Skip to main content

Never walk over to a window to draw the blinds again thanks to Axis Gear

AXIS Gear // Now You Can Motorize Your Window Shades
If you can talk to your thermostat to set your temperature, or control your washing machine from your driveway, why are you still walking over to your window to draw the blinds? The Axis Gear is here to help you address that modern-day inconvenience by converting your existing window shades into smart shades in a matter of minutes. Intended to easily motorize just about any set of blinds, the Gear can be controlled using your smartphone, or can be preset to lower and raise the blinds at predetermined times. And thanks to its integrations with other smart home systems and devices, you can bring your windows into the smart home fold.

“Today’s motorization solutions can be incredibly expensive and are not designed for retrofit applications,” said Trung Pham, CEO and founder of Axis in a statement. “Our goal is to simplify our customers’ lives by offering an innovative and affordable motorization solution designed specifically for existing manual shades, which represent a vastly larger market opportunity than new motorized shade purchases.”

So how does the Gear work? The solar-powered, wireless device is capable of motorizing window shades by controlling the beaded chain or cord loop that you’d otherwise pull to bring blinds up or down. And given the ubiquity of these pulley mechanisms, the Gear is compatible with a variety of shades, from roller shades to vertical blinds to roman shades and more. And thanks to the companion mobile app, users can control individual Gears or set them up in groups, thereby bringing light to an entire room (or plunging it into darkness) with the tap of a smartphone.

The Gear is equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy capabilities, and also boasts ZigBee or Z-Wave connectivity.

“Current motorization solutions are all based on tubular motor technology, which has remained largely unchanged for decades.” says Alan Cheng, chief design officer at Axis. “Gear represents a radical new approach to shade motorization – it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.”

You can pre-order the Axis Gear now from www.helloaxis.com for the early bird price of $180. When this deal runs out, you’ll have to get the smart product at its retail price for $40 more.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Roomba for hard floors: This Robot Mop is $150 off at Best Buy
The iRobot Braava jet m6 robot mop cleans a hardwood floor.

One of the best robot vacuum deals you can buy today is at Best Buy. The popular retailer is currently offering $150 off the iRobot Braava jet m6 Wi-Fi connected robot mop for $300, reduced from $450. If you're in the market for a robot vacuum for your hard floors rather than carpet, you'll be delighted with the results that this robot mop provides. Either hit the buy button below to get straight to making a purchase or read on while we tell you a little more about it.

Why you should buy the iRobot Braava jet m6 Robot Mop
If you already have one of the best robot vacuums for your carpet, you probably hate having to mop up the hard floors yourself. That's where the iRobot Braava jet m6 makes your life so much easier. It promises to be the ultimate robot mop. You can tell it where and when to clean with its precision jet spray doing all the hard work in tackling sticky messes and kitchen grease, so you don 't have to worry. It's designed with multiple rooms and larger spaces in mind, thanks to being able to navigate around objects as well as under furniture. It can clean all kinds of hard floors including hardwood, tile, and stone.

Read more
The Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro is a premium outdoor camera with tons of AI features
The Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro installed on a wall.

The Wyze catalog is already loaded with popular outdoor (and indoor) cameras, and the newly announced Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro is looking to give shoppers another affordable option to consider. Offering a 2.5K resolution, 180-degree coverage, and the ability to use onboard AI to trigger motion alerts and activate the floodlight, there are tons of useful features packed into this $150 smart home gadget.

Alongside its premium filming resolution and impressive 180-degree field-of-view, the Wyze Cam Floodlight Pro also lets you enable a voice-deterrence system, which will automatically play a voice prompt telling intruders they’re being recorded. And if that’s not enough, the 105-decibel siren should scare away any would-be burglars (or dangerous wildlife).

Read more
The best outdoor security cameras for 2023
The Google Nest Cam (battery) mounted to a wall.

Professional security systems are a great way to keep your home secure. However, they often come with hefty monthly fees, which make them less than appealing for shoppers on a budget. Thankfully, today’s market is flooded with standalone outdoor security cameras that give you an affordable, alternative way to keep tabs on your home.

Many of these outdoor security cameras can be combined with other smart home products to offer protection that’s remarkably similar to that of a professionally installed system. In fact, the best outdoor security cameras will give you motion alerts, come with built-in floodlights, sync with your smart home, have robust weatherproofing, and may even include a siren to deter unwanted guests.

Read more