Lights, electronics, and even appliances can be switched on and off with a word. It’s time your curtains get smart, too. Starting today, October 22, you can get the SwitchBot Curtain through its Kickstarter campaign. The Switchbot Curtain is a motorized device you can attach to your existing curtains in minutes. Once installed, you can use voice commands or an app to open and close your curtains.
Voice controls are compatible with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Siri, and HomePod. If you don’t have a smart hub or speaker, that’s okay. You can use the SwitchBot app on your phone instead, or the wireless remote.
Using the device, users can schedule when they want their curtains to open and close automatically. For example, if you want your curtains to close at sunset and open at sunrise, you can set your preferences in the app. A built-in light sensor can detect when the sun comes up and goes down to trigger open and closing automatically. Or, if you want to sleep in, you can schedule the curtains to open later in the day.
“The ability to automatically wake up to daylight while still going to bed in the true dark can do wonders for sleep and now it’s easy to achieve,” said SwitchBot CEO Connery Lee in a press release. “SwitchBot Curtain also allows you to automatically block out unwanted mid-afternoon sun or make it look as if someone’s home when you go away — it’s a simple solution to a variety of everyday issues.”
The SwitchBot Curtain device can be used with many types of curtains, including U-rail and I-rail track types, and any rod type. To set things up, you connect the hooks that come with the SwitchBot Curtain to your existing curtain rod or rail and you’re done.
“Curtains themselves can be a big investment and it would be a waste to have to get rid of them if you do want to enjoy motorized curtains,” said Lee in the press release. “At SwitchBot, we are big believers in ‘retrofitting’ homes to make them smart instead of simply replacing everything. That was a big part of our inspiration for SwitchBot Curtain — achieving that ‘smart’ lifestyle with minimal excess products.”
The SwitchBot Curtain is powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts 8 to 12 months depending on how often you use it. If changing the battery on your curtains sounds like a drag, you can opt-in for a solar panel add-on.
SwitchBot is available for a special price on Kickstarter of $69. The device has a delivery date of April 2020.
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.
Quick Recap: Life with twins and a pile of bottles