SqBlaster
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SQ Blaster Plus blasts some infra-red at the FCC
The SQ Blaster Plus strolled into town, but before it knew what had hit it, it was bundled into the back of a van and taken to the FCC's secret underground bunker in Washington. It was there that strange men in blue lab coats found out what lay beneath that black plastic box that's remarkably similar to last year's offering. Hidden inside is a 802.11 b/g WiFi module and an infrared blaster, capable of beaming out commands to your TV and similarly equipped appliances. It's also only packing the one side-mounted aerial, whereas the older generation had the choice of internal or external. Now that it's been passed fit and proper by the government, it can't be long until it reaches our shelves pre-order lists.
Square Connect SQ Blaster and SQ Remote review: Home automation, unified
Having already taken our first feverish steps down the path of an automated home, we figured it was time to try and integrate the home entertainment system with the household lighting. Our goal coming into this review was to sit down on the sofa and hit a single button on an old, unused iPhone 3G to automatically dim the lights, fire up the 5.1 sound, flip on the media streamer, and ignite the projector. To accomplish this seemingly monumental task we installed a WiFi-enabled SQ Blaster in the TV cabinet, a puck-shaped IR blaster from Square Connect that communicates with MiOS home control gateways like Mi Casa Verde's Vera. So, did we succeed? Did we achieve the ultimate in home-owner nerdvana? You'd better believe it. Read on to find out how.
SQ Blaster Pro is a WiFi, Z-Wave, and IR blaster home automation powerhouse
We've seen plenty of IR blasters around the Engadget trailer but few, if any, include WiFi and Z-Wave home automation radios. But that's exactly what the boys over at Square Connect have planned as a followup to their existing SQ Blaster product. A trick that lets you control your home theater equipment, window coverings, lights, and HVAC systems from the company's own SQ Remote iPhone app. At least that's the plan when it ships sometime around Q2, possibly touting WiFi Direct capability and Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). The device above is a non-working prototype that just happens to look nice with the Apple TV. It features cutouts for a USB port (power and setup), IR extenders, built-in blasters, and removable antenna. Working models are already in field testing with shipments expected to land in the homes of consumers sometime in Q2. %Gallery-113322%
