The Official Smart Home Thread

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by brahmanknight, Jan 25, 2016.

  1. brahmanknight

    brahmanknight MC OG, UCF Knights, bacon, vodka, white wemminz
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    I have to say, the improvements in the new line of August smart locks might be enough to push me to purchase. I'll wait to see some more third party reviews to be sure.

    [​IMG]

    August's Smart Lock Pro looks a lot like the second-gen HomeKit-enabled Smart Lock. It works with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, but this version also adds in an August Connect as a bundled accessory. That way, you automatically get both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity out of the box. The Pro lock supports Z-Wave as well, if you have a compatible hub. It has a new feature called DoorSense, too.

    DoorSense seems so logical that I'm stunned no one has introduced it before. It's essentially a door (or window) sensor built into the lock, with a second sensor accessory you either mount externally next to the lock or on the inside of the doorframe. With DoorSense, you can confirm that the door is actually closed (instead of simply locked or unlocked).

    Smart home device maker August has three new connected products to keep your door secure:

    Both locks are on sale now at Amazon, Best Buy and August's online store. The doorbell is available for preorder and units ship from Oct. 10.

    All three products are US-only and August doesn't have plans to expand internationally. At the current exchange rate, the prices convert to roughly £210 or AU$350 for the Smart Lock Pro, £110 or AU$185 for the Smart Lock and £150 or AU$250 for the Doorbell Cam Pro.

    August's Smart Lock Pro looks a lot like the second-gen HomeKit-enabled Smart Lock. It works with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, but this version also adds in an August Connect as a bundled accessory. That way, you automatically get both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity out of the box. The Pro lock supports Z-Wave as well, if you have a compatible hub. It has a new feature called DoorSense, too.

    DoorSense seems so logical that I'm stunned no one has introduced it before. It's essentially a door (or window) sensor built into the lock, with a second sensor accessory you either mount externally next to the lock or on the inside of the doorframe. With DoorSense, you can confirm that the door is actually closed (instead of simply locked or unlocked).
     
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  2. momux

    momux AFAM Scholar
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    Planning on installing this guy over the weekend. You still liking yours?

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. EMAW FC

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    Yup!
     
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  4. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    Love my ring
     
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  5. Baseballman86

    Baseballman86 Well-Known Member
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    I have the doorbell only but have enjoyed it so far. It does exactly what it is advertised to do
     
  6. EMAW FC

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    this for above the garage? we are thinking of getting another one
     
  7. Keef

    Keef Liked by Pierre Gasly
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    1 Nest
    2 Dots
    3 TP-Link Plugs

    Nothing too fancy
     
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  8. Bishop

    Bishop Future Member
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    Been looking for a Smart Non Hub Indoor Flood light that works with Amazon Alex. Don't think it exists. Basically I have a spot light over my fireplace but my TV is over my fireplace and when I turn the light on its way too bright so it just stays off.
     
  9. momux

    momux AFAM Scholar
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    That's the plan. Pulled the trigger today. Will be installing it this weekend.
     
  10. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    yall seen the new Echo with the built in smarthome hub?
    Echo Plus i think its called
     
  11. Baseballman86

    Baseballman86 Well-Known Member
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    Update on Ring... it's mostly worthless until you get the subscription plan to store videos. Base is like $3 a month but it's still annoying considering it costs $200 to start.
     
  12. Festus McBadass

    Festus McBadass Cool ass dog and 5 star recruit
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    Can anyone recommend a good smart hub? I have a wink and it fucking sucks. Never stays connected.
     
  13. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    have you seen the new echo plus?
     
  14. Festus McBadass

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    Have not.

    Edit: I see that it comes out 10/31. Would like to get something before I go out of the country next week so I can have my lights come on on timers while I'm gone.
     
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  15. brahmanknight

    brahmanknight MC OG, UCF Knights, bacon, vodka, white wemminz
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    I went with Samsung's Smartthings a couple years ago. Mainly because it works with just about all of the major smart home products.
     
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  16. -Gus-

    -Gus- Well-Known Member
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    Anyone use the wink relay? Seems interesting and my wife likes the intercom idea.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  17. Zebbie

    Zebbie Hey Mike, guess what I have in my underwear?
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    That’s prolly what I’m gonna buy
     
  18. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    I love mine. It has its quirks sometimes but overall I am really pleased
     
  19. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    I've been saying for a while hubs are the new wires.

