Blog 1. Heatit, the Z-Wave thermostat

The Z-wave Heatit thermostat offers the possibility of managing one or more radiators in different modes: on/off, pilot wire and cycles. However, it seems more suitable for electric floor heating. But overall, what is it worth?

The Heatit Z-wave thermostat is supplied in a small, classic cardboard box. On the front panel we have the main features such as Z-Wave compatibility or power regulation.

Inside we have the thermostat (black but also available in white) with an English user manual, a French version is available here, and an external sensor with a more than sufficient cable length. The thermostat has a rather neat design. The finishes are plastic but it doesn’t look cheap.

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Blog 2. The autonomous video surveillance system by Orno

Today we are testing Orno’s video surveillance system with monitoring! Camera, remote, screen… He seems to have everything we need! But is that really the case? We’ll find out very soon!

The monitoring system is supplied in a classic cardboard box. On the front panel we find a visual of the different elements of the pack. On the other sides, small information such as the presence of an Android & iOS application, technical specifications etc…

At the opening, we are faced with a multitude of elements. But what quickly falls before our eyes is the screen provided! That sounds like a good point, but it quickly suggests that we won’t be able to use other screens… We will also note the presence of not one but two cameras! Enough to be properly equipped.

The design of the cameras is rather successful with a metal finish covered with a coat of matt grey paint.

The camera allows you to shoot in HD 720p quality, which is more than adequate for video surveillance.

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Blog 3. Smanos panoramic WiFi HD camera

Today we are testing the panoramic WiFi HD camera of Smanos. It is sold with its incredible 360° vision as a selling point, but what is it really worth? That’s what we’re going to see.

The camera is sold in a blue and black box with glossy finish strips. The visuals on the box are clear and clearly reflect the use cases and essential information.

Once opened, we are faced with an object that looks strangely like a saucer. Flat, round and quite discreet, the camera scores very well on the design side.

Below we find the various accessories such as the charger, fasteners, manuals… and also two fastening brackets.

A flat disc to attach the camera to the ceiling or a wall, and a stand to place it on a piece of furniture. It is a very good point to propose an alternative to the work.

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Blog 4. Homee

Homee is a modular home automation system. Its particularity is its cubic design, making it modern and discreet. But does it have other assets?

Cubes Homee are sold in boxes that also have a square shape. We find the indications of the different modules (Z-Wave, Brain Cube, EnOcean…) and the Google Play and AppStore logos, which means that a Smartphone application is available for this unit. That’s a very good point!

Inside we find the cubes with on the left, the modular control unit and on the right the Z-Wave module. The first one is supplied with an AC adapter and instructions. The second is the only content of the box, which suggests an easy installation.

The cubes are small in size ( 5x5x5x5cm) and have no real port. The brain cube has a micro USB socket for power supply, but no ethernet connection or even USB. For the ethernet port, this may disturb some people who like cable connection, but the fact that it benefits from wifi allows it to be placed in any room of the house very easily and discreetly. On top, pins are present to attach additional modules. The fixing is magnetic, just place the extensions on it and they connect automatically.

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Blog 5. Review: Smart Garden by Click & Grow

The Smart Garden is an apartment vegetable garden. It allows you to grow different herbs such as basil, parsley, coriander… But today we will see what place and utility it can have in you.

The Smart Garden box is simple and pretty. It makes you want to plant aromatic herbs even if you don’t have a green thumb. But the most important thing is what’s inside.

As soon as you open the box, you are faced with two things. The first one is a welcome card with a short message and a signature from the director, which is quite original. And the second, in all likelihood, is none other than the Smart Garden.

If we remove the upper cardboard box, which contains the basil capsules to grow, the product reveals itself to us.

We have the starter pack which contains 3 basil capsules.

It is also possible to order different herbs specially designed for the smart garden directly on the brand’s website.

Concerning basil, we can already read on the packaging that it will take 1 to 2 weeks for the plant to come out of the ground and 1 to 2 months to have something that can be used.

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Blog 6. Smanos new alarm system K1

Smanos, specialized in alarm systems, has released a new generation power plant called: K1. Far from K2000, it remains intelligent and connected. WiFi and Z-Wave compatible by the end of 2017, its possibilities should make it possible to have a complete home automation monitoring system.

We find a cardboard in the brand’s usual colors (Blue and black). Simple, classic and effective.

Inside we are facing 4 devices each indicated by a sheet with the name in their respective location. Very useful because at the first opening the devices look the same. It is only after a little deepening that we notice their particularities.

Before focusing on the important elements, let’s take a look at the lower part of the box that includes the charger, the fasteners and the two opening detectors provided in the package.

They are white in color, lightweight and with a very discreet design that makes them invisible above a door of the same color.

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Blog 7. Google home plus eedomus

The advent of smartphones has made it possible to develop many connected technologies and home automation is at the heart of innovations with the only ambition: a fully connected home.

