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Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight: Keeping tabs on alarms while you're away
The newest connected device I'm writing about is also one of the most unique ones I have had the pleasure to test. Leeo (US$99) is billed as a Smart Alert Nightlight, a device that you plug into a wall socket where it keeps tabs on any beeps coming from your smoke or CO detectors, and also monitors temperature and humidity in the room it's in. If an alarm goes off or if ambient conditions exceed some pre-defined limited, not only are you informed via an app, but you can have friends or even emergency responders informed that something's wrong. So what's the point? Well, a lot of us are away from our homes a good deal of the day, so we can't hear a smoke alarm going off if we accidentally left an appliance on, or a CO monitor beeping if the furnace suddenly goes on the blink. Leeo listens for those alarms, then notifies you if anything out of the ordinary happens. Design Leeo's an attractive little device, a truncated cone about 88mm wide at the front, 60mm at the back, and about 27mm thick. A North American wall plug is on the back, and the front features a small grid of holes. Around the back of the truncated cone is a translucent white plastic through which LEDs can create almost any color light. The light can act both as an alert and as a nightlight. It's an unobtrusive device with a smart premise - you can't hear smoke and CO detectors when you're not at home, so Leeo provides a set of electronic ears to always be listening for those beeps. Anytime they occur, you're going to be alerted via an app and can also have neighbors, friends, or emergency responders contacted automatically. This is all done without a monitoring fee; all you need to do is sign up for a free account and then have the device plugged in and connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Functionality Setting up Leeo was a breeze. You basically just plug it in, wait about a minute until it becomes "aware" of the surroundings and goes through some startup processes, and then use the app and Bluetooth to set up an account and make some initial settings. Since Leeo connects to your Wi-Fi network, you'll need to select that network in the app and then provide the app with the Wi-Fi password. Once the system is up and running, you'll get an up-to-the-minute look at the temperature and humidity that Leeo is seeing in the room where it is installed. Leeo works best if you have smoke detectors that have a way to be tested - like pressing that little button so you can hear it beep incessantly. Why? Well, the app provides a way for you to test Leeo's "hearing" by letting it "listen" to the smoke and CO detectors. This is also the point at which you can enter in phone numbers for friends and family who might be able to check to see if flames are indeed shooting out of your home. Once Leeo hears the beeping or siren, it will let you know. The app provides a notification as well as a way to listen to the siren via Leeo's microphone for verification. What's interesting about Leeo is that I'm betting you could also use it to listen for other connected alarms - Piper, which I reviewed back in April of 2014, watches for motion and then sets off an earsplittingly loud siren if it sees it. Although Piper also provides notification via its app, Leeo would be an excellent companion and backup notification method. Lest we forget, Leeo is also billed as a nightlight, and it performs that function admirably. As with the Philips Hue LED lights and most other color LED lamps that are app-controlled, there's a color picker in the Leeo app for selecting the color and brightness of the nightlight. For my testing, Leeo was in a blue bathroom, so I gave it a weak blue glow (see image at top of post). Leeo has an ambient light detector built in as well, so it can be told to turn off the LED when it is light out, then turn it on at night. One thing I was kind of surprised with was the lack of IFTTT integration for Leeo, considering that most other connected devices seem to jump on the IFTTT bandwagon. That's about my only beef with Leeo right now, although it's not a showstopper. Conclusion Leeo is a welcome addition to the connected devices market, bringing a set of electronic ears to your home with which to notify you or others of any smoke or CO detectors that have gone off. It has perhaps the easiest setup of any connected device I've reviewed to date, and the price is right in line with other devices on the market. This is the perfect product for anyone who wants to start automating their home, but doesn't want to jump all in at the present time. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
TUAW's Best of 2012 Personal Picks: Steve Sande
While I'm busy running the TUAW Best of 2012 nominations and voting process (voting starts soon!), I have a few favorites that I wanted to pass along as my personal Best of 2012. These picks don't follow any particular order and they're definitely not following the categories that we've set up for the TUAW Best of 2012. Best Desktop Mac: The new 27" iMac. With a 1 TB Fusion Drive, 16 GB of RAM (so far) and a blazing 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU plus a less reflective display, this was my favorite purchase of the year. Best iPhone: The iPhone 5. Sure, I really didn't need one this year, and I probably should have saved the money. But what an amazing phone! It's light, amazingly thin, fast, and the 4" screen is outstanding. On top of that, Siri seems to work quite a bit faster. Best iPhone and iPad Game: Without a doubt, it's Letterpress. Don't laugh, but while I'm writing this I'm also playing a game against "Harumph" of TUAW TV Live. Best iPhone, iPad and Mac Writing App: Day One. I love this app, since it lets me keep a daily journal wherever I happen to be. I've used all three versions to enter my "Dear Diary" entries, and they're always in sync. Universal iOS app is here, Mac app is here. One of the first things I plan to do in 2013 is to sit down and read my entries for the past year. Best iPhone Navigation App: Sorry, Google Maps, but I find Apple's much-maligned iOS 6 Maps app to be perfectly fine. I like the Siri integration, being able to say things like "Take me home" to get directions back to my house from somewhere else, or "When will I arrive at home?" to get an estimated time of arrival. Best iOS 6 Surprise: Hands-down, it's Passbook. I use it for airline boarding passes, Starbucks purchases, and movie tickets. I can't wait to see where Apple and third parties take Passbook in 2013. Best iPhone, iPad and Mac Browser: Google Chrome. It's fast, it syncs settings between platforms, and it just seems to work on everything for me. iPhone version's here, iPad is here, and Mac can be downloaded here. Best iPad stylus: It's a tie! I don't usually use a stylus unless I am attempting art, but when I do, I love both the Pogo Connect and the Sensu Brush. Best iPad Accessory: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. Best Apple-related Books: Hey, I'd be remiss if I didn't put in a personal plug for two books written by me and my buddy Erica Sadun. Talking To Siri will soon be out in a second edition and enhanced edition, while Pitch Perfect is about to come out in an expanded version. Best Mac Utility: Reflector. I use this app to broadcast iPhone and iPad screens on TUAW TV Live, and it's also useful for capturing video for training purposes. It was excellent when it first came out and has been getting steadily better with each new release. That's just a random sampling of some of my favorite things from 2012. It was really a great year for both applications and accessories, with some real maturity coming to the iOS market. I can't wait to see what's in store for 2013. We'll start voting on the TUAW Best of 2012 soon, so keep your eyes open.
Win a new iPad from Fieldfolio and TUAW
By now, you've had a chance to check out the specs of the new iPad and you're probably salivating with anticipation. But if you're like a lot of folks, there are more important things to spend your hard-earned dollars on -- like rent, tuition, car payments, food, you name it. That's why Fieldfolio, in association with TUAW, is giving you a chance to win a brand new 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad valued at US$499. For those of you who are taking advantage of the new lower pricing for the iPad 2 or looking for a much cooler case for your existing iPad 2, you'll be thrilled to know that Fieldfolio's cases for the existing iPad 2 are still in production. You can use the promotion code TUAW to get 10 percent off of your order through next week. To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below completely and click the submit button. We're also asking you to send a tweet about the giveaway by clicking the "Tweet Your Entry" link below. Entries must be made by Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 11:59 PM EDT. Tweet Your Entry! The rules are as follows: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, click fill out the form below completely and click the submit button, and send a tweet about the giveaway by clicking the "Tweet Your Entry" link above. Your entry must be made before Wednesday, March 14, 2012, 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: A new 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad (early 2012) valued at US$499 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Entries are now closed for this giveaway! Best of luck to all the entrants...
