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Amazon Echo controls Belkin WeMo and Philips Hue with your voice
Amazon's voice-controlled speaker just became a lot more useful. In an email to Echo owners, the online retailer revealed some Philips Hue and Belkin WeMo gadgets can now be paired with the audio device. This means that the unit's ability to accept your spoken commands extends to home automation tech -- in addition to its music duties. Once the whole lot is connected to your home WiFi, a simple "discover my appliances" will automatically pair them. From there, dimming the lights, turning on the coffee pot and more is a matter of uttering the proper phrase. For now, supported products include Philips Hue A19, Lux, BR30, Bloom, and LightStrip as well as Belkin WeMo Switch, Insight Switch and Light Switch. If the added features convinced you to splurge for one, you'll have to wait in line. You can request an invite to order the $200 speaker, but it'll take several weeks to hit your inbox.
Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker review: Can WiFi make cooking easier?
Frying, baking, grilling, searing, boiling, roasting -- whatever the method, I love to cook. It's not always easy, and sometimes it's just plain hard work, but at least it's the kind of work I enjoy. Even so, I've never used a slow cooker, and have always been a little jealous of my friends who have one. Put ingredients in and deliciousness comes out. It seems so easy! Since I hadn't yet run out to my nearest Target to add a slow cooker to my kitchen collection, I jumped at the chance to try the Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo. The name is a bit of a mouthful, but the idea of a slow cooker I could monitor remotely seemed like a definite plus -- using it to check on the things I cook and making adjustments as needed. And in this case, I could do it from my phone, even while riding on the train or walking to my apartment. Convenient!
SmartThings shows off the ridiculous possibilities of its connected home system
Sure, we had to hop in a cab and take a rather expensive ride out into the boonies. But we had no option -- SmartThings had no official presence on the CES floor. Thankfully, the 45 minutes we spent in transit were not wasted. The company rented a rather opulent McMansion far from the strip and tricked it out with sensors, connected light bulbs, smart locks and cameras. It looked like the sort of place that was probably used as the set in a porn at some point, but on this day it was the location of a rather impressive connected home demo meant to showcase its new Labs program. SmartThings announced Labs during CES, which gives users early access to third party apps and devices. Philips Hue, Belkin WeMo, and Sonos are the first three partners to join, and many of the demos in the home revolved around those products. For example, they built a "wake up" routine triggered by a Jawbone Up24. When the wearable is taken out of sleep mode, it tells SmartThings to turn on the lights in the kitchen, start brewing a pot of coffee and fires up NPR news on a Sonos Play1. In other examples the Sonos was used as an alarm or virtual guard dogs. A more fun example had a motion sensor attached to a hammer inside a piano. When that particular key is hit, it tells a Sonos to playback a file, allowing founder and CEO Alex Hawkinson to mime his way through a rather challenging classical piece. Obviously, there isn't much practical purpose to rigging up your piano with sensors (at least not that we can think of) but it shows just how versatile the young ecosystem already is. We don't want to ruin all the surprises, so just check out the video after the break, in which Mr. Hawkinson gives you tour of SmarthThings' CES headquarters.
Belkin announces a remote-controllable slow cooker, smart LED light bulbs
Last year, if you recall, Belkin announced a partnership with Jarden (the company behind brands like Mr. Coffee, Sunbeam and Crock-Pot), promising we'd eventually see kitchen appliances with Belkin's WeMo home automation control built in. Now, at CES 2014, Belkin finally has a real product to show for it: The company just announced the Crock-Pot WeMo Slow Cooker (how's that for a name?). Being a smart product and all, you can use the WeMo app for iOS or Android to remotely turn it on or off, adjust the temperature or change the time settings. You can also receive reminders so that you don't let it sit too long. Look for it to ship this spring for $100, with an air purifier, space heater and coffee maker to follow later this year. Additionally, Belkin introduced the WeMo Smart LED Bulb, a dimmable light that can be controlled remotely using the same WeMo app you'd use to control the slow cooker. In particular, you can control the bulbs individually or in groups, and also set them to dim as you sleep and wake up. Once it goes on sale this spring, you'll need to shell out $130 for the starter kit, which includes two bulbs (60W-equivalent) and a bridge that plugs into an outlet. Thereafter, the lights cost $40 apiece and are said to last up to 23 years. Also, the bridge can connect to up to 50 bulbs, so odds are you'll never have to buy another. Last up, there's the WeMo Maker kit, which lets modders manage anything with a simple DC switch -- gates, garage doors, blinds, AC units, you name it. That will also arrive this spring, but no word on price.
