Smart home

CES 2016 is less than half over, and D-Link is already basking in the glow of multiple Design and Engineering awards. Here’s a look at what the networking and Smart Home company has in store for this year and what those CES awards are all about.  

For the past couple of years, Belkin has been slowly but surely growing their line of WeMo products.  The Smart Lighting system is a new addition to the mix, and is a little different than the others.  While most WeMo products communicate directly with the app, the bulbs communicate through a centralized plugged in cube (called the “Link”) and works from there.  It’s way easier to set up than it sounds, and it’s now available at Best Buy.  Come check it out!

For the second year in a row, Best Buy Canada custom built a smart home at the National Home Show in Toronto. The smart home was the perfect opportunity to experience the newest technologies that can add convenience, security, and peace of mind at home. I discovered so much amazing smart home tech—come see what I tried!

Home automation is starting to take off in the mainstream, mostly thanks to low-cost alternatives to custom systems; while there’s still a market for the integrated home automation system, for many consumers there’s a choice between entry level and midrange “network” products and “non-network” products. What does that mean and which type of product is right for you? Read on to find out.

 In part five of The Smart Home Series, I take a spin with Securifi’s Almond+ Wireless AC Router and Smart Hub combination. After setting this unit up in my house, I quickly realized the power it has to provide increased Wi-Fi speeds, as well as serve as a home automation hub to manage gadgets like the Peanut Wireless Smart Plug.

Smart plugs are compact, convenient, and they make great stocking stuffers. They can power your decorations before Christmas, and serve you long afterwards.

In the first installment of the “Smarten Up” series, we discuss the idea of using smart locks to your advantage. We take a specific look at the August Smart Lock and its accompanying products. Bringing home the ability to open your locks without fumbling for keys and providing guests with access to your home without having to worry about cutting keys are convenience that you can offer while making it all look like a Jedi mind trick.

There are quite literally tens of thousands of things to see at the anual Consumer Electronics show, the trade show that previews all the coming technology to retail and tech professionals. This year, I whittled down what I saw to 10 really cool things; from a levitating speaker to award-winning battery cases for smartphones, there’s a lot of new tech I’m coveting.

Google unveiled its latest batch of hardware products, with the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel Slate and Home Hub rounding out the board.

 The original Dropcam (later branded as the Nest Cam) was one of the crucial pillars of growing IP Camera technology in the world of Home Automation. With its wide angle filming, cloud storage capabilities and communication and alerting abilities, it was one of the class leading standards for which all competing IP Cameras would have to meet. Now Nest is back with those same philosophies in a waterproof outdoor camera, coming soon to Best Buy. Read on to find out more.