Hasta La Gadget!

Belkin continues its pursuit of making home automation a simple plug-and-play affair with the introduction of its new Smart LED lightbulbs to its WeMo line. The 60-watt equivalent bulbs produce 800 lumens and cast a warm 3000 Kelvin glow across a room—so they should satisfy even those who’ve stocked up on incandescent bulbs ahead of the ban.

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Belkin’s line of WeMo products is all about home automation, and its latest addition, the WeMo Baby, lets you listen to the cooing and crying of your offspring from afar. The device is a WiFi-enabled microphone that streams audio of your baby to up to six devices simultaneously — provided they’re running iOS 5 or higher and the free WeMo Baby companion app. That app’s powered by Evoz’s baby monitoring service and it works over a 3G, 4G, or WiFi connection. So, absentee parents can keep tabs on their bundle of joy whether they’re in another room or sneaking a cold one at the pub round the corner. What’s the price for such parental freedom? $90 when it goes on sale early next month. Full PR and an app screenshot can be found after the break.

Continue reading Belkin WeMo Baby monitor lets you listen to Junior via an internet connection and an iOS device

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Belkin WeMo Baby monitor lets you listen to Junior via an internet connection and an iOS device originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 07:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Proper home automation systems can cost upwards of $10,000, and while budget alternatives can’t touch the level of integration you’ll enjoy with a behemoth rig, all but the most sophisticated of homeowners can squeak by with a simple timer setup — or the modern equivalent. Belkin’s WeMo duo utilizes two types of plug-in modules paired with an iOS 5+ app, which you’ll use to set macros, control lights and schedule on/off times. A Switch module can turn on and off a lamp, fan, coffee maker, television or heating appliance from a connected iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. You can also set a seemingly unlimited number of detailed schedules for each device, all from the comfort of your WiFi-equipped touchscreen handheld. You can integrate the optional Motion device with a set of macros as well, configuring your lights to turn on once you step through the foyer, or your coffee maker to launch a brew as you walk through your bedroom door.

We wired up a lamp in a New York City apartment to give WeMo a go, and things generally worked as advertised. Setup is fairly straightforward — simply plug in a module, select its corresponding SSID broadcast from iOS then launch the free app to force the device onto your home WiFi network. You’ll need to repeat the process to add each gadget or sensor, but once you do, you’ll be able to config and control any connected gadget from anywhere on the network, or beyond. The system theoretically supports remote access without any additional setup (modules are registered to the app) but we weren’t able to power up the lamp while on 3G during multiple attempts. That detail aside, we’d be happy to welcome WeMo into our home, though the absent Android app throws in a speed bump for sure. You have two options for adding WeMo — there’s a Switch + Motion kit available for $100, which includes a power control and motion sensor, or you can opt for the Switch solo for $50. Then, simply add as many outlet controllers as you wish, at 50 bucks a pop. You can see that first combo in action in our hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion home automation system for iOS hands-on (video)

Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion home automation system for iOS hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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