securifi
Latest
Almond WiFi routers now control Nest gear in your home
Securifi's Almond routers just got much, much more useful if you use one of them as the center of your smart home. Both the base Almond and the Almond+ now talk directly to Nest's thermostat and Protect smoke detector, giving you network-savvy controls that Nest alone can't offer. Thanks to equally new WiFi triggers, you can have the thermostat adjust the temperature the moment your phone connects to your home network. The routers will even "broker" between two connected smartphones -- if you like it hot but your partner wants it cooler, you'll get a temperature in between the two.
Touchscreen-enabled routers double as home automation hubs
If at all possible, we like to keep our router and hub count down to a nice round number of "one." That's the idea behind a pair of new models from Almond which eliminate the need to have both a smarthome hub and router by combing them into one device. The Almond+ and Almond 2015 both support ZigBee home automation, letting you program security camera, lights or lawn sprinkler automation on the built-in touchscreens. They both also function as full-featured routers, with high-powered amplifiers and extender/bridge/access point functionality in case the main router can't reach a corner of your sprawling mansion.
Tech support heroes DO exist
Ahhhh, tech support. It's either really, really good, or it sucks. Usually, all we hear about are the situations where somebody spent four hours on the phone with someone in Mumbai who was reading a script, or the know-nothing person who decided to hang up on you after you suggested that they might want to actually learn something about the product they're "supporting." I recently had two completely different -- but very positive -- tech support experiences that showed me that some companies really do care about customers and go out of their way to make sure customers are happy. Securifi (Almond Router) I've owned a Securifi Almond Router for about 10 months now, and it just chugs away doing its job faithfully. A little over a week ago, I was working on a "how to" post for TUAW and it occurred to me that I hadn't checked for any firmware updates for the Almond since I bought it. So I walked over to the router, tapped on its built-in display and started the update process. Well, the Almond downloaded the new firmware, began loading it and then froze... Of course, it's not a good thing to unplug a device during a firmware update, so I waited. About 30 minutes later, I was beginning to get quite irritated since the router was down and I wasn't getting any work done, so I did the unthinkable and yanked the power cord. Big mistake -- after I plugged it back in, the device was stuck at the Almond startup screen. I called Securifi's support number and was talking to Ashok within seconds. I explained what went on, and then he walked me through a few possible fixes. At one point he asked me to unplug both the device and the AC adapter and leave them unplugged for about 15 minutes, and he called back in exactly 15 minutes to walk me through the next steps. Ashok quickly decided that a replacement device was in order, explained the replacement process to me and then verified my address. Within a few days I had the replacement, and a prepaid UPS shipping label was emailed to me to return the bad unit. Throughout the situation Ashok was the consummate professional, listening intently, asking the right questions and being very polite. This positive support experience made me much more likely to buy Almond's next-generation Almond+ when it arrives. Motrr (Galileo) Motrr's Galileo robotic iPhone mount is a great tool for taking moving time-lapse movies or taking immersive spherical photos using the Sphere app -- that's why I was upset when the darned thing decided to fail while I was on a vacation. It didn't seem to be holding a charge, and the usual "connect" process to pair with the iPhone (you twist the bottom of the Galileo) showed no results. No connection meant no automated Sphere images. Motrr doesn't have a phone number you can call, instead using a few support pages on its website as well as the Zendesk support ticket system. I turned in a request when I got back from my trip, and after a slight delay brought on by the holidays, I was asked by Eliza if I was plugging the Galileo into a wall socket or a computer USB port (it doesn't support USB port charging). I responded that I was using the wall socket and a standard USB AC adapter. At this point there was a bit of a delay, but I was so busy with our new editorial schedule here at TUAW that I really didn't even remember that I hadn't heard back. On Sunday, I thought about the Galileo again, pinged Eliza via email, and got a response yesterday morning with a sincere apology and a suggestion to check out the reset procedure on the support page. Hmmm... I hadn't seen that when I went out to the Motrr website. Sure enough, the reset process -- which is kind of odd as it requires you to short out a few pins on the bottom of the device with a bent paperclip -- worked, and the Galileo is now humming perfectly. As with Ashok at Securifi, all of the online encounters with Eliza were professional and to the point. Do you have any tech support hero stories? Now it's your turn. Honestly, we don't want to hear any stories of bad tech support nightmares because they're so prevalent, but if you've had an experience that made you wanted to jump up and cheer, let us know about it in the comments. Let's give those tech support heroes their gold medals, OK?
