As prices continue to drop, and the technology becomes easier to use, ‘smart home’ devices are set to explode in popularity. As someone who once swore off such things, I now have Wi-Fi-enabled electric sockets and home cameras. When I am away, I can turn on a lamp and monitor my house. It is very cool, but slightly annoying that there is no central app for all of my connected home devices. Since I chose different brands, I unfortunately have a few different apps on my smartphone and tablet.
Today, iDevices announces ‘Smart Home Essentials’. This focused kit is both Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa compatible. By purchasing this well-designed kit, you can avoid managing multiple apps. It even comes with free concierge service based in the USA for help setting things up (if needed).
“The Smart Home Essentials kit was born from iDevices’ vision that home automation should be as seamless and invisible as possible to the user. Smart home products should enhance everyday life and create peace of mind, not headaches. iDevices set out to simplify and educate consumers with one package that will deliver the ultimate smart home experience that programs and pays for itself. The Essentials kit serves as a smart home foundation which users can easily and dynamically expand upon with new products and customizations moving forward, especially as iDevices expands their product offering”, says iDevices.
The company further says, “this unique Concierge Service offers users priority access to the iDevices team of Connecticut-based smart home experts. Customers have the option to schedule a personalized, guided setup to ensure their transition to a smart home is simple and seamless. With the purchase of the Smart Home Essentials kit, users get priority access to the iDevices Concierge Service made up of smart home experts adept at supporting iDevices products and other manufacturers as well. iDevices will also provide personalized tips, tutorials and exclusive promotions to take full advantage of what the Smart Home Essentials kit has to offer”.
You get a lot of smart home accessories in the box — five indoor outlet switches (that double as LED nightlights), three light bulb socket adapters (with dimming), and a dual outlet for outdoor use. This means you can control all of these accessories while either at home or remotely.
The ‘Smart Home Essentials’ kit is entirely focused on electricity — turning devices and lamps on and off. The indoor outlet switches in particular are great for forgetful and paranoid folks that are worried about leaving things on. Besides lamps, you could plug in, for instance, an electric iron or space heater. Then, if you are away from home and find yourself panicked about leaving something on that could be a fire hazard, you can simply cut power from the outlet.
Besides turning things on and off, the kit can monitor and report electricity usage too. For those that care about conservation for the environment, or simply saving money on electric bills, Smart Home Essentials can tell you which devices are costing you the most money.
While everything in the box is very useful, I am most intrigued by the outdoor outlet. Why? Christmas lights! Yes, the holidays are quickly approaching, meaning many folks will decorate their homes and yards with twinkling lights and inflatable cartoon characters. How cool would it be to turn them all off before bed using your iPhone or Amazon Echo? Getting out of a warm bed on a cold night because you can’t remember if you turned off your outdoor display becomes a thing of the past.
If you are interested in purchasing the iDevices ‘Smart Home Essentials’, you can get it for $499 here.
