Smart Gadgets To Cool Down
Summer is approaching, and what’s a better way to cool down than to get connected up? The Internet of Things is enabling beachgoers, vacation travelers and barbecue throwers to enjoy a summer of convenience.
With IoT, consumers can check their grills remotely from their lawn party, turn on their sprinkler system from work so that their grass doesn’t dry up, and cool off after a long hot day with a cold connected shower.
From Nest air conditioning thermostats to smart pool monitoring devices – and even to connected water bottles – here are 20 smart gadgets that will help you stay cool over the summer.
Rachio Smart Sprinkler
With Rachio’s smart sprinkler controller homeowners can automate their backyard watering systems through their smartphones.
Rachio’s smart watering system lets users control their lawn sprinklers from their iOS or Android devices, but the system itself can do most of the work. Rachio can schedule itself based on local weather patterns accessed through Wi-Fi, and automatically optimizes a watering schedule based on the specific needs of your yard. For example, if it is raining outside, Rachio will automatically turn off. Rachio said homeowners using its product save about 50 percent of their outdoor water use. Rachio is currently available for $200 for eight sprinkler zones around the yard.
ShadeCraft’s Sunflower
Los Angeles-based ShadeCraft’s solar powered smart patio umbrella can do a lot more than keeping the sun out of your eyes. This umbrella comes with integrated security cameras, Bluetooth-enabled speakers, a microphone, and lights – all of which operate wirelessly and are solar powered.
Sunflower also contains built-in sensors monitoring UV levels, humidity, temperature and air quality – so the umbrella knows when to automatically retract itself or reposition as the sun shifts throughout the day. At this point, Sunflower is only in the prototype stage, but the umbrella will hit the market in 2018.
DigitSole SmartShoe
If you enjoy going on hikes or playing sports during the summer, Digitsole SmartShoe is the perfect match.
DigitSole released what it dubbed “the world’s first intelligent footwear” product in September for $450. The shoes include heaters and sensors in the sole that are controlled by a companion app and come with a self-fastening mechanism, so users won’t have to bend down to lace up their shoes. In addition to self-lacing features, the SmartShoe can be controlled by the app to heat feet up to 100 de
Apple Watch Series 2
Whether you like exercising in the heat of the summer or relaxing on the beach, the Apple Watch Series 2 has all the features you need – from built-in GPS for long hikes, to water resistant capabilities of up to 50 meters for swimming.
For exercise purposes, this watch has a heart rate sensor and a comprehensive workout app. The Apple Watch Series 2 is currently available for $300 for the 38 mm band.
iGrill
Party throwers can use the sizzling hot iGrill to bring the Internet of Things into their family barbecues. This smart thermometer connects wirelessly to an app, allowing users to check on their steaks through smartphones and tablets. The iGrill thermometer contains two professional-grade probes to monitor multiple temperatures.
This smart thermometer can be purchased on iGrill’s website starting at $99.99.
UrbanEars Boom 2
If you’re sitting by the pool and want some music to jazz up a summer evening, look no further – the UrbanEars Boom 2 has the waterproof capabilities, sound quality, and portability features making it perfect for a pool party.
This $200 waterproof speaker can be immersed in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes, and touts 15 hours of battery life – so the device stays on for almost a full day. The speaker can be controlled from a phone and connected to Bluetooth.
Nest Thermostat
In the heat of summer, it can be hard to save energy with the air conditioner constantly cranking. But Nest’s connected thermostats help mitigate the high costs of your energy bill through learning what temperature you like and building a schedule around when the house is occupied versus empty.
According to the company, Nest has saved 8 billion kWh of energy in millions of homes since 2011. The thermostat automatically adapts to consumers’ life – so the air conditioning can automatically turn off when no one is home. Nest is currently available for $249.
pHin Smart Pool Monitoring
Pool owners can get their pools set up for summer with pHin’s smart pool monitoring device. pHin monitors the PH levels and temperature in pools and notifies users on their smartphones about the pH, chlorine, alkalinity, and other levels in the pool.
This smart gadget started shipping in July 2016 and is currently available at $299 per year.
Hidrate Spark
It’s important to stay hydrated in the summer – and Hidrate Spark, a connected water bottle, wants to help you do that.
This smart water bottle tracks your water intake with a sensor in the bottle that automatically records what you drink. The data from the sensor automatically syncs to a hydration app on your phone, so you can record how much you drank – and if you’re drinking enough. The bottle itself also reminds you when you need to drink more by glowing if you aren’t drinking enough. Hidrate Spark is currently available for $55.