Almond+ Router/Smart Home Hub Kickstarter blasts by goal
Those who watched TUAW TV Live a few weeks ago may remember me describing some of the issues that I've run into with streaming video up to Ustream at the same time that my wife is connected to her office VPN. Hawaii's finest tech guru and new TUAW dude Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd mentioned that he'd resolved similar problems by moving from an Apple AirPort Extreme to something called the Almond. After a few minutes of listening to Doc, looking at the device specs on Amazon and checking out some of the buyer ratings, I bought one for US$80 and I'm happy I did. Securifi, the same company that created the Almond, is now running a Kickstarter for the Almond+, which should be of even more interest to Apple fans. There are only 73 hours left in the Kickstarter project for Almond+ at the time I'm writing this, and it's almost at 300 percent of its goal. Why are people so excited about this project? It may be because it's a much faster router than the AirPort Express, supporting the 802.11ac and 802.11n WiFi standards instead of just 802.11n. Perhaps it's because it is also has a touchscreen for easy setup and configuration. Maybe it's the fact that it can also be used as a Zigbee and Z-Wave home controller hub. But I think the fact that it will have a $99 price tag and do all of these things is probably the most attractive feature, especially in light of the $179 price tag of the AirPort Extreme. For Apple users, who pride themselves both on enjoying good design and easy device setup, Securifi's router product delivers at a higher level than Apple's competing products. With the Almond+, the company is raising the stakes on producing accessories with much more utility and a significantly lower price point.
Insert Coin: Securifi Almond+ takes the touchscreen router to the next level
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We've been talking about Securifi's Almond router a fair amount, since the new year rolled around. Darren put the thing through its paces, just after the company announced plans to release its successor -- or, rather, plans to Kickstart the followup. As of this morning, the crowdfunding push has landed. The Taipei-based company launched the Kickstarter page for the next generation of its beloved touchscreen router. The latest version, which we had the opportunity to play around with at CES, features a 2.8-inch display, as before, but adds some much welcomed additions, including support for 802.11ac, Zigbee and Z-Wave. The former promises a WiFi speed bump, the latter two bring the promise of extended home automation. Speaking of home automation, the Almond+ lets you control things like security alerts, heating and light control on the go with your iOS or Android device. Securifi's currently working toward a $250,000 goal, and has some solid prizes to offer up. Those who pledge $95 or more will get the $99 router, along with free shipping. Pledging at $129 will get you one of a number of Kickstarter exclusive colors. Those winning routers are set to ship around September.
IRL: Securifi Almond, Samsung Galaxy Note II and the LG Optimus G
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. This is the one place where it's okay for us Engadget editors to be slightly behind the times. Back at CES a couple weeks ago, for instance, we got hands-on with the Securifi Almond+, a touchscreen router with a fancy all-white design and even fancier support for Zigbee / W-Wave home automation. Here in "IRL," though, we're just fine to talk about the OG Almond, which doesn't offer quite so many add-ons. Rounding things out, we've also got some anecdotes about the Galaxy Note II and Optimus G, neither of which need an introduction at this point.
Securfi Almond+ hands-on (video)
Wireless routers aren't the sexiest of gadgets to come across on the CES showfloor, but Securifi's doing its best with the Almond+. The all-white router, an update to last year's OG Almond, still features a 2.8-inch touchscreen, but now supports the 802.11ac standard for high speeds over 5GHz, in addition to Zigbee and Z-Wave for home automated control. That latter bit is a recent addition to the Almond+'s UI interface, allowing users with compatible Zigbee or Z-Wave products to control lights around the house or even monitor and receive notifications (cloud-synced via a free iOS or Android app) when their door is being opened or closed. Around back the innocuously designed device sports one USB 2.0 and five for gigabit ethernet. At present, Securifi intends to launch the Almond+ on Kickstarter for $99 sometime within the next week, so look for it to debut there soon. While you wait, take a look out our gallery below, as well as video demo just after the break.
Almond+ WiFi router coming to Kickstarter: touchscreen, 802.11ac, home automation
Securifi isn't your average Kickstarter outfit. It already has one Almond wireless touchscreen router under its belt, currently sold at Amazon, and now it's about to bid for crowdfunding to build a sequel: the Almond+. The new device will incorporate a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 touchscreen for PC-free setup, dual band 802.11ac for speeds of up to 1,167Mbps, plus an integrated Smart Home hub that works with the slightly esoteric Zigbee and Z-Wave protocols. In conjunction with the iOS and Android app, this would let you access regular home automation tasks from anywhere, including security alerts and heating and lighting control. We'll see more of it when the project launches at Kickstarter, at which point it'll have a $250,000 funding goal.
