Enabling ordinary objects to become extraordinary tools via an internet connection is the next frontier of high technology. The Internet of Things keeps growing and expanding with the introduction of Knocki, a stick-on sensor that lets you – you guessed it – knock to initiate programmed actions. It eliminates the need for switches, buttons, and remote controls.

As long as it’s within wi-fi range, the Knocki can be stuck to just about any solid surface and activated with a pattern of knocks and taps on that surface. One knock on the dresser can tell the device and its app to turn on your sound system in the morning to get you up and moving. Three spaced-out knocks on the bedside table could tell Knocki to start the coffee brewing.

The system works by detecting vibrational patterns on a surface via an accelerometer. There’s no chance of the Knocki “hearing” environmental sounds like clapping and mistaking them for commands because it doesn’t operate on acoustic cues. The internal software can analyze knocks or taps to determine if they were intentional or if they were, for example, just you knocking over a coffee mug.

In addition to activating various gadgets around the house, the Knocki can be programmed for home security. You can tell it to text you if someone knocks on your front door or to call an ambulance if you tap out a specific pattern. The Knocki doesn’t even have to be in plain sight to work; you can mount it under a table or inside a cabinet. It has a range of up to six feet when mounted on wood and 3-4 feet when mounted on stone or other very hard surfaces – meaning you don’t have to knock directly beside or on top of it.

The creators of the system envision it being used outside the home environment, as well. They say it could be helpful in restaurants to let diners knock on the table to get their server’s attention. That would probably be the most annoying possible use (for the servers, anyway), but it’s a cool idea nonetheless. Knocki is available for pre-order on the company’s site.

The post Knock, Knock: This Module Wants to Smarten Your House first appeared on Gajitz.

The home of the future has become the home of today. We can control so many household functions remotely via smartphone that we can now truly call our homes “smart.” The Smart Alert from startup company Leeo is another entry in the list of smart home plug-ins, but its style and function are remarkable enough to make it stand out.

At its core, the $100 Leeo Smart Alert is a plug-in device that listens for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. If it hears one of the alarms sounding off, it contacts someone on your pre-set list of contact people – neighbors, relatives, or perhaps even emergency services. There are similar products on the market, but for the most part they require replacing your existing alarms. The Smart Alert is designed to be as simple as can be: you just plug it in, connect it to your wi-fi network, program your contact numbers into the iOS or Android app, and you’re good to go.

You can check in with the app at any time to make sure all is clear at home. The app can even tell you the temperature and humidity level of any room it’s in. But the Smart Alert has a secondary function that’s just as appealing as its primary purpose: it’s a rather beautiful nightlight. It has ambient light sensors to turn on when it’s needed, a ring to adjust its brightness, and the ability to display one of 16 million colors using the app.

According to the designers, the Smart Alert was always meant to be a home safety device; the nightlight function came about because it needed a constant electricity feed. Adding a nightlight was a no-brainer since they also have to be plugged in at all times. And in this way, the Smart Alert helps you feel safe whether you’re at home or away.

The post Plug + Play Nightlight Monitors Your Home for Emergencies first appeared on Gajitz.

Deadbolts have long been considered to be the strongest physical barrier to home intrusion, but Haven moves the securing spot to a place much more stable: the base of the door frame. It’s both a traditional physical barrier and a connected smart device, allowing users total control with an app.

The metal smart lock looks like a wedge the anchors at the base of the door. When it’s unlocked, it bears a low enough profile that the door can swing right over it. When you lock it, a motorized accordion lift gate pushes the middle portion of the device up, forming a strong physical barrier that makes it impossible – without a stick of dynamite, anyway – to open the door.

Haven can be operated by a key fob or by a mobile app. It has built-in wi-fi and connects via Bluetooth to an iOS or Android device. Like other smart locks, you can pass out temporary digital keys with set parameters such as the time of day guests are allowed to enter the home.

The Haven system integrates with other established home management systems. If it detects excessive force being applied to the door – such as an intruder trying to break in – the mobile app will notify you immediately. If it is connected to a home management system, the Haven can even trigger other security measures like turning on interior or exterior lights.

The lock is powered by a redundant battery system that will keep the lock powered even if one battery runs down. If the power begins to run low, the app sends you notifications until you replace the batteries. As a precautionary safety measure, an emergency physical footplate lets you lower the liftgate manually by stepping on it.

The post Strong + Secure: Smart Door Lock is Your Home’s New BFF first appeared on Gajitz.

Visions of futuristic homes have been swirling in our collective minds since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and technology has finally caught up to our fanciful notions. Openarch is a working prototype of a super high-tech smart home with a functional digital layer.

Openarch functions on a platform the designers call Domestic Operating System, or D. OS. The system includes utilities that allow residents to control the home’s functions with simple gestures, easily keep track of the weather or the home’s energy consumption, and stay connected to friends and family.

The super-smart home has surprising features like apps that allow you to change the look of an entire room. Your living room can go from boring to the center of Times Square in an instant.

The walls and floors of each room can become huge gaming surfaces, letting you play Tetris while you wait for your toast or enjoying a first-person shooter game in an immersive environment.

Just like the very first smart house ideas predicted, Openarch enables residents to use their home itself to complete daily tasks. An alarm clock app wakes you up without the need for an actual alarm clock, and the walls become massive touchscreens that let you carry out all of your online business wherever you are in the house.

The home is plenty capable on its own, but the things inside of it are just as impressive. Music collections can be accessed with a few quick taps, coffee pots turned off or on with a gesture, and household data can be monitored or controlled simply by moving a cell phone closer or further away.

Is the house of the future one that will make life easier, or will it only serve to stress us out? How will we handle being constantly connected and surrounded by data every second of our lives? We predict that some will embrace the technology wholeheartedly while others will rebel against the technological revolution and happily remain in their non-connected homes.

The post Welcome to the World of Tomorrow: Smart House Prototype first appeared on Gajitz.

In the past couple of decades, we have become used to interacting with our world through a lens of technology – but that lens is about to change yet again. Researchers at the Hasso Platner Institute are working on a project that will completely change how technology affects our everyday lives. The group is working on a smart floor that will effectively add a new dimension of interactive tech to our environment.

The smart floor itself is called Multitoe. The interface detects people and things standing on it. Then a complementary system called GravitySpace uses special software and a projector located beneath a glass floor to show avatars moving around the room. The avatars are each associated with a specific person (these have to be set up ahead of time) and follow that person around, creating a sort of digital double. The floor is so sensitive that it can detect your posture and movements through only a few small points of contact (such as your feet).

This system has the potential to completely change the way we interact with our environments. Because the floor can sense every object in physical contact with it, it is able to tell when there are multiple people in the room. Apps could be developed to play games or communicate through the floor itself. The team behind the project predicts that eventually the technology will find its way into removable carpets, so that when you move into a new place you have only to roll out the carpet and get started enjoying your digital life in a new physical environment.

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