The smart home products that tend to make the biggest splash are high-tech devices and appliances with tons of bells and whistles. Those devices are great, but let’s be real — in your day-to-day life, those aren’t what you spend most of your time interacting with. Managing the devices in your home has more to do with flipping switches and plugging in cords than anything else, and that’s why Eve’s new lineup of products announced at IFA 2018 should be welcome into your home.
While you might not find a connected washing machine or security camera coming from Eve this year, you will find smarter versions of the type of accessories that you have all over your house. The company rolled out a smart light switch, light strip, and power strip — all of which are easy to integrate into any smart home, whether it’s your first step into the future or one of many internet-connected appliances in your house.
The Eve Light Switch acts as any other light switch would, but comes with some new ways to interact with the lighting situation around your house. Like previous Eve products, the switch can be controlled via Eve’s app or connected to Apple devices via the company’s HomeKit, which enables all sorts of features. Set up schedules and rules that will automatically handle lighting for you, or make changes with voice commands by asking Siri to toggle the lights.
Adding to the company’s interest in lighting up your home is the Eve Light Strip. The two-meter long strip of tiny LED lights can produce any number of custom lighting experiences. Choose from a range of pre-installed lighting sequences or choose your own colors. Like the company’s Light Switch, the Light Strip is also HomeKit-compatible so you can integrate it into your smart home.
Finally, there’s the Eve Power Strip. As you might imagine, the accessory allows you to plug in several devices into the single hub and control them individually. The Power Strip can handle up to three devices at once, and allows you to set up schedules or control remotely when said devices should be turned on and off.
Eve announced the Light Switch will retail for about $115 while the Light Strip will run about $80. No word yet on the price of the Eve Power Strip. All of the products are expected to be available directly from Eve as well as through Amazon and other retailers later this year.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.