The WTF Series: Gift shopping for the ‘smart home’
December 8, 2015 | Ben Kittrell
On a daily basis, Ben Kittrell translates the jargon-filled world of technology for clients of his tech consultancy. The Words that Frustrate (WTF) series aims to offer readers some clarity in an industry dominated by techies’ confusing argot.
With Christmas right around the corner, you may be looking for that techie, geeky person in your life that’s hard to shop for.
One of the many hot technologies this year is the smart home, and there are all kinds of great gift options.
Basically a “smart” home has a number of different devices throughout the home that can communicate with each other and automate actions. You might tell your phone “good morning” and the shades come up, the coffee pot starts heating and an omnipotent voice tells you the weather for the day.
Once you’re ready for work you say “goodbye” and the garage opens, your security alarm is armed and your thermostat is set to a more economical temperature. When you get home, you may say “party time” and the lights start flashing, Beastie Boys starts playing and a Facebook invite is automatically sent to your friends telling them your rager going until question mark.
There are many different types of devices out there, and many from different manufacturers. The most popular starting place is probably SmartThings, which was recently purchased by Samsung. Every smart home needs a “hub” with which all of the other devices communicate. For $249 you can buy a kit from SmartThings that includes a hub, a motion sensor, remote controlled outlet and two open/close sensors for doors and windows. An app on your phone allows you to setup these devices and create automated actions.
Another popular option is the Amazon Echo, which is like Siri for your house. The Echo integrates with many different devices and services, including Amazon.com. I can say “Amazon, order some more Nature’s Miracle” and two days later it’s on my doorstep (I’ve got a puppy so this happens a lot). It also integrates with the SmartThings hub so you can tell it to “dim the kitchen lights” or “set the thermostat to 70 degrees”.
And of course you need something to control. Phillips entered the smart home market very early with their “Hue” bulbs. These bulbs are controlled from your phone or smart home hub and can dim or sometimes change color. From the SmartThings app you can say “if the motion sensor is triggered dim this bulb to 70 percent.”
At this point in time I would only recommend these gifts for the tech savvy. While most of these products are designed to work together, it’s not always plug and play. There are different wireless technologies like Zigbee and Z-Wave, but it’s sometimes not clear what’s compatible.
A few other quick smart home gift ideas:
Logitech Harmony – Control your TV and Home Theater.
Dropcam – Smart Security Camera
August – Smart Locks and Doorbells
Ben Kittrell is the co-founder of Doodlekit and an advisor for startups and small businesses. Kittrell also is host of Spare Room Radio, a podcast that features Kansas City entrepreneurs.
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Microwave meals to dating apps: How Sally Williams harnesses the power of new products for founders
After 40 years in the game, a nearly lifelong career might leave little room for surprises. Yet for Sally Williams, every rise of the sun brings new opportunities, revolving largely around Kansas City’s potential to push the bounds of innovation, she said. “I have clients who have products in the International Space Station and I…
Makefully Studios earns $1M grant for problem-solving game co-designed by kids
A Kansas City media company’s commitment to play-based research and development recently helped score Makefully Studios a $1 million government grant for a children’s problem-solving game. “There’s no other word but proud and grateful,” said Anna Jordan-Douglass, founder and chief creative officer of Makefully Studios, which recently was awarded the funds from the National Science Foundation’s…
A dough master brought Chinese hand-pulled noodles (拉面) to South JoCo; a robotic cat delivers them to your table
Hand-pulled noodles were a staple in Elvin Liu’s childhood, he shared, joking that the traditional noodles could be found on any street corner in China — just like Starbucks in the United States. “I moved to Kansas around the end of the year of 2010. I saw a lot of noodle soups, like pho and…
Filling a capital void: AltCap builds capacity, momentum after its busiest year to date
Editor’s note: The following story is sponsored by Academy Bank, a Kansas City based community bank, and is part of a series of features spotlighting some of the bank’s startup and small business partners. The past 18 months have been a critical turning point for AltCap, said Ruben Alonso, as the nonprofit has grown to…