Make your Home Smarter
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10 ways to make your
home 'smarter'
If you enjoy technology, you've probably drooled over high
tech homes you see in the movies or magazines. What if we were to tell you that
at least some of that is easily doable?
Here’s how you can make your existing home smarter…
1: ENRG Rainbow Smart
LED bulbs¬
These 9 Watt LED bulbs are a quick upgrade when you want
remote controlled lights while the colour changing feature is a superb bonus.
The RF remote (Rs 1,000 extra, but a required accessory) can be used to control
up to 20 bulbs.
It's responsive, doesn't need to be pointed at the bulbs to
work, controls brightness as well as changes the colour of the light per your
taste.
You only need to pair each bulb with the remote the first
time you use it. Thereafter, the link is maintained even if the bulbs are
swapped out.
One catch is that they only come in the E27 (screw type)
base so make sure that your light fitting supports it before buying.
Price: Rs 1,290 each
2 : ENENRG Speaker
LED BulbRG Speaker LED Bulb
This dual purpose device is a 10Watt LED bulb and Bluetooth
speaker in one unit ¬and it fits into the most common B22 `bayonet' type of
bulb holder used in India.
Inside the housing is a single 10Watt Bluetooth speaker that
you can connect with to a phone, tablet or computer to play music.
The box includes an infrared remote to switch the light on,
off and control basic Bluetooth music functions (volume/track).
ENRG has thoughtfully included both warm white and cool
daylight LED modules which can be swapped depending on your preference. Imagine
the surprise of your guests when they can't figure out where the music is
playing from.
Price: Rs 2,590
3: ZicZicom Wireless
home security system¬om Wireless home security system¬
Installing a home security system can be a complicated
affair ¬ but for a retrofit, Zicom has a wireless solution and many available
add-ons to suit your budget and preference.
You can have wireless glass break sensors, motion sensors,
door window open sensors and gas leak sensors that communicate directly with
the central panel.
Note that each peripheral sensor needs batteries to operate.
With the system armed, any changes will wirelessly alert the central panel
which sets off a loud alarm.
Zicom also sells fingerprint enabled door locks that work on
batteries . Install them as usual in place of a conventional lock and use your
finger to unlock the door.
Price: Rs 15,000 onwards
4: Wireless IP
camera¬Wireless IP camera¬
Setting up a security camera is simpler than you think. You
no longer have to worry about technicalities, loads of equipment and messy
wiring.
All you need is a WiFi network and a smartphone. Get a
wireless IP camera with pantilt support and two way audio communications . You
can also have more than one.
The camera needs a power outlet and can be placed on a table
or mounted on a wall.
You need to connect the camera to your Wi-Fi network using
the provided setup instructions ¬ takes around 5-10 minutes. Once done, you can
remotely access the camera feed, control camera movements and even have two-way
communication using the smartphone app or a browser.
Price: Rs 5,000 onwards
4: Philips Living
Colours¬
Lighting is an essential part of any room. If you want to
deviate from the standard white and off-white lighting, you can use different
colours to suit (or change) your mood. The Philips Living Colours range is
available in micro (Rs 4,025), mini (Rs 11,999) and tablet lamp (Rs 13,225)
variants.
They offer multiple colours and adjustable intensity to instantly
give a new look to any room.
The entry-level lamp restricts you to 64 colours while the
table lamp lets you switch between 16 million hues. The table lamp also comes
with a wireless remote control and allows two lamps to be connected and
controlled with a single remote.
Price: Rs 4,025 onwards
5: Violet 3D surround
systemlet 3D surround system¬
You need a minimum of five speakers and a subwoofer for true
surround sound, but setting up a home theatre system in an existing room means
you have masses of cables snaking around the room.
With Violet 3D, each speaker is wireless and communicates
with a central transmitter that is connected to your audio, video sources.
There are multiple configurations available depending on your budget.
To make sure that you get the best sound, an initial setup
process auto-configures each speaker to the shape/size of your room and
placement of speakers -- all you have to do is place the supplied microphone in
the spot where you intend to sit.
Note that while each speaker is wireless, it still needs a
connection to a 220V wall outlet.
Price: Rs 65,000 onwards
6: Kohler Moxie
Showerheadhler Moxie Showerhead
If you like your music to follow you everywhere (including
the shower), Kohler's Moxie is for you.
It's a showerhead with a built in, waterproof Bluetooth
speaker and you can install it yourself in less than a minute.
The speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery (up to 7
hours backup) with a microUSB port for charging.
You can pair it with your phone/tablet, start your playlist
before you step in to the shower and then just relax with the music.
The sound from the speaker is good enough for personal
listening only. It's not for purists though, since you will have to hear the
music over the sound of gushing water.
Price: Rs 9,995
7: Havell's USB Power
SocketsHavell's USB Power Sockets
Most phones and tablets can get charged with USB, so why not
have some USB sockets around the house instead of plugging in chargers?
If you already have modular switches you can get a Crabtree
Athena USB charger (Rs 625) that replaces an existing switch with a USB port to
charge your devices. Make sure that you check the mounting box is the same make
as the USB port module.
Price: Rs 625 onwards
8: Motion Sensor
Lightstion Sensor Lights
Although not entirely new, motion sensor lights are almost
always overlooked, even though they can provide substantial savings in power
costs (essentially paying for themselves over time).
These lights automatically switch on when they detect any
motion (they have infrared sensors built in) and switch off after a certain
amount of time.
They can also be used for home security ¬-- floodlights with
motion sensors can be installed outdoors to `light up' any trespassers.
Price: Rs 1,000 onwards
9: Orvibo Wiwo-R1
Wi-Fi Remote Control rvibo Wiwo-R1 Wi-Fi Remote Control ¬
Do you have about 8 or 10 remote controls in your living
room? What if you could replace them all with just one simple interface on your
phone?
You need the Wiwo-R1 unit which has 360-degree infrared
emitters and connects to your home Wi-Fi network you control everything through
the Allone app on your smartphone or tablet.
When you press a button on the app, the signal goes through
your Wi-Fi to Wiwo which then transmits it as a conventional infrared (IR)
signal.
Wiwo-R1 can control up to 15 devices that accept IR commands
such as your TV, media player, DVDBlu-Ray player, AV receiver, set top box, air
conditioner, audio system and gaming console.
If your device isn't listed, Wiwo-R1 can even learn IR
commands as long as you have the original remote of the device.
Price: $33 including shipping from DX.com
