Home Automation Getting Easier and Affordable

I have always thought that it would be really cool to have an automated house. A house where all the systems were monitored and controlled by a single control panel. While home automation systems have been around for many years, most were very expensive and you needed multiple systems.  For example the control panel that turned on or dimmed lights could not set the thermostat or unlock the front door.

Recently there have been released a number of systems that use an app on your smartphone, either iPhone or Android, to control a number of different systems and appliances found in most homes. One of the systems is called Wink. Many of the products that are based on Wink and the actual Wink controller can be purchased at your local Home Depot or at Amazon.com.

The neat thing about Wink is that it works with many standard products found around the home. GE appliances, Philips lighting and Schlage locks are just a few of the manufacturers making products that can be controlled and monitored by Wink.

For example, once you purchase the Wink hub, using your smartphone and home Wi-Fi you can take control of setting your heating and air conditioning, lock or unlock your front door, turn on lights, monitor your home security system, and even check if you remembered to close the garage door. This can be done while sitting in your living room or in a hotel half way around the world.

The Wink compatible products vary in price. To get started you need a controller hub that costs about $50.00. A LED light bulb that will interface with Wink costs about $14.00. Many products like the garage door interface costs about $80.00. Unlike older systems that were priced in the thousands of dollars, you can get up and running with several Wink controlled devices for a few hundred dollars.

This Phone Setting Can Save Your Life

One of the first things many people do when they purchase a new mobile phone is set up a code that locks the device preventing unauthorized use.  This is a very good practice since many of us have lots of very personal information stored in our smart phones and some of it would be very attractive to identity thieves or other miscreants.  I recommend that everyone set security codes for most all of their digital accoutrements.

 

Setting the code, however, should be followed by an equally important step: the setting up of the “In Case of Emergency” settings and information.  This can easily be done in a few minutes on most iPhones and Android devices.  Unfortunately, many people never get around to it and, in some cases, this can mean the difference between life and death.

For the sake of this article I am going to go through the set up steps for iPhones running iOS 8.0 or higher.  Android phones are very similar and your instruction book will have the details.

If you look at your iPhone’s screen after you turn it on and get to the screen where you enter your code, you will notice at the bottom of the screen the word “Emergency.”  Touching this word with your finger will call up your telephone dial and allow the phone to call only 911without being unlocked.  You will also see the words “Medical ID” at the bottom of the screen.  If you have activated this feature, in an emergency the first responders can get information about you, your medical history, blood type, drug allergies and even a person to call.  But in order for this to be available to life savers you first must enter the information and activate the app.

Your iPhone running iOS 8.0 will have a preinstalled Health App.  It will have a little red heart within a white square as the icon.  Click on that app and, when it launches, look at the bottom of the screen for an asterisk-like symbol and the words ‘Medical ID.  Tap on the words and follow the instructions.

You need to decide how much information you wish to share here but, at a minimum I suggest including an emergency contact, blood type and any condition or allergy that a first responder should know if you are not able to communicate.

After you activate your phone’s medical emergency info, ask a friend if they have activated theirs.  It could save their life.

Virtual Reality in a Cardboard Box

For most of us the term “Virtual Reality” (VR) conjures up images of frenetic computer games, or, in the more sophisticated applications, training for fighter pilots and airline crews.  Or perhaps we remember the “holodeck” from Star Trek.  Far from the quality of VR aboard the Starship Enterprise, the consumer versions of VR players and programs were not very good; while they placed the viewer in the middle of the action, the picture resolution and realism of the video left much to be desired.  Even these less-than-high-quality viewing devices were expensive.

So when a friend asked if I would like to see a demo of his new VR viewer while on vacation recently I was not too excited.  I was even less excited when he showed me this small hand held box made out of cardboard.  Am I glad I tried it.

This particular viewer uses a smartphone, either Android or iPhone, to play the virtual reality content.  By placing the phone in the viewer and holding the viewer to your eyes like a pair of binoculars you are transported into the middle of the action. The experience is enhanced by listening to the sound with good quality headphones.

The really cool thing is that you can look up or down, right or left, even turn 360 degrees and view content as if you were standing in the middle of the action.  I saw a video of a concert featuring Sir Paul McCartney.  I was able to stand on the stage and view the concert or the audience while listening to the music.  It was awesome.  The quality was outstanding and the price unbelievable.  The viewer cost less than $25.00 and many of the VR videos are free. This particular one was from Knox Labs.  You can find them on the web at http://www.knoxlabs.com.   A simple google search for “VR player cardboard” will give you several other inexpensive options.   Most of the VR videos are available, mostly free, at the App Store.

The truly exciting aspect of affordable and effective VR content is how it might enhance news reporting.  Imagine the impact of a VR report from within a refugee camp.  How might this technology change the way we see victims of floods and other disasters?  Far from just another toy, VR technology could well have a monumental impact on changing our consumption of media and the impact of media on the audience.

Don’t let the lowly cardboard wrapper fool you.  It represents something very special.