Bragi Wireless Headphones
Bragi headphones are the perfect substitution for your phone, whether you’re running on at the beach. These wireless headphones allow you to switch between tracks, take phone calls, and deliver voice commands all through the headphones themselves. Bragi, which features up to six hours of wireless play time per charge, connects to an array of Bluetooth devices – from the smartphone to a tablet – and is currently available at around $184.
Petnet Smart Pet Feeders
If you are traveling on summer vacation and want to save money on pet sitters, the $49 SmartBowl and $149 SmartFeeder are good substitute options. The SmartBowl works by having users input data about their pet—such as age, weight and activity level—and then telling owners when they’ve poured an ideal amount of food into the bowl. The SmartFeeder, meanwhile, brings a more automated approach. Users create a feeding schedule, and the SmartFeeder automatically portions out the right amount of food based on data about their pet.
FitBit Blaze
Fitbit’s FitBit Blaze shies away from the fitness tracker’s sporty-looking wearables to take a more high-end watch design – making it a great wearable for fancy summer dinners in addition to workouts.
The Blaze, which became available last year for $200, comes with a variety of choices, including high-performance elastomer bands, leather bands, and stainless steel bands. The wearable tracks steps, sleep, burned calories and different types of exercise. The FitBit Blaze also auto-tracks activities like tennis, soccer, and elliptical workouts.
Bluesmart
Summer comes with lots of travel to destination vacations – and with Bluesmart, travelers can make sure that nothing bad happens to their luggage.
Bluesmart is a connected suitcase that tracks itself, auto-locks, and automatically charges your device. With this device, you can remotely lock your suitcase from your phone so no one tries to steal from it, locate your suitcase from anywhere in the world, and check its weight. Bluesmart is currently available for $339.
MySmartBlinds
The sun can get especially blinding during the long summer hours – and MySmartBlinds wants to make sure its automated shutter blinds keep the light out of your eyes. These smart shades can be controlled via a Bluetooth app, so you can schedule them from your smartphone or smartwatch to open and close. For example, the blinds will automatically turn in the morning so that the sun will not get in your eyes when you sleep.
For those who don’t want to invest in a new set of blinds, MySmartBlinds also offers an automation kit for existing blinds that fits all major brands. The automation kit is currently on the market for $99.
Lenovo Smart Assistant
Lenovo took the wraps off a new smart home assistant, the Smart Assistant, during this year’s CES. The Chinese company worked with Amazon for the speaker, which uses Alexa for its voice command and response skills.
Similar to Google Home and Amazon Alexa speakers, users can give commands or ask questions to Lenovo’s speaker – from the comfort of their porch or pool. The cylinder speaker, which features a volume on top and comes in an array of colors, is priced at $129 and will be available this month.
Brita Infinity Wi-Fi Pitcher
Brita’s “future of hydration” connected pitcher aims to help users stay hydrated in the muggy weather of summer. The Brita Infinity. A Wi-fi connected pitcher, tracks users’ usage and automatically order replacements filters through Amazon Dash Replenishment – so you don’t have to fit in buying new filters into your busy summer schedule. The Brita Infinity is currently available for $45.
Vue Smart SunGlasses
Everyone needs to invest in a good pair of sunglasses for the summer – so why not invest in a pair that does just a little more than keep the sun out of your eyes? Vue Smart Sunglasses allow users to navigate a touch interface embedded into the arm of the frames so that they can transfer stereo sounds to your inner ear without using earbuds, answer calls, and hear notification from your glasses. These smart glasses are also water resistant and feature stereo bone conduction speakers. They are currently available for pre-order at $199.
Kuvee Bottle
If you’re having a summer patio party, Kuvee is the $200 connected wine bottle that will keep your wine fresh for 30 days. The smart wine bottle is Wi-Fi enabled with a touch screen label that allows you to interact with the bottle and buy more, and an RFID chip to tell you the shelf life and the remaining glasses in the bottle. Kuvee has started its first shipments in Massachusetts and California, and shipments to remaining states will go out in early 2017, according to the company.
Airmega Smart Air Purifier
As the summer brings muggier weather, the Airmega smart air purifier uses built-in sensors to make sure you know just what’s happening to the air in your house.
This device tracks the pollution level in houses and shows how data has changed over time, and when the purifier needs to be cleaned. The Airmega uses built-in sensors and sends notifications directly to your smartphone.
At this year’s CES, Airmega announced it can integrate with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, meaning that users can turn their air purifier on or increase its speed by just voicing their command.
U by Moen
To cool off in the hot summer weather, Ohio-based company Moen has introduced the first app-based digital shower system, U by Moen.
This product is an app-based controller that is installed in the shower to personalize showers. The device allows users to create preset settings for water temperature, so the shower can automatically warm up to the ideal temperature, and allows multiple users to program their own specific settings. U by Moen is available now for a starting price of $1,160.
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