    Yuck.

    Go hubless.
     
  20. Zebbie

    Zebbie Hey Mike, guess what I have in my underwear?
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    Can’t if I wanna control our Schlage front door lock
     
  21. JacobPalmer

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    I want to put a small electric fireplace in my room. Let's say it's 750-1500 watts. Ideally I would like to hook it up to a wifi connected outlet so that I could turn it on before I come home from work and I'd always be able to double check to make sure it's off when I want it off. Is this something that's "too big" to be running through a wifi outlet? Or am I a dumbass for even thinking about doing something like this with a heater because I'm just going to burn my house down somehow
     
  22. WillySaliba

    WillySaliba Well-Known Member
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    Yeah so you would need a controller or switch to be able to toggle that on/off. So you'd have the fireplace on one outlet and then the controller or relay on another.

    I do not have much experience with electrical appliances so I'd defer to someone else on the idea of burning your house down to the ground. Not sure on the size of your house by a smart thermostat might be safer and will allow you to achieve a similar result. Most of them now are smart enough to learn your habits at this point too, which is nice because you don't need to worry about remembering to open up an app at certain times. There are also some other dependencies for that as well.
     
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  23. Matt Foley

    Matt Foley RIP EARL
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    Take your wattage and divide by 120, that's your amperage. Check to make sure the wifi outlet can handle that amperage (and that the fireplace actually has a plug), and you're good to go.

    I'm not familiar with electric fireplaces, but I assume there is some sort of local control that you will have to leave in the "on" position which may cause some issues.
     
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  24. JacobPalmer

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    I think you're right. I could turn the outlet on from work but I don't think I'd be able to get the heater on because it's probably made for someone to physically hit the button.

    I rent and live upstairs in a really old house. My roommate (homeowner) likes the place cold anyway so it leads to my upstairs area being super cold.

    http://www.homedepot.com/p/SUNHEAT-...h-Remote-Dark-Oak-TWFP1510-Dark-Oak/206431797
     
  25. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    the new 2nd gen Amazon Echo is suppose to be a built in hub, so thats probably what I will go with, because we all know we need 4 Echo devices in one house
     
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  26. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    I guess I should’ve clarified when I was talking about distaste for hubs I was referring devices that require a separate external Hub. If it’s built into the device itself I could care less I just don’t want all the external clutter.

    Also the 2nd generation echo only offers slightly better speakers/microphone with new designs. It’s not moving the needle for me yet and this is coming from someone that has at least one dot, echo and show in the house.
     
  27. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    looks like I was wrong in saying the hub is in the 2nd gen echo, its actually in what they are calling the Echo Plus which looks to be the same as the original Echo with just a smart hub of some sort built in. releases at the end of this month

    That Echo Spot looks like its gunna make me wish I didnt already have two Echo Dots
     
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  28. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    I was just reading about it. Sounds like it will serve as a hub for some products, but not all, that already require a Hub and will automatically discover your smart devices right out of the box.
     
  29. brahmanknight

    brahmanknight MC OG, UCF Knights, bacon, vodka, white wemminz
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    I love the idea of these sensors from Notion in every room, but I'm not touching it until it intergrates with Smartthings, IFTTT, and Apple Home. Nest is not enough.

    Launching today, the second generation of the Notion sensor displays with a high degree of flexibility.

    This flexibility should make it a competitive option when compared to more narrowly focused items, such as dedicated motion sensors or water sensors.

    These small, round, puck-like sensors have a wide range of usefulness. The sensors collect data and feed a central wall-plug residing hub. Through Wi-Fi, the hub sends all the data to Notion’s servers then back to your app. According to the company Loop Labs, the reason for this data flow is to add another layer of AES 256 encryption of your raw sensor data before it hits your phone.

    Features
    A quick overview of the sensor capability of the Notion:

    • Temperature
    • Acceleration
    • Natural Frequency
    • Light
    • Motion
    • Sound
    • Angular Rate
    • Water
    [​IMG]

    https://tech.co/notion-home-awareness-simplified-review-2017-11

    Launching today, the second generation of the Notion sensor displays with a high degree of flexibility.

