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Misfit Introduces Ray, Their Most Versatile Activity Tracker Yet

2016-01-05 by QTOOTH

LAS VEGAS, NV January 5th 2016—Today Misfit announced Misfit Ray Fitness and Sleep Monitor, the newest product in the company’s line of design-forward wearables. Ray’s distinct deconstructed and modular design makes it Misfit’s most versatile activity tracker yet.

Only 12mm in diameter and 38mm long, Ray’s sleek form factor and clean lines make it uniquely wearable. Ray features a highly customizable cylindrical aluminum body, able to be worn with Misfit-branded or custom accessories on the wrist or as a necklace. Ray effortlessly complements watches, bracelets, and fine jewelry. Its elemental, interchangeable design makes it easy to personalize. Ray can be elegant or sporty, sensual or bold, striking or subtle.

Ray’s minimalist form conceals powerful engineering. It tracks activity and sleep with a 3-axis accelerometer and, like Misfit Shine 2, incorporates a vibration motor that allows for nuanced user feedback. Combined with a single multicolor LED eye, Ray provides inactivity nudges, text and call notifications, and a silent alarm. Like other wearables by Misfit, Ray never requires charging (the user-replaceable batteries last up to 6 months) and is water resistant to 50 meters.

Misfit Ray is compatible with Misfit Link, the groundbreaking software experience that turns your wearable into a remote to connect with the world around you. Communicate with friends, turn on your lights, change your music, take a selfie, and more, all with a few taps.

“We designed Ray to be your most valuable accessory,” said Tim Golnik, Misfit’s VP of Product and Design. “Ray’s design distills the essential performance of our wearables and opens up a world of style possibilities.”

Ray comes in Rose Gold and Carbon Black, is now available for pre-order on misfit.com, and will be available in retail locations worldwide in Spring 2016.

Starting from $99.99, Misfit Ray is now on display at International CES at the Misfit booth (#73923, Tech West Sands Expo).

NewerTech NuGuard KX Protective Cases and KX Screen Armor – Complete Review and Real World Tests

2015-01-02 by QTOOTH

We’ve had the NewerTech NuGuard KX Protective Case and Screen Armor for the Apple iPhone 5s in our possession for a while now and we’ve had ample opportunity to put it through some real world tests. NuGuard makes some bold claims about the level of protection that their products provide and we’ve had a chance to see it for ourselves.

But first, let’s give credit to the amazing job that the human body does at being resilient. Daily living immerses us in a surprisingly harsh environment. Just think of how many falls, bumps, crashes, and exposure to liquids that we experience every day with little or no ill effect. Now any time we use phones, smart watches, tablets, fitness trackers, etc… we bring them into that same mix. I’m sure you already know how quickly and easily they can get damaged when we subject to them to the same abuses. It’s understandable why the products that aim to protect these devices are such a huge part of the market that surrounds our wireless and wearable technologies. Go to any trade show, or any mall, or any gas station kiosk, and you will find a seemingly infinite number of companies making cases and covers intended to save our devices from certain destruction. Because there is such a glut of “me too” products in this field, only a few of these have really caught our eye. One such offering is from the company HzO, which is a manufacturing process that makes electronics nearly 100% liquid proof. However, it can only be applied during manufacturing and is not meant be added to the device by owner. The NuGuard KX Protective Cases and Screen Armor, on the other hand, can be used and installed by any of us at any time.

What makes the NuGuard KX products unique? The use of impact absorbing reactive gel. We first became aware of reactive gel about 7 years ago when athletic apparel and protective gear companies started using it in their products. As far as we know, it was the 3DO company that developed the first versions of it and licensed it to other manufacturers. How does it work? Here’s 3DO’s explanation but to us, it just means that under normal conditions the gel is soft and flexible. However, the more violently it is hit with force by another object, the more the gel hardens and disperses the blow across a greater surface area and diminishes the effect of the impact. We’ve already personally experienced the benefits of this type of technology while crashing into things on our mountain bikes (thank you body armor!). We immediately recognized the potential of using it for protecting our favorite electronic wireless devices.

The first thing we did was to install the NuGuard KX Screen Protector. Here’s what it looks like in the package:

And besides the screen protector itself, here’s what is included inside that package: lint free cloth, adhesive dust removal tool, and application tool.

