Belkin’s energy-tracking Insight Switch now on sale for 60 bucks

By Drew Prindle Published November 22, 2013

Adding to it’s already awesome line of WiFi-conncected WeMo switches and sensors, Belkin has just unleashed a newer, smaller, and even more tricked-out gizmo called the Insight Switch.

Just like the original WeMo switch, the Insight Switch acts as a middleman between your wall outlet and any plug-in device. By connecting to your home WiFi network, this allows you to turn things on or off from your smartphone – no matter where you are in the world. It’s a novel idea, but Insight takes it a step further with a new consumption-tracking feature that lets you monitor your electricity usage for connected devices. With Insight and Belkin’s accompanying Android or iOS app, you can easily keep tabs on how long your lamp, television, washing machine, or whatever else has been running, and then calculate exactly how much they’re costing you each month.

WeMo Insight is available today for $60.

Drew Prindle

Former Senior Editor, Features

Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…

Topics

Smart Home

Apple’s next home robot could turn its screen to follow you, but it might cost you $1,000 to do so

A smart display that pans, watches, and decides.

Remember the hopping Pixar lamp that famously squashes the letter “I” in the studio logo at the beginning of almost every Pixar movie? Apple may be building something similar, except this Pixar-inspired device won't actually hop or roll around your room.

Instead, its motorized robotic arm could swivel the screen around (basically moving it left to right, or vice versa, on an axis). According to a new report from The Information, the Cupertino giant is working on a larger, robotic version of its recently-announced HomeView smart display, and it might arrive as soon as next year.

Smart Home

Apple might be turning its HomeView into a security camera, and it makes perfect sense

HomeView's built-in camera might soon have a few more uses beyond FaceTime calls.

Apple’s recently unveiled HomeView smart display could also function as a home security camera, according to a new finding in its software. The device, which already has a built-in camera for FaceTime calls and facial recognition, could supposedly use the same hardware for motion detection, live streaming, and video recording through HomeKit Secure Video.

The feature was spotted by a Reddit user in the settings files of HomeView Software 27.2 (via TheVerge). Apple hasn’t officially announced anything about it yet, but the references suggest there are going to be a few more uses for the built-in camera.

Smart Home

What Mattress Firmness Is Right for Back Pain?

Why the right balance of cushioning and support matters for better sleep

This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Sleep Number.

Waking up with a stiff back is a miserable way to start the day. The usual advice is to buy the firmest mattress you can find. It sounds reasonable, but your spine, shoulders, and hips don’t work that way. The needs differ for each person, but there are a few ways you can get that healthy sleep with the right mattress.