    This flexibility should make it a competitive option when compared to more narrowly focused items, such as dedicated motion sensors or water sensors.

    These small, round, puck-like sensors have a wide range of usefulness. The sensors collect data and feed a central wall-plug residing hub. Through Wi-Fi, the hub sends all the data to Notion’s servers then back to your app. According to the company Loop Labs, the reason for this data flow is to add another layer of AES 256 encryption of your raw sensor data before it hits your phone.

    Features
    A quick overview of the sensor capability of the Notion:

    • Temperature
    • Acceleration
    • Natural Frequency
    • Light
    • Motion
    • Sound
    • Angular Rate
    • Water
    [​IMG]
    The Product

    Opening the Notion was a satisfying experience. The packaging and units themselves are very aesthetically pleasing and it comes across as a high-end product.

    Set Up
    This was very possibly the easiest IoT/Smarthome item setup that I’ve experienced. I downloaded the app, plugged in the bridge, connected the bridge to Wi-Fi, pulled plastic tabs on the sensors, knocked on them to wake them up, stuck them where they were going to live, named them in the app and picked what I wanted them to do. That sounds like a lot, but it wasn’t. It was extremely fluid, intuitive, and took about 45 seconds per sensor.

    When I first began pairing the Notion sensors to the bridge, one of the disposable plastic pull-tabs that keep the batteries disconnected broke off inside without dislodging fully. I gasped and was fairly upset, and then steeled myself to the task of opening the Notion.

    [​IMG]

    I quickly realized, however, that the notion screws off of its base with a firm ‘click’, exposing the included lithium AAA batteries, a 2nd copy of the QR code used to pair the sensor (Hooray for thinking ahead on that one!), and a robust rubber seal to keep any moisture out. I was semi-flabbergasted that it opened that conveniently (no screws!), then quickly removed the remaining plastic, snapped the unit shut, and paired the sensor.

    The ‘knock to wake the sensor up’ feature I previously mentioned is quite novel. To pair the Notion you must already have set up your bridge, but if the bridge is ready, you simply knock on the sensor twice, and when it blinks, zap the QR code on the back of it with your phone. Voila!

    The App
    Notion’s Android app is very slick. It’s responsive and simple, but still, has all of the expected features. So far, there is no iPad app, but iOS phone app was usable on my iPad in portrait mode.

    I placed my three sensors on my front and back doors, and near my smoke alarm in the kitchen. I set all of them to monitor temperature, the kitchen unit to monitor for smoke alarm sounds, and the door units to monitor movement. They began working instantly. Since I didn’t want to receive all the notifications at home every time the door opened, the app offers that option to turn it off.

    Integration
    While I do not own a Nest thermostat, I researched how the Notion works with Nest. From the Nest website: Notion can now connect to your Nest Learning Thermostat to help you save energy if your doors or windows are open while the thermostat’s running, and give you a holistic view of your home’s climate.

    Here’s a quick unboxing video:


    Notion has made an outstanding start, offering a highly polished UX and an attractive unit, but feels vaguely unfinished without being able to tie into established ecosystems such as Alexa, Google assistant, SmartThings, or IFTTT.

    The only service that the Notion integrates fully with at the moment is Nest. This may not be a barrier to entry for many users and is an intentional choice on their part to purify the experience.

    When I asked the Notion folks about Google Assistant or IFTTT integration, I received this response:

    At the moment, we’re more focused on creating the best Notion experience that we can. That’s why we’re being selective on the integrations we do introduce, to ensure they add more value to our users. We’re excited to unveil Notion’s integration with Nest, and know this is just the beginning for incorporating other products and services into the full Notion experience! While we don’t have a specific time frame for when additional integrations will be announced, we’re talking to our users to learn which integrations they are most eager to see in the future.

    Unfortunately, this is a negative for me as I’d love to use the Notion in ways that compliment my existing system, such as having the Iris smart Wi-Fi plug that I use to control the oil radiator heater in my bathroom controlled by the temperature readout of the Notion sensor, or ask my Google Home what temperature it is inside.

