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MONTHLY EXCLUSIVE • AUGUST • 2015

Introduction

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Smart Home

Page 5 Learn everything you need to know about starting a smart home

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Amanda’s Coolsite

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Message From The Editor: Smart Homes In August’s Tech Tips Monthly, we’re going to take a look at Smart Homes. You may have heard the term and it conjured up visions of totally computerized homes being built from the ground up. That’s not the case, any home can be a smart home. You can turn your 300 year-old Colonial into one with just a few purchases.


Remember in movies about the future where people just walk into the room and tell the house to do something and it happens? Well, the future is now and it’s fairly affordable. If you want to go full-on smart home, you can install a home automation and security system. It will connect things like a home alarm, fire safety, controls for lights, your heating and cooling system and even your dog door and you can access and monitor them all from your computer, phone or tablet no matter where you are.

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You can unlock your door from work to let the dog walker in or make sure it’s locked after your kids leave for school. This doesn’t require heavy construction. Just your wireless network and some installation of devices that are very similar to what an alarm system would take.



But you don’t need a full automaton system to smarten up some tasks around the house. Most smart phone tech will work independently with your smartphone, PC or tablet. And let’s not forget handy home robots like the Roomba that will vacuum your house for you while you’re at work and then retreat to its charging station like a good little robot.

And this is just the beginning for smart home tech. I’ve been using Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana a lot while I work on a guide to Windows 10. She can open programs, write e-mails, set appointments and all sorts of tasks on your PC. I’m sure pretty soon, Microsoft will come up with some tasks for her to do around the home. The future is now… and it might be a little cooler than the movies. Cynthia

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In this issue, Mike and Ty are helping highlight some really interesting gadgets that can pique your interest in smart home technology. Ty explains all about Amazon Echo – a digital home assistant that works with your voice. Mike will look at smart products to control locks and lights.

TECH TIPS MONTHLY • JANUARY • 2015

Okidokeys – Smart Home Doorway Security

The Access Pack includes Smart-Lock and Smart-Reader. The lock includes bronze, gold, and stainless steel overlay cover plates and an optional sensor. Four AAA-size batteries (included) provide power for the lock. Note: the lock is noisy at times. The optional reader is small and installs outside door(s) with adhesive. The system is easy-toinstall and easy-to-remove. Users still have the option of using the existing, traditional metal keys on the doors. The included RFID tags are a credit card size tag, wristband (w/tag chip inside), and keychainstyle tag. This technology allows users to produce and send smart-keys any time using a smart device, tablet or computer. Users can also cancel them any time if needed. Note: For proper functionality during set-up, don’t hold the RFID devices closer than an inch from the reader.

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Ever unlock your doors with your mobile phone? Okidokeys (…say it one more time) can protect your home using mobile devices or RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags without altering your door’s exterior physical appearance. Mainly used for doors, garage doors and gates. No drilling or wiring plus, tools are included. Just make sure physical doors/gates work properly, and lock fully without any misalignment or gaps.

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MONTHLY EXCLUSIVE • AUGUST • 2015 Users make an account through the online portal with authorized user(s) then can install the app to use for syncing the actual devices (no Wi-fi connection since lock is battery powered). Security is the name of the game here, so the product uses AES 256-bit and 3D Secure logins. The reader unlocks using a specially generated tone, which works in the app even if users don’t have Bluetooth connectivity available. ~ Mike


Belkin WeMo Light Switch (w/Amazon Echo capabilities)

The WeMo Light Switch is one of these smart home products and is actually compatible with Amazon’s Echo voice command device for even more advantages like hands-free use and convenience interactions among your home devices. The WeMo Light Switch connects in any home outlet and is also compatible with iOS (version 7 or higher) and Android (version 4.1 or higher) devices (needs Wi-fi connection). These switches are single-pole, single-throw with a maximum 600 Watt load and no minimum wattage requirement (for residential and dry locations only). The optional Android app (Android 4.1 and up) is available Google Play, AppStore (iOS), and Amazon’s Appstore for Android. After a simple set-up process users can control the switch(es) while keeping the Android device near the switch so the two devices can communicate. The WeMo app also features enhanced sunrise/sunset rules and an away mode setting. 6

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Take command of your home with the amazingly practical and very entertaining Belkin smart home products.