TUAW on YouTube Geek Week: Stupid WeMo Tricks
YouTube fans rejoice! It's Geek Week, which means that you can get your geeky groove on by checking out all of the best nerd-produced videos on the Web. TUAW has provided four videos for your Geek Week enjoyment on Brainiac Tuesday -- that's today -- and we've got 'em on the YouTube TUAWVideo channel. My contribution was a pair of videos showing some "Stupid WeMo Tricks." As longtime TUAW readers may remember, WeMo is a line of home automation products made by accessory manufacturer Belkin that can be controlled via a free app and/or iFTTT. In these two videos, The Cat Cooler and The Magic Fountain, you can see how I used the WeMo Switch and Motion Sensor to perform some automated "magic." The company added a connected wall switch to the line on July 22, so that's not included in the videos. You can also see Victor Agreda, Jr.'s two-part interview with Tim DeBenedictis, founder and president of Southern Stars. You'll get to see how their premier product SkySafari 3 works, and how to use a wireless connection to control a telescope. Enjoy the videos, and be sure to check out all of the Geek Week action on YouTube. The Cat Cooler The Magic Fountain
Belkin WeMo home automation to gain an iOS-controlled light switch
Belkin's iOS-compatible WeMo home automation system has been the subject of several posts here on TUAW including a full review. I've used the system with the IFTTT scripting service to do everything from cooling off myself and Ruby the Internet-famous cat to turning on the Christmas lights with Siri. Belkin announced in a support forum this weekend that it will introduce an iOS-controlled light switch later this year. At the present time, WeMo consists of three units, all of which are controlled by the WeMo iOS app (free). There's a motion sensor if you want to set up something to happen when a human or pet walks by, and a lamp switch that plugs into an existing wall socket to control turning a lamp or other device on or off. Belkin also added a WeMo baby monitor to the family for listening to infants on iOS devices. The new light switch seen at right breaks Belkin's self-imposed "no screwdriver rule" by requiring installation onto existing wiring, but opens up homes to automation via WiFi and iOS-enabled switches. No pricing or availability date has been set for the new light switch, but here's hoping that the price will be close to the existing US$45 - $50 that Belkin currently charges for the lamp switch.
Belkin WeMo Baby monitor lets you listen to Junior via an internet connection and an iOS device
Belkin's line of WeMo products is all about home automation, and its latest addition, the WeMo Baby, lets you listen to the cooing and crying of your offspring from afar. The device is a WiFi-enabled microphone that streams audio of your baby to up to six devices simultaneously -- provided they're running iOS 5 or higher and the free WeMo Baby companion app. That app's powered by Evoz's baby monitoring service and it works over a 3G, 4G, or WiFi connection. So, absentee parents can keep tabs on their bundle of joy whether they're in another room or sneaking a cold one at the pub round the corner. What's the price for such parental freedom? $90 when it goes on sale early next month. Full PR and an app screenshot can be found after the break.
Belkin's WeMo: iPhone-based home automation with a taste of IFTTT
In my futuristic dreams, I'm able to control everything in my house from my iPhone. That dream might not be too far off, thanks to the Belkin WeMo system. The WeMo currently consists of two hardware devices -- a Wi-Fi equipped power switch/outlet and a Wi-Fi equipped motion sensor -- plus a free WeMo iOS app; the entire Belkin WeMo system is an easy way to move into home automation. Let's take a look. Setting up the devices You can currently buy the WeMo switches for US$49.99 each or a set with a switch and a motion sensor for $99.99. I chose to buy the set, as I have some "experiments" I want to try. Belkin obviously looked at how other companies were doing setup of wireless devices and chose to come up with the most simple method possible. To get both switches working took me less than three minutes. %Gallery-162203% You begin by plugging the device into a standard wall outlet. At first, a small light flashes blue and red to indicate that the device isn't configured. Launching the WeMo app, you're given instructions on how to proceed. First, go to iPhone Settings, tap Wi-Fi and select the WeMo's temporary WiFi network. Next, go back to the app, where the device appears in a list. You tell the app the name of your normal home or office Wi-Fi network, enter the password for that network, and then choose whether to store the settings in the app. Doing the latter step makes set up of all other devices a real snap, as the app already knows the name and password for the network. And with that, you're done. After I played around with turning lights on and off for a while, I noticed that there was a firmware update for the WeMo boxes. The process for updating is easy. You basically tap a button on the iPhone screen and wait for about three minutes. Using the app and setting rules There's not too much to say about the app, other than once again it's simple. There are tabs for switches, sensors and rules. For the switches, you'll see a list of all WeMo switches on your network. Each switch, which you can give a custom name, has an on/off button. Tap the button, the device is turned on and the button turns green. Tap it again, the button goes back to gray and the device is turned off. With the motion sensor, there's not a lot you can do until you set up a rule. Rules are exactly that -- "turn on the living room lamp if the laundry room entrance sees motion on Mondays between 2 and 4 PM" as an example. Rules can also be used with the switches. You can choose to program a switch to go on or off at a specific time, or you can turn something on, then off again a few hours later. But the built-in rules are rather simple... WeMo, meet IFTTT Whoever the person was at Belkin who had the brilliant thought to integrate WeMo with If This Then That (IFTTT.com) should get a big raise. If you've never used IFTTT before, give it a try. There are currently 50 "channels" on IFTTT, with everything from Twitter and Facebook to ESPN and weather. You