My home is overrun with smart gadgets, and the main way I interact with them is through my smartphone. This is usually a robust way to control my gadgets, as my phone is never far from my side -- whether I need to toggle my smart lights, adjust my air purifier, or change the thermostat, my smartphone lets me tackle most of these tasks in a matter of seconds. However, having a physical button to perform these actions would certainly be preferred. Instead of diving into apps and wading through menus and automations, a physical controller would perform actions at the press of a button, much like a remote works for a TV.
That’s the idea behind the Linxura Smart Controller -- a disc-shaped object that lets you perform a long list of actions at the press of a button. After syncing it with your smart devices, you’ll no longer need your companion mobile apps. Just tap or double-tap its outer ring, and you can toggle hundreds of different products. I’ve been testing it out in my home, and while I think it’s a fun device, it falls short in a few areas. But if you’re craving a physical remote for your smart home, there’s good reason to take a closer look at the innovative gadget.
Simple, but tedious setup
Last summer, we first tipped you off to the Roost Smart Water and Freeze Detector, a smart-home device that helps you (and the planet) save water and money. And now, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Roost has announced that its eco-friendly device is finally available for pre-order. If you head over to GetRoost.com, you’ll be able to place a request for one of these detectors for $50. And given that Roost claims this gadget could help save homeowners and insurance companies more than $8 billion a year in potential water losses and related claims payments, that price sounds like quite a bargain.
While Roost has been in the smart-home space for some time (with its Smart Battery and Smart Smoke Alarms, both meant to protect you from fires), the company is expanding its product offerings and casting a wide net when it comes to its Wi-Fi-enabled product line.
The Roost Smart Water and Freeze Detector is a prime example. It boasts features like a water-leak sensor that sends you a notification via its companion smart home app whenever you’ve sprung a leak; a temperature sensor; and a humidity sensor. Customers can use the Roost app to set temperature and humidity ranges, and you can also invite friends and family members to serve as co-monitors if you’re expecting to be out of your home for a while. Ultimately, Roost seeks to protect homeowners from water damage due to leaks from broken pipes and appliances; frozen pipe water damage; mold and mildew damage caused by high humidity conditions; and inefficient energy use attributed to abnormal indoor temperatures.
“We are excited to introduce the Roost Smart Water and Freeze Detector, and expand our ability to offer consumers safer and smarter homes,” said Roel Peeters, Roost CEO and co-founder, back in June. “Our unique technology delivers consumers tangible solutions that are simple to install and at affordable costs. Roost provides essential alerts and notifications that enable consumers to take faster action when it comes to home emergencies, saving the trouble and cost of repair work or major home loss. With the new Roost Smart Water and Freeze Detector, Roost now provides the ability to manage the all-too-common water leak or freezing pipes situation that we’ve all experienced in our homes at some point.”