CES 2015: Belkin and Elgato Announce New Home Automation Sensors for Windows, Doors, and More

[MacRumors]

Belkin and Elgato today used CES as a platform to expand their home automation lineup of products. Belkin is showing off five new WeMo products at CES, while Elgato is presenting two products from its previously announced line of "Eve" connected home sensors.

Belkin today announced an expansion to its WeMo line with the new WeMo Door and Window Sensor, the Keychain sensor, and an Alarm sensor to notify users when an existing home alarm goes off. It also introduced an improved motion detector with a new infrared option to detect heat signatures for even more precise motion detection. All four sensors will debut in the second half of 2015 at yet-to-be-determined prices.

Belkin also is working on a Water sensor with "Echo Technology" that will monitor household water usage. The new WeMo Water sensor will attach to the home's plumbing system and analyze pressure changes caused by faucets and the flushing of toilets. The sensor can calculate consumption duration and even detect damaging water leaks. The WeMo Water is still in the field trial stage with no set availability date at this time.

Elgato is also at CES, presenting its previously announced Eve Energy and Eve Door & Window sensors along with the Eve app. The HomeKit-compliant products allow you monitor the energy usage and control connected appliances with the tap of the screen. The Eve Energy and Eve Door & Window sensors will debut in Q1 2015, and the company is also working on sensors for air quality, temperature, humidity, and water consumption.

Article Link: CES 2015: Belkin and Elgato Announce New Home Automation Sensors for Windows, Doors, and More

 

[Ollifi]

For Windows... or windows?

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Eeeeeeeeva?

 

[Mike Oxard]

I feel like my dad when I shout 'who left this light on' and continuously wander round the house turning the heating down, closing doors and windows and reading the electricity meter.
Now I can do it all from my phone, I'm depriving my kids of the chance to feel like me when they are older, unless they just sit there staring at their phones...oh maybe that's already happened.


As long as they don't invent an iPhone controlled radiator bleed key there will still be some room for manliness in the house of the future.

 

[jettredmont]

This is great, and a huge step-up from the current "state of the art".

Of course, the door and window alarms can not be marketed as a security system (since killing the WiFi via power or other means will defeat them far too easily), but a lot of us don't want or need the full-fledged security system capabilities and monitoring expenses.

On the other hand, the expense, both initial and ongoing, is likely to be the sticking point here. Wireless is great and all, but how much battery power does a WiFi door alarm use just to stay connected? Will we need to make the rounds replacing rechargeable batteries in all these devices every week? And what is the up-front cost for this? Belkin's materials talk about the AC not coming on when "the window" is open, but if you have a more typical house with a few dozen windows, $50/each is probably going to put it well beyond the scale of the average homeowner.

I wonder if a "hybrid" wired/hub approach might be better. That is, if you have a wall with a good motion-detector sensing corner, the entryway door, and two windows on it, placing a wireless hub on that wall with wires to the four sensors would seem to minimize individual battery/connection components to worry about while retaining the overall "wireless" ease of installation.

In any case, all the details and pricing are still 6+ months out, just like they were six months ago when the previous round of devices was announced. Seems like we'll be waiting for a while before we can know how influencial these devices will be.

 

[Natzoo]

dont trust it, if u don't too plz reply me

So all these security things by apple, like how u can unlock doors by your phone is not really safe because people can probably hack into it, especially if ur on a public wifi, and it just doesn't seem right using technology this advanced while depending on your phone. Please comment me your opinions

----------

I feel like my dad when I shout 'who left this light on' and continuously wander round the house turning the heating down, closing doors and windows and reading the electricity meter.
Now I can do it all from my phone, I'm depriving my kids of the chance to feel like me when they are older, unless they just sit there staring at their phones...oh maybe that's already happened.


As long as they don't invent an iPhone controlled radiator bleed key there will still be some room for manliness in the house of the future.

I hear apple patented a thing for a flexible phone, oh boi will this be fun.

 

[macosxuser01]

So all these security things by apple, like how u can unlock doors by your phone is not really safe because people can probably hack into it, especially if ur on a public wifi, and it just doesn't seem right using technology this advanced while depending on your phone. Please comment me your opinions

----------



I hear apple patented a thing for a flexible phone, oh boi will this be fun.

Not with Alarm.com system. It's system doesn't use the home's internet wifi connection it uses it's own cellular network