Tag: IOT

Top 5 Smart Home Accessories In India

Making a transition from phone to smartphone is a difficult task. However, once if you have a smartphone, transitioning your home to a smart home is pretty easy. These are Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which once connected to Wi-Fi to give you control over different functionalities. It is worth noting that these accessories can be controlled from any smartphone running iOS or Android smartphone.So, here are the top 5 gadgets that can convert your run of the mill home into a smart home.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon Echo Dot can act as a hub to control other smart accessories. The Echo Dot is available on Amazon for Rs 4,499 and offers a plethora of features. The device comes with a compact form factor in black or white colour. This is a smart home assistant, powered by Amazon Alexa. The device comes with a speaker and array of microphones so that it can always respond to you when you say “Alexa”. The device can play songs using Amazon Music, Saavn and Tuneln. Similarly, a user can play music across the devices using multi-room music. However, if you are looking for a louder sound output, go with Echo Plus which retails for Rs 14999.

Xiaomi YeeLight

The Xiaomi YeeLight is one of the most affordable smart bulbs available in the market. This can be paired with a smartphone to control brightness and colour of the light. The LED bulb has an RGB colour profile with 16 million colour combinations. The company also claims that a bulb can last up to 11 years. As this is a smart bulb, it is priced at Rs 1,890. Similarly, one can connect more than one bulb to a single account to create dramatic colour effects.

Xiaomi YeeLight

D-Link Wi-Fi Motion Sensor

The D-Link Wi-Fi Motion Sensor connects to the Wi-Fi to notify users of any unsuspecting movements. The device comes in handy for monitoring a baby or a house while the members are away. Download the MyD-Link myHome app on iOS or Android device to complete the setup and turn on the motion detection feature. Similarly, the device can also be used to monitor power and temperature. The device costs Rs 849.

D-Link Wi-Fi Motion Sensor

TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug

Unlike a normal power plug, this plug delivers the power to the connected device. One has to complete the setup of the device using an iOS or Android smartphone, by connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Then, this plug can be used as any other plug. However, the admin will have the control over the power supply. A user can turn off or turn on a gadget that is connected to this device remotely with. Similarly, one can programme the device to turn on or turn off at a different time interval. This is priced at Rs 2,099.

TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug

Digoo Wireless Wifi Night Vision Smart Home Security IP Camera

In simpler definition, this is a smart CCTV camera. The device retails for Rs 4,200 and offers plenty of features like Motion detection, one button guard etc. One has to connect this to a Wi-Fi network for real-time monitoring. However, it is possible to connect this device using wired LAN network as well. The device is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows OS.

Digoo Wireless Wifi Night Vision Smart Home Security IP Camera

March 20, 2018
The Wait is Over, Windows 10 Arriving in 190 Countries This Summer

Ever since Microsoft announced the latest iteration of the Windows operating system last year, users have been patiently waiting for its arrival in the market. The demos presented by the company has got the market excited for the plethora of cool features. Microsoft also corrects its blunder of removing the start menu in its last offering by bring back the menu in Windows 10. The company is now ready to bring the latest OS to its customers worldwide and will be launching it this summer in 190 countries.

Microsoft will offer a one-year free upgrade which will be available to the customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. Users can choose from 111 language options for the new operating system.

Terry Myerson of Microsoft commented on the official blog post –

We continue to make great development progress and shared today that Windows 10 will be available this summer in 190 countries and 111 languages.

Microsoft has a strategic plan to roll out Windows 10 in China. The firm stated that it would partner with leading companies like Lenovo, Tencent and Qihu 360 to deliver the new Windows OS to its customers. As said earlier, more countries will soon get the update by summer this year.

Along with announcing the launch time of Windows 10, Microsoft brought out few more interesting tools to make computing more personal. Windows Hello is one of the recent features added on Windows 10. This innovative offering eliminates the need for passwords and gives instant access to your devices through biometric authentication, i.e. analyzing your face, iris or fingerprint.

Microsoft has also put major focus on Internet of Things(IoT) devices with this new launch. This advanced Windows OS will also work with major institutional devices like ATM’s, ultrasound machines, gateways, and more. The company plans to connect with more machines and is in talks to collaborate with companies lke the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Intel, Qualcomm and other tech organizations.

One revelation that caught the eye was that Microsoft signing up with Chinese smartphone Xiaomi for the developmental of Windows 10. A select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 power users will be invited to test Windows 10 and share their feedback with the company. Seems like Microsoft is trying everything its powers to capture some of Android’s massive market share. Microsoft though would not have to convince the massive number of Windows desktop users as they would be elated to get the free upgrade and of course the Start menu that comes with it.