Here’s what it looks like halfway through the application process:

The blue layer is a tear-away film that is provided as a surface by which you can apply the smoothing tool without having to worry about scratching the actual screen protector. That color really helps distinguish it from the clear layers as well as the phone’s screen itself so that you don’t accidentally try to remove the wrong layer at the wrong time. As soon as the screen protector is positioned and smoothed to your satisfaction, simply peel the blue layer off and enjoy a virginal, blemish-free NuGuard KX Screen Protector. The install went very smoothly and we were able to achieve a clear, air bubble-free application.

PLEASE NOTE! The following image is actually somewhat misrepresentative of the results. The NuGuard KX Screen Protector is nearly entirely transparent. So much so that it was exceptionally hard to actually have it visible in our photos! We had to over-light, over-expose the shot and use some funky, macro-focused angles just to get the edge of it to show. What looks like a lint and dust along the edges does not show up to the un-aided eye. The best shot we took of it was actually taken after this and appears at the top of this article. More about why we took this shot up next…

One of the things that we noticed was that the NuGuard KX Screen Protector didn’t come quite to the edge of the screen.

Initially, we thought it might be a case of poor sizing and that it might leave the edge vulnerable, but apparently there is a reason for this. As the folks from KX NuGuard explain, if it did go all the way to the edge it would mean that taking the case on and off would risk peeling up the edges of the screen protector.This would be a bad thing! Better to leave a small gap and extend the life of the product. As seen in the image below, NewerTech wisely offers their screen protector in both sizes, depending on your needs or case requirements. The full coverage version is shown on the left and the case-friendly version is shown on the right. You can easily use this with other manufacturers’ cases and in a moment we’ll show you why you might want to do just that!Next comes the NewerTech NuGuard KXs Kinetic Energy X-orbing case. Here’s what it looks like in its retail packaging:

The case also incorporates reactive gel for the same impact dispersion qualities. A nice details is that it uses a felt-like material as a liner to make sure that your phone is truly pampered while inside the case. Not much of a chance of your phone being scratched or abraded by the case.

The fit is excellent, with just the right amount of room around the cutaways to provide easy access to the microphone, speaker, and controls of the phone without sacrificing protection.

What’s great about this case is that even though it fits the phone very closely and adds very little to the overall size of the phone, it still has some “give”, some squishiness, to the way it feels.

So, how does it work? Does it live up to the hype? And why would you choose this over other protective cases?

First, reactive gel, what they refer to as “kinetic impact absorbing” gel, simply works. We wish we had a video camera available at the time, but we viciously stabbed this thing with both the blade and the blunt ends of a very hefty stainless steel butter knife. Not only was there no damage to the device, but even the blade end of the knife only left the most barely detectable checks in the protective film. They weren’t kidding in their ads that it exhibits some “self-healing” properties. Those check marks had almost completely disappeared after a few minutes. Only by holding the screen up to a very bright light at an odd angle made them visible to the eye. Please keep in mind that a butter knife has a rounded and dull blade. We’re not sure how it would do with a sharp, pointy tipped blade. We were too chicken to try. And we have a feeling that a truly sharp object would most likely penetrate and damage the screen beneath. The reactive gel will go a long way, but it’s not Kevlar bullet proof material. Here’s a video with some of the tests that the folks at NewerTech did on their own:

Second, we even took the phone on a few random tests, tempting the fates with a haphazardly stowed phone in the back pocket of our mountain bike jersey. It actually took a few rides to get the phone to dislodge from the pocket. It was harder than we thought and it’s not in our nature to intentionally wipeout or attempt to destroy our own phone. But after a few too many jumps and jostling through some deep ruts it eventually came out, tumbled down the trail, and came to a stop only after a riding buddy sprayed it with debris from a most excellent skid. Here was the result:

Brushed it off. Checked its functions. Good to go. Back in the pocket it went:

We’d say that the case, and especially the screen protector, completely live up to the hype. We could see using the screen protector regardless of what case we chose, or as a suggestion to those who like to show off the beauty of their phone in its naked state.

