Skip to main content

Your old phone can save your house from burning down

Your phone deserves a noble retirement. After all, it’s served you faithfully and proven its worth for so long, waking you up on time, reminding you of upcoming events, and helping you stay in touch with your friends and family. So when you’re ready to trade up for a newer model, don’t just throw your old phone away. Instead, download one last app, and turn your it into a smart smoke alarm.

Bringing the concept of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” to modern technology, smart home security company Cleverloop has developed an app called Smokey, available for both iPhone and Android. While you should be able to hear an alarm when you’re at home yourself, sometimes the unexpected happens when you’re away from the premises. And in these situations, having Smokey could be critical.

Recommended Videos

By using the built-in microphone on a used smartphone or tablet, the Smokey app helps you monitor your home for smoke in real time even when you’re on the go. If it hears a smoke alarm go off, it’ll send you an SMS and warn you of potential danger. And while other smart smoke alarm systems may necessitate multiple devices and cost hundreds of dollars, Smokey is completely free, and simply makes use of a mobile device you’re no longer using.

“Being in the smart home security business, we are always thinking about ways to make our customers more secure and to give them peace of mind,” said CleverLoop CMO Richard Smith. “We found the most efficient and cost effective solution for smart smoke detection was to enable users to reuse their old devices with a simple, free app.”

To set up the app, simply download Smokey onto your old device, and then place the tablet or smartphone in a central part of your home, where it’s sure to pick up an alarm sound. Then, plug in the device and connect it to your WiFi network. Once you’ve entered your phone number or email in the Smokey app for notifications, arm the system, and rest assured that your smart detection system is up and running.

“We are very excited to be able to provide our customers and the public a better way to keep their homes and family safe,” added Smith. So put that old smartphone to new use, and help keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
This new air purifier from SwitchBot features a HEPA filter and can charge your smartphone
The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table near a bed.

SwitchBot has officially launched two new air purifiers -- the SwitchBot Air Purifier and the SwitchBot Air Purifier Table. Both are equipped with a HEPA filter to tackle all sorts of air particulates and allergens, though the Air Purifier Table offers several additional features that make it a more versatile member of your smart home.

Regardless of which air purifier you choose, you’ll get a capable device that can clean a 215-square-foot space in just over seven minutes. For a larger 1,800-square-foot space, that gets bumped up to an hour. Carrying a clean air delivery rate (CADR) of 236 cubic feet per minute and capable of operating at a quiet 20dB, it should be a solid choice for both standard bedrooms and larger living spaces. Along with a HEPA filter to remove bacteria, the SwitchBot Air Purifiers feature a carbon filter to extract pet odors from the air along with a pre-filtration layer to trap pet fur.

Read more
Google’s Gemini AI can now control your smart home devices
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat in stainless steel.

After spending a bit of time in Public Preview, Google is rolling out its Google Home extension for the Gemini app to everyone. This will allow you to control smart home devices using Gemini, including tasks like turning on smart lights, checking your smart thermostat, or adjusting the volume on your speakers.

The Google Home Extension will be rolling out over the next few weeks, and once you've made the update, any compatible devices synced to your Google account will be accessible via Gemini. If you try using commands in the Gemini app that aren’t supported, your smartphone will automatically launch the Google Home app to complete the command (such as accessing camera actions and smart lock features).

Read more
Wyze cameras can now use AI to summarize your motion events
A text alert from Wyze summarized using AI.

Wyze has officially launched Cam Unlimited Pro, a new subscription that gives you access to several AI-powered features. This includes Descriptive Alerts -- text notifications generated by AI that accurately summarize motion events triggered by your camera. It’s a powerful feature, and one that should give you highly detailed alerts so you can determine if you need to dive into the Wyze app to watch the full video clip.

For example, an old alert from Wyze might say something like “Pet detected by Backyard Cam.” With Descriptive Alerts, that’ll change to “Small white dog playing with tennis ball in backyard at 4:04 PM.” It can also give you accurate descriptions of folks at your front door, letting you know if they’ve dropped off a package or delivered groceries.

Read more