Who says smart-home controllers have to be bulky and unattractive? LoveLinkU is proof that gadgets can come in adorable, modern-looking pods that would look right at home on the set of a Katy Perry video.
Despite its candy-colored exterior, its creators call LoveLinkU the ultimate voice-controlled robot, complete with a motherboard chip, an infrared controller, a speaker, and a microphone. All that gear supposedly lets you control all your smart-home devices with your voice. Your iPhone or Android device acts as the remote control for the device, complementing your voice commands.
The list of what LoveLinkU can do is long and ambitious, perhaps overly so (“With the ability to turn on home appliances, you can get dinner ready before you even arrive home!” promises the Kickstarter): turn on the television, adjust your room temperature, etc. The creators didn’t have a specific list of brands that work with the LoveLinkU, however, though they say it sends IR codes to appliances with that capability. Otherwise, it uses an outlet accessory to control non-connected appliances.
Other features include the ability to preprogram the device to execute multiple commands with one word and the option to queue up media from local storage. LoveLinkU also acts as a push-content receiver, meaning you can receive items such as audiobooks from online resources automatically from the device.
If you need to keep an eye on certain members of the family, such as infants or elderly adults, LoveLinkU can collect health data and share it with you in real-time. You can also charge your smartphones wirelessly through the device, and all of these features can be activated with a secret password.
If you pledge $113 or more on the Kickstarter campaign page, you’ll get one of the devices shipped to you by September 2015. The retail price for the product will be $199.