So, why would we go for this case when it comes to rugged protection and not one of the fully waterproof cases that are available?

It’s smaller fit means that it will easily fit in a pocket and in our hands.
If we anticipate being in or around water, we’d rather just throw it in a waterproof electronics bag. That’s what they’re for! They’re inexpensive and many of them float, something most cases don’t do. They’re also typically rated for greater depths, just in case the thing that they are in, like a backpack, makes the trip to the bottom of whatever body of water it is in. Most waterproof cases are rated for a depth of 1 meter and only for a very short period of time.
Most waterproof or impact resistant screen protectors greatly degrade the performance of the touch screen. No thanks! This reactive gel based approach leaves the performance as it should be, quick and responsive. We’re often amused by friends and colleagues who curse out their phones as if it was the phone’s fault. No, you’ve hidden it behind a really poor conductive material that’s really thick for no apparent reason!
The NuGuard KX Case and Screen Protectors in no way compromise sound, either for the caller or the receiver. Many waterproof/rugged cases severely compromise sound quality.
The access to plugs and controls is first rate. No having to use extra “oomph” to activate a control. No having a headphone jack either not being able to insert all the way or getting stuck once inserted.

So why would we want to suffer from all of these drawbacks all of the time just for the exceptionally rare occurrence when we might end up submerged in water? If we end up submerged in water that unexpectedly, we have other things to be worried about besides the state of our phone. Maybe if you’re a lobsterman or work as an animal trainer at Sea World it would be worth it, but for most people, having 24/7 waterproof protection just isn’t needed and the tradeoffs are just too big.

Hopefully soon all personal electronics will be treated with a process like HzO, but until then we’ll stick with just a great case with top notch impact proofing like the NewerTech KX Screen Protector and Case. They are also making these for a growing variety of models: newertech kx phone and newertech kx tablet. You can also purchase tese directly from the NewerTech website. We recommend them.

New Roku Streaming Stick to Compete with Google’s Chromecast

2014-03-05 by QTOOTH

Roku is set to start shipping its new HDMI-connected Streaming Stick in April. It is intended to compete directly with Google’s very popular Chromecast. Seeing as Roku’s new device sells for $49.99 versus $35 for Chromecast, it looks like the competition will be fierce.

So what makes this different than the original $99 Roku Streaming Stick? The new HDMI Version is not limited to “Roku-Ready” TVs that use ports that support Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) technology. It will work with any TV with an HDMI input.

According to Roku chief marketing officer Matthew Anderson, the original MHL-compatible Roku Stick will still be available, but most likely limited to being bundled with compatible TVs and specialized remote controls that can work with the streaming device and the set itself. Roku has not disclosed sales figures for the original stick, but since the company certified 60 different products from 14 consumer electronics partners and that 20 companies are already in the Roku Ready program, it is estimated that they have shipped about 8 million devices in the US alone.

And just like the rest of Roku’s streaming boxes, the new Streaming Stick will support Roku’s 1,200-plus apps/channels, including authenticated TV Everywhere apps such as HBO GO, Watch Disney, WatchESPN, and TWC TV from Time Warner Cable.

As long as there is a solid internet connection that can handle the data rates, the new HDMI version can deliver 1080p video and uses a mini USB port that can draw power from a USB port on the TV or directly from a wall outlet. The 802.11n Wi-Fi-enabled device will also ship with a remote control and the ability to use mobile apps that can also control the Roku Streaming Stick. Anderson said the new product is also made to support DIAL (Discover and Launch), a feature currently supported by the Roku 3 that lets users fling video from YouTube and Netflix from a mobile device to the TV, tying in a feature that’s central to the rival Chromecast platform. The new adapter will also let users view locally-stored personal photos on the TV.

Roku is trying on several fronts to compete with rivals such as Google and Apple, who makes the ever-popular iTV. At the International CES event in January, Roku announced that Hisense and TCL are the first television manufactures that will launch models that integrate the Roku platform. The first of the Roku TV models are expected out this fall.

QTOOTH will be on the lookout for this device and will do a review when the Roku HDMI Streaming Stick become available.

