By Gregg Ellman
Twitter.com/greggellman
The Satechi IQ Plug is so smart, it can control any device plugged into it. It also shows you how much power is being consumed and even has a weekly programmable schedule for turning a device such as a light, on and off.
Download the free app (Google Play and the Apple App store) and then connect your smartphone with the plug via Bluetooth 4.0; pairing the device takes just a few seconds.
Once the app is running, plug the IQ Plug into a standard AC power outlet (100-120V) and then plug your device into the IQ Plug. Now you can turn your device on and off from anywhere in your home using your smartphone.
What I liked was it replaced an old timer on my wall. It took seconds to program a weekly schedule for the IQ Plug and now it’s smarter than me, or at least a fifth grader.
You can use it for lights and other electronics like a coffee maker — program it to make the first cup of the day and also to set a shutoff time so you know it’s turned off when you leave for work.
Another feature lets it measure how much of a power-consumption hog your device is by reading simple charts within the app. Power can be compared in charts for daily, weekly, or monthly energy consumption.
Remember, this is Bluetooth enabled, not Wi-Fi. With the Bluetooth it will be good for using almost anywhere in your home.
Details: www.satechi.net, $29.99
Check in on the pet
If you have a pet, then you have to get the Petcube.
The 4-inch cube shaped device is a video camera so you can check up on your little fluffy friend any time of the day, from just about anywhere.
Features of the interactive Wi-Fi pet monitor allow you to watch your dog or cat live on most smartphones or tablets. A free app is available in the Apple App store and Google play store.
If the video isn’t enough, you can talk to your pet and even play laser games.
The camera is housed in an aluminum housing, records 720p HD video for streaming (no internal memory to record) and has a 138-degree field of view.
There’s also a microphone and speaker built-in for having a 2-way audio connection.
For the setup, you download the app, connect the Petcube to your home Wi-Fi network and register in the app.
I tried it out with my dog and it was nothing short of breath-taking watching my dog sleep for a few hours.
A new feature to PetCube lets you also connect to your pet with the Apple Watch.
Details: www.petcube.com, $169
Ear buds isolate sound
The Phiaton MS 100 BA sound-isolating earbuds were described to me as versatile earphones, which use balanced-armature technology to provide warmth and detail in sound without cutting back on bass.
They sound great especially for the crowd of earbuds in the $100 price point.
They are built with a stylish aluminum body and double-injection ear tips. Extra ear tips are included to get the right fit (XS, S, M, and L).
Internally each ear tip contains a high-quality balanced armature driver with a frequency range of 10 Hz to 27 kHz.
The sound isolating technology is from a Phiaton feature, which prevents sound leakage to make sure the sound you get in your ears does not include sounds from ambient background noise
There’s also an in-line remote for controlling music or cell phone calls.
Details: www.Phiaton.com, $99
About the Author
