Tech Tips for Non-Tech People!
Original Air Date: Jan 17, 2014
The Home Automation Platform wars
Affordable home automation solutions had a big presence once again at this year’s CES with a much wider variety of companies pitching their systems.
While the low cost and ease of installation can be very attractive, if you choose the wrong platform, you may be limited in what you can do.
Large electronics manufacturers like Samsung and LG are integrating smart home features into many of their products but they aren’t likely to support devices outside of their limited partnerships.
If you’re serious about DIY home automation, a better choice is to use a more open standard that supports the various protocols and gadgets that exist.
My personal favorite is the SmartThings platform because it’s an open standard that’s currently compatible with over 1000 automation devices including Belkin’s WeMo devices and Phillips Hue lightbulbs.
What’s even better is that anyone can create new uses for the platform and share it with the rest of the community.
One note of caution: since these system work off of your home wireless network, it’s essential that you have good security setup on your wireless router before you start adding devices.
http://www.smartthings.com
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