New Smartwatches: The Debut of Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo

2014-02-25 by QTOOTH

Samsung is using the Mobile World Congress that is being held in Barcelona this week to reveal its latest line of innovative products. First up was an update on their Galaxy Gear Smartwatch. Introduced in 2013, the original version was mostly greeted with indifference by the general press but found a lot of admirers among a growing user-base of dedicated fans. Samsung has shown that there is a viable market out there for smartwatches. These latest entries, the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, should help to further add to their level of acceptance.

By Any Other Name… and Oh, and What’s Tizen?

The first thing that gave an indication that serious changes were to be found was that Samsung has dropped “Galaxy” from the name. The two new smartwatches go simply by the names Samsung Gear 2 and Samsung Gear 2 Neo. This is most likely because Samsung wants to differentiate them from the rest of the Galaxy line up, like the S4 and new S5 smartphones. The reason, and perhaps the most important thing to know, is that these watches are no longer Android-based devices. Instead, Samsung has opted to switch to the open source, Linux-based mobile operating system known as Tizen.

Tizen isn’t that well-known outside of developers’ circles yet, but it is a very promising platform that may attract app developers who do not want to work within the constraints set by Apple for iOS or Google for Android. This will also help Samsung move yet one step further away from those two companies who are in effect their rivals. Samsung has been experimenting with smartphones based on Tizen, but they are smart enough not to release a phone to the market until there is enough of an ecosystem of apps to support it. Android and iOS have millions of apps, many of them free. Any phone attempting to compete will need to have a full complement of full featured, powerful apps. A lack of app choices is one of the main things holding back Windows and Blackberry phones from finding more of an audience. App development for these two new smartwatches may be Samsung’s way of laying the perfect foundation for building a Tizen-based ecosystem. We’ll see how things develop over the next year or two, but this move could prove very forward-thinking on the part of Samsung. However, users of the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will not notice this switch. The nature of a smartwatch is much different than a phone. Wearable technology tends to focus on doing a limited number of tasks really well and Samsung already has this covered with over 100 available apps. It is also going to release an SDK (software developers kit) so third party developers can get in on the action.

What’s the Difference Between the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo?

There are really only two differences between the Samsung Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo. The Gear 2 has a camera and the Gear 2 Neo does not. The Gear 2 has a brushed metal body and the Gear 2 Neo has a plastic body.

What Makes the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo Different from the Original Galaxy Gear?

Well first, let’s start off with what’s the same: The display is still a 1.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 320×320 pixel resolution, the RAM is still at 512MB, internal storage remains at 4GB, and they still work on Bluetooth 4.0. Just about everything else has changed.

The biggest improvement came from listening to the feedback of users of the the original Galaxy Gear. The camera, microphone, and antennae were all originally located on the strap. For the camera, this meant that shooting pictures required holding your wrist and arm at an odd angle. In order to speak into the device, the user had to flip their wrist over away from the watch face and the speaker because the microphone was located on the clasp of the strap. And because the camera, microphone, and antennae needed to maintain their electronic connections to the body of the watch, this setup prohibited the wearer from changing out the strap for different styles. The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo have moved all of these components to the body of the watch itself. This has made for a much improved shooting angle for the camera on the Gear 2 and, for both models, an easier time using the microphone while listening to the speaker and the ability to swap out the straps for any traditional watch wristbands on the market. This will help the user to truly customize the look of the watch. Plus, they’ve also added a couple of new watch body colors into the mix.

What else has changed besides the OS and the interchangeable straps? Processors have been improved from an 800MHz single core to a 1GHz dual core. A Bluetooth music player is included so that the user can stream music stored on their watch to any Bluetooth compatible audio system without the need for their phone. This could be handy for working out without worrying about carrying a phone. They also come with a built-in infrared projector which allows the included app to turn your watch into a remote for TVs and other entertainment systems. Because it is one of the most used functions of any existing wrist-mounted wearable tech, a heart rate monitor and its accompanying app are also included. The screen glows when you tell it to check your vitals, pulsing every 90 seconds. If you use it with one of the personal coaching apps it will use haptic feedback, otherwise known as a vibration alarm, plus on-screen notifications to let you know you should pick up the pace.

