parallel mark when the deadbolt extends.

This issue also results in the Bosma logo on the lock’s rear button sitting slightly off-level when my door locks. Bosma has addressed this issue by stating that end users can rotate the mounting plate of the Aegis by around 20 degrees either toward or away from the edge of the door. In my case, adjusting the bracket didn’t help. It’s a minor issue, but if you’re the type of person where everything has to be perfectly aligned, then this might be a problem for you.

Secondly, I wish there were a way to disable the chime this lock makes when you open and close the door. Again this is a minor gripe, but I would prefer the lock not to play music, or at the very least to have some type of volume reduction option.

Aside from these two minor issues, I feel that the Aegis smart lock is a fantastic value. If all of Bosma’s products are this high-quality, then the company has a very bright future ahead in the smart home industry.

Related: The Best Smart Doorbells For Your Home

Can You Repair the Aegis Smart Lock?

Unfortunately, no. You cannot repair this smart lock. However, Bosma does offer a one-year warranty against any kind of manufacturer defects. This warranty seems to be in line with other smart lock manufacturers.

Should You Buy the Aegis Smart Lock?

Overall, we really like the Aegis smart lock by Bosma. It’s a great product at a reasonable price. While it might not be for everyone, we’re confident that most smart homeowners will be satisfied by Aegis’s performance and quality. It’s an excellent option for anyone who isn’t looking to break the bank and for those stealthy smart home ninjas hoping to recover every penny of their security deposit.

Bosma Aegis: Affordable and Secure Smart Lock published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

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themepluginpro · 4 years ago

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Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Bridge | Works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and the Google Assistant | L-BDG2-WH | White

Description Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Bridge | Works with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and the Google Assistant | L-BDG2-WH | White :

Price: (as of - Details)

Controlling lights, shades, and temperature from a mobile device has never been easier or more reliable. The Lutron Smart Bridge allows for setup, control, and monitoring of Caseta Wireless dimmers and Serena Remote Controlled Shades from a smartphone, tablet, and even your Apple Watch TM wearable. The Lutron Smart Bridge also works with Apple HomeKit, select Honeywell Thermostats, Logitech Harmony remotes, and more. Schedule lights to adjust automatically based on the time of day, or create your favorite scenes that adjust multiple lights and shades with the press of a button. Enable geofencing to automatically turn your lights on/off when you leave or approach home, or to notify you that you left your lights on. All compatible products sold separately. Connects with more leading smart home brands (including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, the Google Assistant, Serena shades and Sonos) than any other smart home lighting control brand to manage lights, voice assistants, cameras, temperature, shades and music Works with Alexa to support dimming or switching the lights on/off through voice control (Alexa device and Caseta dimmers/switches sold separately) Easy to use and simple to set up; just connect to your router and follow app instructions Clear Connect Technology does not interfere or compete with Wi-Fi connected devices Supports up to 75 Caseta devices so you can personalize your home and expand at your pace Easy installation; simply plugs into a wall outlet for power, and plugs into your Wi-Fi router The Lutron Caséta Smart Bridge can be used in place of a Wink hub to control all your Lutron Caseta devices Includes (1) Smart Bridge; coordinating accessories sold separately More Details #Lutron #Caseta #Wireless #Smart #Bridge #Works #Alexa #Apple #HomeKit #Google #Assistant #LBDG2WH #White

#Amazon_Smart_Home #online_shopping #smart_home

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wolfliving · 7 years ago

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Stacey and her repertoire of IoT gadgets

