Connected devices, wearable and otherwise, are the big noise at CES 2015. Belkin makes an excellent range of connected devices called WeMo, with everything from your basic smartphone-controlled plug sockets to the sophisticated hobbyist's tool the Maker, which can turn non-smart devices smart.
What better time than CES 2015, then, for the firm to unleash a fresh wave of WeMo Internet of Things things? Exactly.
Via the WeMo Link Zigbee hub, you can now control the devices pictured above through the WeMo app on Android and iOS. Sexy they aren't, but these are meant to be discreet little home fittings, not style statements.
From the left, there's the WeMo Door and Window Sensor, which magnetically detects whether a portal is ajar, potentially meaning intruders or, even worse, that a housemate is raiding your fridge. "Pair with a WeMo Insight Switch and a fan heater to automate the heating to only turn on when the window is closed, helping to save money and energy," Belkin suggests.
Arguably more useful is the WeMo Keychain Sensor, which is an in-home tracking device, primarily for children and pets. It sends alerts when connected or disconnected to your home network, letting you know if someone has come in or gone out. A button on the Keychain Sensor lets you control other WeMo devices, and again you can get busy with the old IFTTT, turning off the heating as the house's last occupant leaves, or firing up your home AV setup as soon as you get in the door.
Finally, the WeMo Room Motion Sensor uses infrared to detect heat signatures for intruders, whilst ignoring pets, for fewer false alarms. Applications range from home security to turning on WeMo lights as you or your kids stumble to the bathroom after bedtime.
Release is slated for the second half of 2015, with pricing details to follow. Yeah, we know this stuff is the very definition of inessential, but there's something so irresistible about being able to monitor and mess about with your home from afar, is there not?
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