The size of these devices has also gotten a little smaller. Because it lacks a camera, the Gear 2 Neo is slightly smaller than the Gear 2. Both of the new units are also smaller than the original Galaxy Gear. This is due in part to the fact that the new versions have a slightly smaller battery. This has caused some to be concerned about battery life and how often they will need to be recharged. The original Galaxy Gear initially had issues with short battery life until a software update increased the average time to about a day to a day and a half. However, Samsung promises that the new devices will last between two and a half to five days between charges. this is most likely because of the new Tizen operating system. The smaller sizes also mean less weight. The Gear 2 is about 10% lighter and the Gear 2 Neo is about 25% lighter than the original Galaxy Gear. This should help improve comfort and their long term wearability.

The body of both versions is IP67 certified for dust and water resistance. This means that they can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 3 feet/1 meter and should suffer no ill effects. This isn’t foolproof, but it is a great improvement and helps safeguard against one of the most common threats to electronics that no one likes to talk about or even think about… landing in a toilet. It also means that showering with it on should be okay.

Will the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo Work with My Device?

In addition to the new Samsung Galaxy S5, the Gear 2 series will work with Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy S4 Zoom, Galaxy Mega, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, Galaxy Note Pro, and Galaxy Tab Pro (12.2, 10.1, 8.4).

How much will the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo Cost?

Samsung hasn’t released any final pricing on these yet, but consensus says that the Gear 2 will probably be about the same as the current Galaxy Gear at $299 and the Gear 2 Neo is expected to be about $100 less. Although a specific date hasn’t been released, Samsung says that both models will be available for sale in April.

Do I Need a Gear 2 or a Gear 2 Neo Smartwatch?

This is a question many people are asking, even those who make these things! Traditional watches have fallen out of widespread use in general. We have clocks everywhere, on our car dashboards, on our appliances, and especially on our computers, tablets and phones. However, there are still quite a few people who do wear them, and the added functionality that a smartwatch provides may entice a few more to start wearing them again. They may never gain as much market share as a smartphone, but they do have their place and only time will tell how big the audience is. No matter what the answer ends up being, smartwatches will most likely be here to stay, in some form or another.

The Dash – The Latest Entry in the Dawn of the Smart Headphone

2014-02-16 by QTOOTH

The latest product to make a splash on Kickstarter as of last week is The Dash, an in-ear wireless headphone. The Dash looks to be a strong entry into the growing class of devices known as smart headphones. In order to make the device qualify as “smart”, the creators of The Dash have included a variety of sensors that can be used to track the wearers health and to communicate and control connected devices wirelessly.

Although we have some questions about some of its component and design choices, the device shows a tremendous amount of promise. Here’s their promo video and info direct from their Kickstarter campaign:

Click for Zoomed View of Internal Components

Overall we are incredibly impressed with their choices of components and the featured functionality of The Dash. Here are what we think are some of the pros:

CSR’s AptX circuitry – for delivering quality audio over Bluetooth
The use of 3-axis and accelerometer sensors in both the left and right ear buds for greater accuracy of motion tracking
Onboard media/music storage (4GB) and playback for greater audio quality than available over Bluetooth and use even when not connected to another device or smart phone
The ability to use the built-in ambient mic to listen to the immediate environment – a great safety feature for when the ears are plugged by use of the device
The ability to turn features on and off via an app – Currently the practical battery charge is about 3 hours when all of the internal circuitry is on and working. Turning of functions that aren’t currently being used will allow the battery life to be extended
A companion storage case that will be able to recharge the ear buds within an hour several times before it too needs to be recharged

Here are some of our potential cons. Since the device may evolve yet before its official introduction to the world, and since we have not personally tried The Dash, these questions may not add up to a hill o’ beans. Here they are any way:

