Pēq will let you control and automate your home for a monthly fee
Thinking about upgrading your home? There are plenty of home automation systems to choose from -- and now, there's one more. Pēq (pronounced 'peek') is a new smart home service designed to take the guesswork out of device compatibility by offering a store of self-branded products that integrate seamlessly with the system's central control hub. It's kind of like SmartThings, but with a monthly subscription fee. Pēq's $9.99 service gives users access to smartphone, PC and tablet control apps, the ability to receive e-mail or text message alerts, remote video streaming capabilities, automatic firmware updates and, of course, access to customer service seven days a week.
The system is said to be heading to Best Buy exclusively, but Pēq's collection of hubs, plugs, thermostats and sensors can also be purchased from the company's own website. Pēq's selling point seems to be about making smart home setup simple, but that doesn't mean it's cheap: systems start at $120 for a simple door and window sensor kit and can cost as much as $490 for bundles with motion sensors and lamp modules. Paired with the monthly fee, that could get expensive - but who doesn't want to pay $10 month to see when nana is playing Nintendo Wii? Check out a quick demo (in all it's grandma spying glory) in the video below.
