Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

Say what you want to say: ivee Voice wants to control your smart home

Stephanie Topacio Long
By

Ask not what you can do for your house, but what your house can do for you. Thanks to voice controls, the answer will soon be, “More than ever before.”

Lots of companies are getting into the space, from Amazon’s Echo to newcomer ivee. Using voice-recognition technology, the company has developed ivee Voice, a multi-room smart-home system. The product, which is now available for pre-order, allows users to operate other connected devices using verbal commands. It has over 10 partners, enabling the device to help with numerous everday tasks, from arranging an Uber pick-up to playing music on Spotify.

ivee Voice - Talking to Your Home is No Longer Sci-Fi

The 5-inch-by-3-inch device operates as a smart hub and looks a bit like an upside-down, oversized golf tee. Voice requests are processed from up to 15 feet away in any direction. Additionally, commands can be customized using a free app for iOS and Android. You could use a single phrase, like “bedtime,” for example, to make the blinds close, the lights turn off, and soothing music begin to play when you’re ready for your house to tuck you in at night.

Related

Using open-source technology, ivee works with other smart products, including Nest, Hue, SmartThings, WeMo, Logitech, and more. “With ivee Voice we aim to make voice a mainstream interface in the home,” said ivee co-founder and CEO Jonathon Nostrant in a statement. “ivee Voice is the first device that is completely open and flexible and is able to connect with anything.”

In addition to acting as a smart-home hub, the device is also meant to be an assistant, letting you know what’s on your calendar and what the traffic is like. ivee Voice costs $99 and is available for pre-order through the company’s Indiegogo campaign, which launched Tuesday.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long
Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Here’s how to throw a killer Halloween party with your smart home
spooky halloween lighting haunted house

The spooky season is almost here, and if you’re worried about throwing the perfect Halloween party, consider using your smart home to do the heavy lifting. Common smart home gadgets such as motion sensors, light bulbs, and smart plugs make it easy to pull off a horrifying Halloween party for your guests. From assisting with your playlist and movie selections to creating a chilling ambiance, here’s a look at all the ways your smart home can help you throw a killer Halloween party.
Use motion sensors to trigger spooky sounds
Have a smart home security system? Then you can probably rig up your motion sensors to play a spooky noise. It doesn't necessarily have to be a motion sensor, either -- your smart camera can trigger other devices in your smart home when it detects motion.

Just place a speaker on your porch, perhaps tucked away behind a pumpkin or a bit of straw. When a group of unsuspecting kids shows up to ask for candy, they set off the motion sensor on the camera, which triggers the speaker to play the sound of a zombie's moan or the cackle of a witch. Bonus points if you set up an animatronic hand to rise up out of the straw.

Read more
The Amazon Echo Hub is almost the whole-home hub I’ve always wanted
Amazon Echo Hub.

I’ve long dreamed about having a proper sort of home hub. One that’s always on, always showing me the things I want to control at any given time. Not huge. Not obtrusive.

The new Amazon Echo Hub, one several new Echo devices announced at Amazon's 2023 devices event at HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia, very much seems to fit that bill. It’s a touchscreen that you’ll use to control all your things.

Read more
Why moving your smart home could be a nightmare
Philips Hue Appear Outdoor smart light.

The smart home concept is a great thing. It allows us to automate things from lighting to temperature, make video calls while we prepare dinner, and get answers to questions instantly. In its current state, it has one fatal flaw, however: The smart home is not really meant to move.

In fact, you might want to leave behind the majority of your smart home gadgets when selling your property.
What to know about moving smart home gadgets
Think about it: Some of us have literally dozens of devices including lights, thermostats, robot vacuums, speakers, security cameras, wireless alarm systems, and more. How would you go about removing, relocating, and reconnecting all those devices to Wi-Fi in a new house if you ever need to move? On the surface, it sounds daunting.

Read more