The use of an ear bone microphone for speech – In our experience, we are yet to find an ear bone microphone that really works well, especially for communicating speech. Microphones and speakers that rely on bone conduction are usually significantly lacking in treble response. This is where the clarity of any sound occurs and how we can differentiate one consonant sound from another. Without those high frequencies clearly articulated “P” can sound like “B”, “T” can sound like “D”, and so on. This can cause a lot of confusion for the person on the other end of the line. Perhaps the folks at Bragi have found the ultimate microphone for this, but there is a reason why Google recently abandoned the bone conduction audio on their much anticipate Google Glass. Used in tandem with a traditional microphone that picks up sound from airwaves, a bone conduction microphone can be a great asset (like the way it is used on the Jawbone headsets). In this case we are skeptical, especially since conduction microphones work best when they are held securely against bone. As far as we can tell, The Dash will mostly be surrounded by the softer flesh and cartilage of the folds of the inner ear. Perhaps they can still make it work in conjunction with their ambient mic? Or at least make it an option?
A claim of “waterproof” – Sure, they only claim water resistance to 1m (about 3 feet), but they also claim that it should be okay for daily swimming, albeit with reduced functionality. They also feature pictures of surfing a wave. I’m not sure who only swims to a depth of 1 meter. Diving into a pool, pushing off the wall at the turn of a lap, or getting hit by a wave will probably easily exceed the water pressure of 1 bar/ 1 meter that they claim. It will be interesting to see what real world use of actual customers demonstrates. But just to be clear, we are still thrilled with the direction that Bragi is taking with The Dash. This level of water resistance should mean that getting caught in the rain or keeping the music going or taking a quick call when hitting the post workout shower should be a non-issue.
Passive Noise Reduction – This is a rather cryptic way of saying that The Dash works as an ear plug. They lay claim to the fact that this will help isolate the wearer from noise from their environment. True! Bragi does make some effort to differentiate what they are doing from active noise cancellation circuitry, but we just wanted to clarify the terms for those who may be less familiar. Good active noise reduction circuitry will actually do a better job of reducing noise across a broader range of frequencies than an ear plug. Bragi states that they have kept out the more expensive active noise reduction because it would reduce the battery life. This makes sense, especially considering that the size of this device is quite small and leaves little room for the extra circuitry or increased battery size that might be required. We’d also like to point out that although The Dash provides an ambient microphone to help the user stay aware of their surroundings when necessary, this is not as accurate for positioning those sounds within the environment. All of the folds and curves of the human ear are not just there to make them look as pretty as a sea shell, they serve the purpose of helping us locate sounds. Even if a person is deaf in one ear, as long as the other ear is reasonable healthy, human hearing is incredibly accurate in determining location. This is super beneficial for survival and one of the main reasons I never ride my bike while wearing headphones. I rely on my hearing far too much to help me know exactly where that SUV is in relationship to my rear wheel! Even with the ambient mics active, plugging both ears with The Dash will greatly reduce the wearer’s hearing location abilities.
Reflectance Pulse Oximetry – Say what?! That’s the fancy term for the technology behind how The Dash measures heart rate and oxygen saturation (the amount of oxygen carried by the blood). Reflectance pulse oximetry uses two tiny LEDs to emit low intensity red and infrared light into the capillaries of the ear. The optical reflection of the emitted light reveals the relative amount of red and white blood cells and can be interpreted as both heart rate and oxygen saturation. So far in, other devices, this approach has proven to be a less than perfect way to measure this information. Perhaps having it located on the inside of the ear and using whatever associated circuitry Bragi has developed will greatly improve accuracy. We hope so. This is one of the key features of The Dash and helps combine multiple wearable devices into one. We love the idea!
Comfort and secure mounting – Bragi claims that the 3 sizes that they offer for the ear molds will comfortably fit 94% of the population. Maybe so, but many other headset manufacturers offer the similar and make the same claim. We’ve found that ALL devices that are stuffed into the ear canal increase our desire to remove them the longer we wear them. And although we believe that The Dash mounts securely in the ear (see image below) we wonder what will happen if we do shake them loose, say when swimming or surfing. It would be nice if they added some optional, secondary means of attachment. Maybe an ear hook or some form of leash? Just a thought…

So there you have it, our quick take on The Dash. We’re very excited for them and they are absolutely crushing it on Kickstarter. Check them out when you get a chance and maybe get in line for your own pair by making a pledge toward their campaign. We here at QTOOTH will definitely be keeping an ear out for any news as they get closer to release or when they become available next November!

The Fastest Way to Join the Internet of Things? Belkin WeMo Home Automation

2013-12-04 by QTOOTH

Do you want to take advantage of the Internet of Things today? The Belkin WeMo Home Automation line of products is perhaps the easiest and fastest way to do it.

