Your high-tech home — here's some quick and easy ideas.
CUE Twilight zone music.
Imagine if you will...
When I built our home back in the late 1980's, I never imagined little items like Alexa playing a favorite playlist, or having a Dick Tracy phone that I could "facetime" with my son. In most cases, 30 years later, there isn't a bunch of tech in this home.... except...
• I have a wall thermostat that I can control no matter where I am in the world, that controls a heat pump/furnace combo that gives heat or cold, depending on my will.
* Thirty years ago, I didn't have wi-fi. Hell, I hardly had hi-fi. I was happy to have quadrophonic sound on my speaker system.
• I built my house with a ton of Monster Wire in it. If you don't know what Monster Wire is, it doesn't matter, because today's wireless speakers are just fine.
* The wife and I don't yell at each other anymore. If she's upstairs and I'm downstairs, I just text her to come downstairs for dinner. Yes, I cook dinner. (Sometimes)
• There are five computers, two printers, and five wireless devices in this house. And there's only the wife and I living here most of the time.
There's always room for a few more techie gizmos, though. I've hunted around the interweb and found some that seem kind of cool. It's up to you to decide whether they are nuts or not.
Ring Wi-Fi Enabled Video Doorbell in Satin Nickel, Works With Alexa
This is the perfect little gizmo for those of you who don't like answering the door anymore. Or, you're in the shower, upstairs dressing, or shopping at the mall. Whoever is at the door doesn't know where you are, they just hear your charming voice telling them that you're not interested.
Your smartphone will alert you to the visitor, and you can see and speak with them using your device, or tablet whether you're in or out.
It's alerted by motion detection or ringing the doorbell. If it's night-time — no worries. It has night vision.
You can mount this baby in just a few minutes to your personal wi-fi network.
It's in stock at Amazon. So, as luck would have it, when your Amazon guy shows up, the doorbell will ring and you'll be able to get your ring wi-fi enabled video doorbell. Weird but true.
Oh yeah, and Alexa wants in on the action as well, so you can let her in on the new gizmo. She'll be delighted.
The Bed Fan
For women of a "certain age" this little gizmo is a godsend.
The Bed Fan delivers a cool breeze between the sheets—without AC costs, and without disturbing your partner.
The fan attaches to the foot of the bed and quietly blows fresh, cool air between your top and bottom sheets, instantly dispersing built-up body heat trapped under the covers and moving up to 100 cubic feet of air every minute. It’s more effective than traditional cooling methods, which only affect the air outside the bed!
Perfect for individuals who sleep warm or experience hot flashes, and for couples with different temperature preferences.
With the Bed Fan, you can raise the thermostat by several degrees and still sleep more comfortably than you did before. It’s easy to install, hardly visible once it’s in place, and the dual fans are quiet. The small, handheld control sits on your bedside table or under your pillow—and the fan speed is infinitely adjustable.
You can purchase the BedFan with wireless remote from those nice people from Brookstone, who have all kinds of innovative things. Buy it from Amazon. But wait until you hookup your new ring activated doorbell, so you can talk to the Amazon man.
Riley, the Smart Home Robot
This little investigative buddy might drive your kids insane.
Re-cue Twilight Zone music.
Johnny is upstairs and he's supposed to be doing his homework. Down the hall, a little whrrrrr, and Riley enters the room, where Johnny isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing. I'll leave it up to your imagination to figure that one out.
Because Riley has voice / sound, your parent voice booms out and tells Johnny to do his homework or else.
Needless to say, it might end up being said that your teenager might find a way of making Riley go away. Far far away.
But his little sister might find the little 'bot charming. It's also a cool way of tormenting the pets.
What Riley sees, you see on your IOS device, so you can be at work, and have Riley's cam follow the cat around the room to find the dog on the bed again. Bad dog.
Good Riley.
You can also hide Riley near the front door to make sure no one is sneaking out at night. Yes, Riley has motion detection, so if Johnny is sneaking out at 1am, you'll have video evidence. It will work the first time. I have my doubts about the second or third time.
And yes. It's another potential Amazon buy. While you're relaxing on your bed with your bed fan, the door chime will let you know when Riley's arrived.
Riley's too small and cute to take over the world. But, to be honest, we don't know if he is transmitting your family's information and whereabouts to the mother robot.
Buyer beware.
U by Moen Digital Shower
While Alexa is making coffee, and Riley is waking up the kids for school, you can spend a few more minutes in bed, enjoying your Bed Fan.
You cam just ask Alexa to start your shower. With your set presets, the shower will start and adjust to the exact temperature for you. "Alexa, ask Moen to turn on to 103 degrees".
Or you cam use the controller or ios device.
Moen will tell Alexa when the shower is ready, and so, while you are figuring out what to wear, Alexa's soft voice will let you know that your shower is ready.
Installation and setup is easy for both the 2 or 4 outlet systems.
https://www.moen.com/whats-new/innovation/u#gallery
Have you had enough? Want more? Let me know, and I'll continue on my gizmo journey.
Next week, though, we'll be looking at more long term innovative devices and construction techniques.