Do you or someone you have sex ( or at least give enough of a damn about to buy a holiday gift for ) want to research this whole “ smart home ” idea without buying into a whole ecosystem ? There are raft of ways to get started , but these gadgets seamlessly incorporate into your current , I.Q. - challenge abode . Best of all , they ’re middling cheap .
SnapPower USB Faceplate
Everyone has a smartphone now , so why have n’t release faceplate develop with the clip ? SnapPower ’s created a faceplate for the modern era by introduce a USB porthole on the bottom , so you do n’t have to consecrate a worthful socket to your smartphone ’s daily get-up-and-go needs .
The good part : It works seamlessly with duplex and décor outlets with two prong drawing power from the screws on your outlet . It takes one screwdriver and about two arcminute to instal . you’re able to also get ones with LED on the bottom to help light hall . badly , it ’s the best . Head toSnapPower ’s online store , where a single faceplate charger will run you $ 20 ( although you could purchase up to packs of 10 ) .
Roost Smart Battery
“ Buying someone a battery as a present tense ? I actually like this person , you know ? ” Hear me out , this is n’t some lump of ember talent for your frenemy , this stamp battery connects to your wifi connection , retrofit your dumb smoke or CO alarum into a smart one . The stamp battery sends notification while you ’re away , and you could also silence false alarm clock with the Roost app when you ’re cooking up that steak for dinner .
Philips Hue 2.0
Philips Hue has long been the standard bearer for fresh dwelling house kindling , principally because it integrate with all kinds of personal hubs , like Amazon ’s Echo , Google ’s Nest , and now with Hue 2.0 , it can be voice - controller via Siri and Apple ’s HomeKit . you could control lights through a smartphone app or make lighting “ setting ” for movie - watching or sex - making . Listen , I do n’t know what you do in your free time . The hub costs $ 60 ( $ 40 if you ’re upgrading from an old Philips Hue system ) , but the starter pack ( admit light bulb ) is a little bit more .
Nest Dropcam
family security system is a scary full term that can mean forceful facility of garish cameras that begin to change state your home into some variety of max security chemical compound . If you just need a little visual peace of mind without all the high-priced gear mechanism , the Nest Cam works curiosity . It ’s part of the Nest lineup of product , but like its ancestor Dropcam , it can work with almost any rest home apparatus — just as long as you have wireless fidelity . It cover 130 degrees and films in 1080p . you could buy a monthly $ 10 or $ 30 subscription calculate on how many days of playback you take ( you could ascertain a livestream for free ) , so you might need to factor out that program into your present budget .
Tile
Do you lose shit ? I lose shit forever , so it helps to have affair like Tile to give some sanity to my life . The approximation is elementary , and not exactly unparalleled , but stick one of these tiles on something virtually and dear to you , like keys for example , and lie easy . Your smartphone will keep tabs on your things , making trusted you ’re never have to thumb over posterior cushion in a frantic hunting . Oh , and if you happen to lose your earphone , you may weight-lift any Tile to force your phone band , even if it ’s on silent . Just … don’t lose both . Then you ’re just screwed .
SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit
I ’ve travel along SmartThings ever since they were an challenging Kickstarter . Now , they ’re owned by one of the biggest technology companies in the cosmos , and for good reason . They make the melodic theme of a “ smart house ” less scarey with a suite of widget that just work . The starter hardening come with a hub along with two all - use detector , a motion sensor , and a smart outlet , but the system also play well with a variety of third - party gadgets as well . The coolest advantage of SmartThings is a passionate DIY community of interests , perpetually search new way to utilise the chic home organization .
Ikea Wireless Charging Lamp
This endowment requires a bit of detection before you may pull in out the cite poster . For one , you need to know what smartphone your talent receiver is using and if they ’re changing anytime shortly . Once you have that all figured out and you know the earphone does support Qi wireless charging , then the Riggad Ikea lamp ( $ 79.99 ) is dandy for bring elegance and technology together . One matter to keep in mind , however , is that iPhones do n’t endorse wireless charging unless you have a compatible case , and Android seems to slowly mistreat away from the idea to take on USB Type - C charging . But hey , even if they do n’t use the charging part , it ’s still a nice lamp . You ’re welcome .
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60280682/
Amazon Echo
When Amazon announce the Echo , we call it “ its most important intersection in yr , ” and with the steady parade of updates its see since , it ’s only get more telling . Not only can it play nice with Belkin WeMo and SmartThings devices ( see above ) , it can also play medicine , answer questions , and keep runway of sportsman scoresamong a bunch of other thing . It ’s essentially a smart home hub , but with a personality .
Parrot Flower Power
I ’ll be the first to admit , I do n’t have a unripened thumb . Hell , I ’d credibly find a means to even kill a cactus , but hopefully Parrot ’s Flower Power works - monitor system can serve . pose this little thingumabob in the dirt and can data back on how well your flora is doing , including sun , humidity , temperature , and fertilizer . It ’s worth noting that Parrot ’s announced an update to the Flower Power , hollo the Flower Power H2O that can also water your industrial plant for you . But it ’s yet to have any sort of announced release date , just a long - standing “ come 2015 ” promise .
LittleBits Smart Home Kit
If you you want to practice your brain beyond the “ download app and enjoy ” routine , perchance give LittleBits Smart Home Kit a effort . Think of it as Legos for electronics . Build introduction out of circuits to produce merriment little automations connect into IFTTT . you’re able to also ascertain out LittleBits website for projects and other sources of inspiration .
AmazonAmazon EchoGift GuideIKEAPhilips HueSmart Home
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