MONTHLY EXCLUSIVE • AUGUST • 2015 User can then connect the WeMo Light Switch with the Amazon Echo (firmware version 2392 or higher required). NOTE: Amazon recommends creating names with words only (no numbers, so spell out numbers like “one”, etc.). WeMo Switch and Insight are also compatible with the Amazon Echo. Other WeMo home devices include switches (w/ motion), cameras, humidifiers, coffeemakers, sensors (motion, keychain, door/window, alarm) air purifiers, heaters, and even LED light bulbs.


The Echo works like a virtual assistant by controlling various media as well as home devices like lighting and other home appliances. Of course, we talk more about Echo in Ty Arthur’s article on the system in this month’s magazine. ~ Mike

Amazon Echo – Achieving The Dream Of A Space Age Home? Amazon may not have made drone delivery a reality yet, but the site’s much-buzzed about voice assistant Echo is now finally here after months of build up, ready to keep your lists, answer your questions, and play your music. Previously available for $99 to people directly invited for beta testing, the Echo is now open to the public for $180, and its getting rave reviews, with CNET calling it “the closest thing we’ll have to a Star Trek computer at home” (which makes one wonder when a device like the Echo will get paired with a 3D printer for true Enterprise-level tech?).

One area the Echo sets itself apart is in an attempt to fully integrate different devices. One such ability is to interface with WeMo lighting to turn on, off, or dim lights using only voice commands, leading us a step closer to the Jetsons’ dream of a voice activated, fully automated home. Echo is, of course, also more useful for people who already use Amazon regularly, as it lets you buy straight from the site via voice command and access a huge collection of music through your Amazon Prime subscription.

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On the opposite side of the spectrum, detractors wonder how much of the Echo hype consists of things we already have regularly available just delivered a sleek new package. After all, a device that can play music and access Wikipedia or set alarms is hardly new, even if now it can all be done hands free from across the living room.



The lack of a direct interface like a computer monitor to visually connect to the device can be considered either a feature or a mark against the Echo, depending on your preferences (an app for tablets is available however to let you control the Echo’s alarms and shopping lists, or to check what you added to the shopping list while you are away from home at the grocery store). Likewise, for those who find voice commands frustrating, there’s an optional remote available.

What hasn’t been mentioned as much in the many advance reviews online are the privacy and security concerns inherit to a device of this nature. Amazon claims the Echo only starts listening when you say the device’s name, but obviously the Echo has to already be listening to know whether you’ve said anything in the first place. It’s not hard to imagine a situation in which an always-on device that’s always connected to the Internet could be used to listen in on private conversations. If the Echo really catches on, one also has to wonder about the possibility of a device that is always connected to the cloud getting infected with a virus, which could cause serious problems if the Echo is controlling other devices in your home. These issues of course will only be explored – and hopefully overcome – as the Echo leaves the pre-order phase and sees wider spread usage. So what do you think WorldStart readers – are you excited to get your hands on it, waiting for the price to go down, or not interested at all? With a host of exciting features already available at launch, the real question for the future is what improvements and additional features will appear when other companies start working on their own Echo-style devices. ~ Ty Arthur 8

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What might be the most interesting advancement in tech is the Echo’s ability to learn your voice patterns and become more efficient over time. Voice commands have a spotty history at best and still continue to struggle to this day. Many Xbox owners for instance can attest that their Kinect is prone to hearing things it wants to hear and opening up odd menus that weren’t asked for, or deciding to pause or stop a video when you haven’t said anything. Anything that moves that technology forward is a good thing, as voice activated commands are only going to become more prevalent as various tech devices become integrated together with your home.


yapQ Welcome to yapQ where you can discover interesting landmarks and locations to check out on your next trip!


I’d recommend checking out the About page before you start searching. It walks you through what the app does, how it works, what it offers (routes and navigation), and information on the community its building. Once you’ve checked that out head on over to the main page and put in your destination. For example, I typed in New York City. Each location it gave me for New York City had a photo and a decent sized paragraph of information about the place being shown. I love that it had a lot of the popular destinations around the city, but also offered up a statue of Atlas outside of the Rockefeller Center. This is what you can expect for the destinations you can look up. Heading out? Well you can download yapQ for your iPhone or Android device for free and take it with you as you travel about the town. https://yapq.com/ ~Amanda

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