create "recipes" that perform a certain action if a specific trigger is met. For example, I use a recipe that tweets the URL of every post that I write on TUAW from my Twitter account. What does this have to do with WeMo? Well, there are IFTTT channels for the WeMo motion detector and switch. This opens up all sorts of possibilities. Say you want to receive a text message whenever your cat uses the litter pan. You set up a motion detector next to the litter pan, and every time el gato feels the need to go, you get tweeted. There are even wilder things you can set up. Plug a fan into a WeMo switch, then set up an IFTTT recipe to turn the fan on if the local outside temperature goes above 85° F (I tried this -- it works). Have IFTTT call you whenever someone enters the house (it works). And if you want to shut that fan off, you can either write another recipe or just use the WeMo app to shut it off remotely. For push notifications, mix in a dash of Pushover and those emails and phone calls you're receiving on your iPhone turn into regular old notifications. Conclusion While the components are a little pricey, the WeMo system is probably about the easiest home automation system to configure. Anyone can set up this system in minutes, then proceed to control lights, fans, appliances, and more from their iPhone anywhere there's data service. With the IFTTT integration, it's possible to set up a huge variety of recipes to mix and match apps and services to work at your command. Pros If WeMo was any more simple to set up, it would set itself up iPhone app is well written and easy to use Firmware updates are installed with one tap of a button Remote access extends your reach to your home lights and appliances to anywhere with data service Attractive design IFTTT integration turns a simple set of devices into a home automation powerhouse Cons A bit on the expensive side, but still affordable for many Who is it for? Anyone who wants to dabble with iPhone-controlled home automation but doesn't have the skills or patience to build their own hardware or write their own apps.
Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion home automation system for iOS hands-on (video)
Proper home automation systems can cost upwards of $10,000, and while budget alternatives can't touch the level of integration you'll enjoy with a behemoth rig, all but the most sophisticated of homeowners can squeak by with a simple timer setup -- or the modern equivalent. Belkin's WeMo duo utilizes two types of plug-in modules paired with an iOS 5+ app, which you'll use to set macros, control lights and schedule on/off times. A Switch module can turn on and off a lamp, fan, coffee maker, television or heating appliance from a connected iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. You can also set a seemingly unlimited number of detailed schedules for each device, all from the comfort of your WiFi-equipped touchscreen handheld. You can integrate the optional Motion device with a set of macros as well, configuring your lights to turn on once you step through the foyer, or your coffee maker to launch a brew as you walk through your bedroom door. We wired up a lamp in a New York City apartment to give WeMo a go, and things generally worked as advertised. Setup is fairly straightforward -- simply plug in a module, select its corresponding SSID broadcast from iOS then launch the free app to force the device onto your home WiFi network. You'll need to repeat the process to add each gadget or sensor, but once you do, you'll be able to config and control any connected gadget from anywhere on the network, or beyond. The system theoretically supports remote access without any additional setup (modules are registered to the app) but we weren't able to power up the lamp while on 3G during multiple attempts. That detail aside, we'd be happy to welcome WeMo into our home, though the absent Android app throws in a speed bump for sure. You have two options for adding WeMo -- there's a Switch + Motion kit available for $100, which includes a power control and motion sensor, or you can opt for the Switch solo for $50. Then, simply add as many outlet controllers as you wish, at 50 bucks a pop. You can see that first combo in action in our hands-on video after the break.
Belkin's WeMo home automation gear up for pre-order, iOS current control for under $100
Been quietly pining for Belkin's couch potato home automation solutions? Well, the wait is (almost) over, as the company has finally put its WeMo Switch and Motion products up for pre-order. You can reserve yours through Belkin or Amazon, with the Switch costing $49.99 and the Motion / Switch bundle setting you back a neat $99.99. Apple likes it enough to add the gear to its home-friendly repertoire in-store on the 26th, while other retailers, Verizon included, will be stocking them shortly afterwards. Rig the Switch up to your WiFi at home and you can control the flow of juice from its outlet via the WeMo iOS app (sorry, no Android love). Add in the motion detector and you can set rules for power control based on proximity triggers. Interestingly, Belkin also reports IFTTT integration, meaning the devices can be used for a lot more than the simple on / off remote commands and scheduling we originally thought. For those with iDevices, the free WeMo app is available now, not that it's particularly useful just yet. Need Mo? Check out the official PR and a promotional vid after the break.
Belkin announces WeMo home automation system; controls electrical outlets with your smartphone, motion
If you're looking to control the electrical outlets of your home or apartment via your newfangled smartphone, Belkin has you covered. The company has unveiled the first two products of its newly launched WeMo line of home automation technology. The WeMo Home Control Switch is a plug that doubles as a programmable on / off for any device from lighting to coffee pots. Alongside the outlet power control, the WeMo Motion Sensor will detect your movement and when used in tandem with the Home Control Switch, can be programmed to power on electrical items in reaction to motion. Both pieces of the Belkin kit require the free WeMo app and will set you back $49.99 and $59.99, in order of mention. These two initial products will be available in the US in March, with more devices coming in the Fall.