You may know Belkin for making great consumer accessories, however the majority of their business is probably that of being a supplier the electronics and electrical industries. for many decades. I know that as a lifelong musician, getting a guitar or microphone cable that featured Belkin components was always a good sign. So it was with interest that we had a chance to use the Belkin WeMo Home Automation family of products. In particular, the WeMo Switch, Insight Switch, and WeMo Light Switch.

We’ve seen many reviews of these, including the ones on Amazon. Most people are thrilled with their performance and ease of use. A few people have reported issues with setting up the devices initially. From what I can glean from these frustrations, it is either because the person didn’t understand the requirement necessary for proper installation or they didn’t allow the devices to automatically update themselves first to the latest firmware before attempting to use them. From my point of view there is not much that can be done about those cases. Whether on a retail website like Amazon or on Belkin’s own website, great care has been made to alert consumers about how to use them. I’m not sure how much more Belkin can do. There will always be people who just won’t read a manual or watch a video no matter how simplified and accurate they may be. That said, I found the Belkin WeMo Home Automation line of products easy to set up and consistently performed as advertised. Here’s a look at the big three that I’ve used in the series:

Belkin WeMo Switch

The Belkin WeMo Switch is the most simple device in the series. Looking like a single outlet plug adaptor, you simply plug it into your wall outlet and then plug whatever device you want to control into the WeMo switch. Setting it up to communicate with my home WiFi network was pretty routine and the instructions on how to do so were quite clear. Then, using the free app that is available for the iPhone, I was able to remotely power the outlet on and off, thereby turning the floor lamp that was plugged into it on and off. Voila! Simple. As long as my house has power, the WiFi is turned on, and I have my cell phone, this can be done from virtually anywhere in the world. There are also options to program when there is power to the outlet by using the app’s scheduler. Perfect if I want to automate lights to turn on or off when I’m away on vacation or if I want to turn the lights on from my car before I come into the house (handy when carrying armloads of groceries).

Of course this can be used with any device that plugs into the wall, stereos, TVs, space heaters, coffee maker, holiday lights, air conditioners, etc… Limited only by your imagination.

Belkin WeMo Light Switch

The Belkin WeMo Light Switch is probably the second most popular unit in the series. It takes a bit more to use because it actually requires replacing your current light switch. This involves a bit of know-how when it comes to wiring, If you are not comfortable with this, and fear the risk of getting shocked with the full electrical current from your house’s wiring, you should really look into hiring a professional. Or, at the very least, ask your more tech or handy-oriented friend or member of the family. Since I grew up in a house full of master tradesmen, this was a piece of cake for me. The Belkin WeMo Light switch is perfectly designed to replace the stock light switch in the majority of cases. There are two tips that Belkin tries very hard to make clear: the wiring in your wall MUST have a neutral wire and you should use the included faceplate if the current one is made of metal. This last tip is there because a metal faceplate might block the wireless WiFi signal. Makes sense! Once installed, these work great and can be overridden remotely at anytime. No need to worry if you last left the switch in a certain position that might inhibit remote access.

Belkin WeMo Motion

The Belkin WeMo Motion is a motion detector that hooks into one of their WeMo Switches. That said, the first tip would be to make sure you understand that the WeMo Motion will NOT work without buying a WeMo Switch to go with it. Luckily they are mostly sold a s apackage deal and it is likely that you’ll end up with exactly what you need. Besides that, there are plenty of uses for this and I found that it worked really well. Great for security purposes, it can also be used so that environmental controls or entertainment devices can cycle on and off as you move room to room.

Although I haven’t tried them, there are other members of the Belkin WeMo Home Automation family. There is the WeMo Insight Switch that allows you to track your electrical usage per outlet and the WeMo Baby that acts as an update on the classic baby monitor.

All of this is pretty powerful stuff and can all be controlled on either an iOS device or an Android device using Belkin’s free apps. I find the aesthetic design of these to be spot on and should meld well with just about any decor. Conclusion? Love it, and am looking forward to maybe hacking a few of these for my own nefarious IoT (Internet of Things) purposes. Especially when by writing a few controller scripts on IFTTT. Mwahahahahaha…!

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