Skip to main content

Protect your home with just your voice thanks to SkylinkNet and Alexa

SkylinkNet
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Controlling your home with the simple sound of your voice is easy enough these days, but protecting it hasn’t always been so easy. Here to change that, however, is the SkylinkNet connected home suite, which allows folks to control their entire home security kit with Alexa Voice Service and “nearly all major smart home devices on IFTTT.” So go ahead — sleep easy, and know that if things require your attention, all you need to do is raise your voice.

The Alexa compatibility allows homeowners to integrate SkylinkNet’s products — including sensors, cameras, and alarms — with Alexa-enabled devices. That means that you can say, “Alexa, ask SkylinkNet to check alarm status,” to see if there’s been any suspicious activity, or “Alexa, ask SkylinkNet to panic,” should a camera or sensor detect anything out of the ordinary. And these don’t have to be exclusively SkylinkNet cameras or sensors — with IFTTT compatibility, users can connect their security kits to Nest Cam, WeMo appliances, or Phillips Hue lights.

You can almost treat SkylinkNet as a central hub, and ask Alexa to have SkylinkNet turn on your kitchen lights, or open or close your garage door. “With the addition of Alexa Voice Services, we are offering homeowners a way to make their homes even smarter,” Skylink president Gallen Tsui said.“Our system provides homeowners with an easy and affordable way of keeping their families safe and providing them with direct access to Alexa Voice Services streamlinestheir connected capabilities, making the smart home even more attainable.”

The SkylinkNet system comes with a backup battery in case there’s a power failure or a nefarious actor attempts to shut down your power grid, and of course, like all other smart security systems, there’s an iOS and Android app that sends you a notification anytime a sensor is triggered or alarm is armed or disarmed. Up to six users can monitor a home at the same time, and the SkylinkNet system will work with up to 100 wireless sensors and controllers, and 10 wireless cameras. You can buy the SkylinkNet starter kit, which comes with an Internet Hub, two motion sensors, two keychain remotes (for arming and disarming the system), two door or window sensors, and two plug-in dimmers for $213.

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…
Is your Amazon Echo, Alexa, or Ring down today? You aren’t alone
Amazon Echo Show 15 hanging vertically on the wall.

If you've tried to use your Alexa or Ring device this morning only to receive no response, don't worry -- it's not just you. Amazon Web Services, the cloud-computing backbone of Amazon.com and large portions of the internet, is experiencing outages this morning that are affecting thousands of users.

But it's not just Amazon-powered smart devices. There are thousands of outage reports for Disney+, as well as games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, League of Legends, and others. You might notice that your Alexa smart assistant doesn't respond, or just says she doesn't know what went wrong. Even using your Alexa app to activate smart devices might not work.

Read more
Alexa is coming to retirement homes and hospitals to keep families in touch
Senior citizen using Alexa to stay connected

Although smart home technology is often thought of in terms of convenience, it also has another, equally important purpose: Providing independence to elderly loved ones that could live on their own with just a little assistance. Alexa has served that purpose well via Care Hub, but now it's expanding in another way.

Alexa Smart Properties will allow senior living residents to stay connected with their loved ones and their community straight through the Echo device in their room. Friends and family can easily reach their loved ones just by making a call, while administrators can select tens of thousands of Alexa Skills to tailor their resident experience.

Read more
Amazon fall hardware event: Home robot, flying drone, and new Alexa devices
Everything announced at the fall Amazon event.

Amazon didn't disappoint at its annual fall September event, where the company announced a slew of new devices. Notably, there was no refresh of its Echo smart speaker line, which makes sense given it was refreshed in a tremendous way at last year's event. Nevertheless, there was no shortage of exciting product announcements that covered the gamut.

New products mostly centered around the smart home, including an ambitious Alexa-powered robot called Astro, as well as a couple of neat smart displays that aim to help families stay connected with one another. There's a ton to unpack, but here is all the exciting news to come out from Amazon's September 2021 event.
Everything announced at the Amazon event
Similar to last year's show, the Amazon event was a private event that was invite only. The livestream had plenty of announcements that covered Amazon and it various properties, like Ring and Blink. Unlike previous years, this Amazon event was strictly a smart home affair.
Amazon Smart Thermostat

Read more