To know more about Windows Hello, check the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AsoSnOmhvU

March 18, 2015
CES 2015 : Samsung Eyes The Internet of Things as its New Cash Cow

Samsung hasn’t had a good time with its smartphone business in the past couple of years. As the smartphone market gets more saturated by new players, Samsung is looking for a new arena’s to assert its dominance before the other players catch-up. The company says that by 2020, all its devices will connect to the internet and to each other, thereby creating an internet of things ecosystem.

During its presentation at CES, Samsung showed its dedication to the cause of the Internet of Things (IoT). Samsung, of course, is one of the biggest manufacturers of consumer electronics and hence it has a massive research background to play around with the technology. The company wishes to grab a big portion of the IoT market which is estimated to be worth $7.1 trillion by 2020.

Samsung acquired SmartThings last August which makes hubs that allow various devices to interact with each other.

If you don’t already know, Internet of Things is a concept where all devices are interconnected and provide intuitive functionality and provides immense convenience to the users. For example, if you run out of milk, your refrigerator will recognize it and order milk for you. Another example could be that your keys can recognise when you have left the house and power down the house and when you are coming back it can set the lighting and temperature according to your needs.

Samsung bought a company called SmartThings, last year in August. SmartThings makes hubs that allow internet connected devices to interact with each other. This is what Samsung is banking on for setting up its initial IoT infrastructure. But a proper channel and language for interaction between the various different kinds of devices is still in the process of development. There are some equipments in the market that provide limited experience of IoT, for e.g Google Nest, but a seamless interaction between the devices is still a few years away. Google Nest has an initiative called ‘Work with Nest’ where they are currently working with many companies including LG and Samsung to make the companies devices “smart.”

One good act on the part of Samsung is that it has decided to keep this ecosystem, meaning that the devices will not be locked inside the Samsung infrastructure. This might help the devices to gain more acceptability in the market as people won’t be enthusiastic about investing in Samsung devices only for their houses.

The arena of the Internet of Things is wide open for companies and innovators to plant a flag. This industry is still in the beta stage but once IoT is unleashed to its full potential, it will radically change the way we interact with technology. We hope Samsung does a far better job in this arena than it has done with its popular smartphone arm in the last few years.

January 6, 2015
Intel Gives a Boost to Internet of Things with its Own Platform

Internet of Things (IoT) will be the next big gift from the technology industry for consumer electronics. It will take interconnected devices to the next level and bring immense convenience to the consumers. Several big name brands are working towards making it a reality but Intel is working towards being a leader in the field by providing the backbone to the industry. The company will bring a line of chips, security features and softwares to boost the IoT ecosystem.

With this approach, the company will be at the forefront of the IoT revolution. It will provide a base for the next generation consumer as well as enterprise devices. The company intends to make it easier to connect to its data centers so as to make it easier to analyze data from the sensors of the connected devices.

The company is already at the top of consumer electronic chip market with the massive array of PCs which use its processors. The company has also made its foray into the smartphone and tablet market. However with IoT, the industry would need a massive number of chipsets. They can be used in sports shoes to huge industrial establishments.

The possibilities in a future IoT market are endless, and we can easily expect some fierce competition coming our way. After smartphones, watches and other electronics, it’s time for your fridge, iron, water purifier and other electronics to go smart. And if you think you have the technical might to create products for IoT, then this is the right time to get into the game.

December 10, 2014
Indian Government Plans to Lead Internet of Things Race

The Internet of Things (IoT) is where the tech world is employing immense resources. It is an ecosystem in which everyday devices can converse with each other and make human lives easier. It will be the next generation technology revolution. It seems like the present Indian government recognizes the massive benefits of raising this futuristic industry. It is planning to set up a $50 billion industry by 2020.

The Internet of Things will make everyday devices which require human input into almost sentient interconnected objects. These devices will coordinate together and process the situation, and will provide solutions to human issues in an efficient manner. It will decrease human errors by using algorithmic capabilities to streamline human life. For example, your fridge will recognize that the milk will soon run out, and it will order a carton for you. There can be large scale application of this technology in the fields of medical, transportation, retail, industrial, communication and energy.

Here is a video from intel that explains some city-wide benefits of connected devices:

IoT will also bring immense safety and convenience in the daily lives of the public. The devices would still take human input. So you can imagine a thermostat in your house that recognizes that you are arriving home by tracking your GPS and will set a comfortable temperature inside. How cool does that sound?

This is a great new field that will also bring in thousands of technology jobs. So if you are in the technology field or a budding engineer, you know which area of study to concentrate on. This new industry can easily give way to the next generation of Eric Schmidt’s and Mark Zuckerberg’s.

There will be a lot of privacy concerns though, for which the government has to provide a clear privacy document that could be understood by all. In an age where data is power, it’s absolutely important to safeguard it. 2020 is six years away, and this is the right frontier to point towards.

October 27, 2014