*Better her than me, boyo

A look back at smart devices I have loved By Stacey Higginbotham

Last week, I was pretty hard on the state of the smart home. And so this week, at the prompting of one of my Twitter followers, I decided to take a look at all of the connected devices that I have tried over the last five years and share what works for me, in particular how various devices have fared in my home over time. If you're looking to upgrade a few of your in-home devices, or have a specific use case, below is a list of products, each of which I've spent my money on and have owned happily for more than a year. Maybe you'll find something to gift to your mom or dad this month or next for Mother's or Father's Day. — If you own your home, go ahead and rip out those switches and replace them with something better. This is me swapping out switches in my bedroom. Image courtesy of S. Higginbotham. Let's start with lights. While you can visit this story for my take on the switches vs. bulbs debate, in my home I use both. I have tried dozens of connected bulbs — from fancy LIFX bulbs to basic GE connected bulbs — and so far my favorites are the second-generation Philips Hue color-changing bulbs and Lutron switches. Note that both of these products require a smart home hub such as the Wink 2 or SmartThings. Which I don't mind, because the hub enables me to link these products to HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon's Alexa whenever I feel like it. People who hate hubs will likely want to avoid these particular lights and switches, though. I also use the Hue motion detectors to turn on and off bulbs in my closet, toilet room, and laundry room. But again, I don't have strong feelings either for or against the necessary sensors. I also use smart plugs liberally for lamps and holiday lights. Inside the house, I use three WeMo outlets (one is the energy-monitoring Insight switch) and a Z-wave outlet from SmartThings' first smart home hub kit. I've had one of its outlets for six years and it still works. Outside, I use four Jasco's Z-wave outlets. I love them because they enable my holiday lights to turn on without me having to go out into the cold. Speaking of hubs, if you get serious about this whole smart home plan, you may want to consider getting one. I use both the Wink 2 ($99) and the SmartThings ($85) hub. And for 90% of you, I'm going to recommend the Wink 2 hub, both because it's the easiest to work with and because it has better uptime. SmartThings is for those of you who want to program custom apps, download drivers to increase functionality of your devices, and generally spend a lot of time customizing your smart home. If you aren't excited about spending a few hours every few weeks customizing your smart home automations and changing devices, the SmartThings hub is not for you. In the home security and access category there are so many contenders that it's tough to pick just a few. However, based on my criteria of owning it for more than a year and spending my own money on it, I'll start by recommending the Chamberlain MyQ garage door opener ($80). Not because I want to open my garage door from my app instead of the HomeLink function in my car, but because I can set it to tell me when my garage door has been open for more than 10 minutes. I also gave one to my in-laws so they could confirm their garage door is closed as they drive away from their home. As a bonus, the MyQ links up with the Wink 2 hub, which enables the door opening to be used as a trigger to turn on my porch lights after dark. I've had the MyQ since 2014 and I've so far had to change the battery in the sensor once. The other access technology I get the most questions about are door locks. I've tried a great number of connected door locks, but the one I own is the Kwikset Z-wave lock. It's located on the door that leads into the garage. Admittedly, I rarely use the connectivity; my family likes it largely because of the keypad. I highly recommend keypad locks. I change the battery on the lock about every six months, and every four months when it's super cold (the cold sucks batteries dry). The only place I don't have a connected lock is on my front door; the locking mechanism on it is weird. It frustrates me to no end, though, because I'd love to ditch my key. As for home security, I'm not terribly worried about break-ins. I have two Netgear Arlo cameras I set up inside and outside to capture any weirdness when we leave town. I used to have a Netamo Welcome camera set up to monitor the home's inside, but now I forgo that extra step since I have a dog sitter whom I assume appreciates privacy. I've also had a doorbell camera for the last year, but I wouldn't recommend that particular device to anyone. Which is a shame, because I do think a good doorbell camera is nice to have. Now onto thermostats! I've tried half a dozen of them and currently have the Kono, from Lux Products, installed downstairs ($80 on Amazon). I find it to be a good budget thermostat. I don't like some things about it, such as its refusal to pre-cool my house to the set temperature ahead of schedule, but the CEO told me that customers hated that feature because it cost them more money. Prior to the Kono, I had an Ecobee Si ($167) installed and loved it as a cheaper version of the more glamorous Ecobee 3 and 4 thermostats. It also provided the outside temperature on the face, which was awesome. Upstairs, I have a second-generation Nest thermostat, which has worked for years and does save me a bit of money. All of my thermostats are connected to my smart speakers. I also have motorized shades made by Somfy in my living room, stairway, and bedroom. Those I've hooked to the Wink hub using a proprietary controller made by Somfy. Somfy makes a new one now, but I haven't tried it. It supports far fewer channels, so I'd need two to do what I can currently do with my one older one. I linked my blinds through Wink so I can schedule them to open in the morning and close once the sun starts shining in. And speaking of speakers, one of the first things I put in my newly built home in 2012 was a set of Sonos speakers for every room. I still use them, although my daughter prefers to use the Amazon Echo. I have half a dozen variations of Alexa around my home, including the Echo Show. I don't get a ton of use out of the Show's video screen, but my daughter loves it. I have also taken to calling her on it when I'm traveling, and she's a huge fan of that. I have the Google Home, too; I use it for asking many of the tougher questions that stump Alexa. I still prefer Alexa to Google Home, but I'm trying it every few months to see if that's changed. And it has gotten significantly better. Also on the entertainment front, I have a Harmony home hub made by Logitech. For $99, I connected my TV to Alexa and Google Home, so sitters, my parents, and anyone else can turn on our TV with a voice command. Otherwise trying to figure out which HDMI channel you're supposed to be on and which remote to use is too confusing. I have not tied my lights or anything else to the Harmony hub, although it can act as a control for those devices as well. Instead I use software from Yonomi to create movie time commands that make a variety of connected devices work together without me having to shout at Google or Alexa for 10 minutes. Finally, let's move on to the kitchen. There, I only have one beloved connected device: my June oven. This is a connected oven that has weight sensors in the feet, a camera, a temperature probe, and the smarts to recognize the food I put into it. Based on the data it collects it knows what I am cooking, how much of it there is, and when it is cooked through. At $1,495, it's pricey, but it also acts as a second oven and can do everything from cooking a whole chicken to making toast. I find it's less awesome at baking breads or cakes, but the salmon, roasted broccoli, and even the toast it makes is amazing. We use it daily. I'm sure I've forgotten a device or two that I truly do love, and I have dozens more devices that haven't found a permanent place in my home yet, but the ones I've listed are tried and true smart home devices. If any of them fit a use case you have, you can feel comfortable buying them. In the meantime, I'll continue to try out stuff so I can update this list with more devices that might interest y'all.

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