    Find more gear and gadgets for your smart home at TechCo
     
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  30. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    dammit
    Amazon has to throw it in my face all week they have the dot on sale for $29 (normally $49), been kinda wanting to add a 3rd dot to my collection for my shop since i stream almost exclusively out there through an old phone using amazon music 99% of the time

    i finally give in, click the link, and ohh hell, include another tp link outlet in my order and i save another $17 or something

    whats that, you just ordered a two pack of outlets earlier today?
    yea but this is too good of a deal to pass up

    take my money
     
  31. Bruce Bowen

    Bruce Bowen Well-Known Member
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    I'm trying to figure out the benefit of the Echo Plus with its' smart home hub. All I have now is a 1st gen dot and to me it's basically been a hub? I've got "groups" like my house group has all my Hue lights attached plus thermostat, then I have the individual rooms for certain bulbs and wemo plugs. What is the real benefit of the plus' "smart hub"?
     
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  32. Bishop

    Bishop Future Member
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    Think the benefit is that you can just buy Philips Hue bulbs without purchasing the kit that has the Philips hub.
     
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  33. Bruce Bowen

    Bruce Bowen Well-Known Member
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    Okay yeah the only thing I can really find on their comparison is "easy adding of smart devices" like you don't need to add skills or apps or anything. I've already got a Hue hub and everything else was relatively painless to setup on Alexa app so not looking like it's a necessary feature. Also think the Plus is a little big for the counter space where I'd want it so probably stick with the Echo standard.
     
  34. devine

    devine hi, i am user devine
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    Is it loud?
     
  35. Tony Perkis

    Tony Perkis Living My Best Life
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    Not really
     
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  36. Lawnole23

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    It's loud enough where it's annoying if it's in the same room as you while you're watching tv but it's quieter than older models I've heard.
     
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  37. Beachy Toast

    Beachy Toast He wants you too, Malachi.
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  38. Seavie

    Seavie Loading tweet...
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    -Ecobee 3 with remote sensors
    -Amazon Alexa/ echo (the tall one)
    -Amazon echo dot in the bedroom
    -Phillips Hue with about 10 bulbs in house. Connected to Alexa for voice control.

    Looking for more things to add.
     
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  39. Festus McBadass

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    So with the echo plus I don’t need the hue hub? I just bought the echo plus today along with the hue hub and 10 light bulbs. I can return the hub?
     
  40. Bishop

    Bishop Future Member
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    I think so
     
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  41. Bruce Bowen

    Bruce Bowen Well-Known Member
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    Using my wemo plugs with Christmas lights has added some nice convenience. Grouped in with corresponding room/whole house with Alexa.
     
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  42. Festus McBadass

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    Tried to set it up without the hub, but the echo wasn’t recognizing most of the lightbulbs.
     
  43. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Just ordered one of them Netgear Nighthawk wireless routers that lechnerd suggested

    over the past few months, I have noticed the Vizio in the kids room seems to just randomly tell me it cant connect when everything else is working, and since adding several outlets and stuff to the network it seems to be even more often
    at first I was blaming it on it being a Vizio, even though I couldnt find much complaining online about Vizio not keeping connection, but after adding the outlets my bedroom LG TV started doing it too, so hopefully this solves that problem
     
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  44. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    I’m sorry to hear that. You should try and contact netgear, they are usually very helpful.
     
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  45. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    ohh, I guess I wasnt clear
    I JUST ordered (as in a few minutes ago) the Netgear Nighthawk to replace my current linksys that was like $20 and probably performed well for a cheap router

    Nighthawk will be here Wednesday
     
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  46. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    Awesome. I think you will be impressed.
     
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  47. NDfanPSUgrad

    NDfanPSUgrad Well-Known Member
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    Do any of these smart products work like an intercom? Basically we are having issues with my daughter in our new house because we put her bedroom across the house. Rather than use like a baby monitor, I want an excuse to step up to something that has more functions.
     
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  48. Bishop

    Bishop Future Member
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    You can use Echo Dots like intercoms.
     
  49. Zebbie

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    You’ll probably love it, our Linksys router crapped the bed back in the summer so I got the Nighthawk X4S (I think), and it’s so much better...faster speeds and a lot better range than the Linksys.
     
  50. A Black person

    A Black person Well-Known Member

    hey fellas, I got an echo and a Phillips hue bulb starter kit that has 4 bulbs and a hue bridge. I def want more lights, wht kind should I go with? Do I need to stick with Phillips?