Among these tools, Google has developed Google home, a speaker that integrates the voice command features of google assistant. Of course, it allows you to do internet research, interact with your smartphone, listen to music etc...

But its most interesting feature is its home automation use. With Google home, you can control your home with your voice in the easiest way possible.

The Google home is provided in a simple, refined and very neat box by Google. Once opened, the device can be found directly. At first glance you might think it is an essential oil diffuser... but no! Its design was designed to integrate it into the decor of your home, and it is quite successful. Inside the box there is also documentation and a charger also signed google with a well finished look.

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Blog 8. Orno IP Camera

Today, we introduce you to the Orno HD outdoor IP camera, which has a Wi-Fi connection. This camera has the advantage of being easy to install, usable both indoors and outdoors, and can be used with a computer, smartphone, or even a home automation box capable of using IP cameras. All this at a very reasonable price.

It has many strengths:

Choice of network connection: wired (Ethernet) or Wi-Fi.

Night vision (automatic or manual activation).

Waterproof, suitable for outdoor use.

Motion detection system, with image or short video recording.

Can be integrated into a home automation box.

So let's discover this camera, and how to install and use it.

Overview of the Orno IP camera (360° video)

Before getting to the heart of the matter, you can take a look at this short video that shows the Orno camera from every angle. It's not an unpacking or installation, it's just a 360° view of the Orno IP camera.

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Blog 9. Orno GSM module

The article of the day presents a new feature of the shop. It is a rather simple product, but from this simplicity comes great efficiency!

This is Orno's GSM module powered by 12/24V and which has a simple relay. This module has a relay with NO and NC positions, a power supply either 12V or 24V, and a port for a GSM card. When a GSM card is inserted in the device, it allows the module to be controlled by sending SMS messages or with calls.

This module can easily be used to control a water heater or boiler in a second home / holiday home, or to remotely open a garage door, electric strike or gate. As the relay is a dry contact, it can also be used for other purposes, such as small lighting, the contact of a load shedder, etc. The measurement to keep in mind: this relay can switch a current up to 3 Amperes.

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Blog 10.  Tado° - Smart Thermostat

Today, we present you the Tado° system. It is a global system for managing heating through thermostats connected to the Internet and controlled remotely via a PC or smartphone (Apple iOs, Android and Windows Phone). The principle of this system is to offer several elements, in order to be fully modular and compatible with a maximum number of installations.

The other principle of Tado° is in line with the basic philosophy of home automation: this principle that in an intelligent house, the user should not have to worry about daily behavior, and that the devices should optimize his comfort and energy consumption in a transparent way, without representing an additional concern for the user. While allowing to realize the benefits realized, especially in terms of consumption.

As we will see in this presentation and use article, the system was designed around this idea of intuitive use.
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Blog 11. Xiaomi News: Aqara Water Leak Sensor

Xiaomi is well known for betting on products with a very good value for money. At not very high costs we can find proposals of a more than adequate quality (although not outstanding) and the biggest problem we can face is to be able to get their products outside China.

And is that the Asian manufacturer, traditionally known for their mobile phones (Hugo Barra saw in them a clear bet) has such disparate proposals in its catalog as a device to improve sleep, a personal assistant for children through Smart TV. A catalog that now adds a system under the name Aqara Water Leak Sensor arrives to serve as a warning of water leaks that can occur in the home.

To begin with we have to talk about price, because following the line of Xiaomi products we are faced with an accessory for nothing expensive, as it comes to the market with a price of 79 yuan, which in exchange is to pay about 12 euros (yes, we must take into account the import).

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Blog 12. Products for the Smart Home: The future is here

Smart home devices and systems are becoming increasingly popular. Nevertheless, the Swiss are still cautious about their use: only 8 percent (as of 2017) state that they use smart applications at home. By way of comparison, the figure in Germany is 25 percent. The technology offers great potential in the areas of energy saving and burglary protection.

Smart home can be defined as "the networking and control of household technology, household appliances and consumer electronics. It is therefore nothing less than the living of the future, as formulated as a vision in 1939 in the article "The Electric Home of the Future". One of the major trends among the new products is voice control using artificial intelligence (AI) such as Siri and Alexa.

Some of the applications are not easy to install. According to a survey by the German industry association Bitkom, a technician or craftsman is most likely to help get the systems and equipment up and running - only 9 percent say they have put their applications into operation themselves.

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Blog 13. IFA 2018: THE LIGHTING INNOVATION CANVAS

Connected lighting is something that happened very quickly with the first connected objects. However, Canvas, Nanoleaf's new product, pushes the boundaries a little further.

It is something that should delight lovers of lighting or original decoration that is presented by Nanoleaf on the occasion of the IFA 2018. An easy and interactive solution to illuminate an entire wall of your home and more so affinities.

Nanoleaf is a company that first came to conquer the world thanks to Kickstarter. She is now playing with the big boys at IFA 2018. In the Canvas program, a modular lighting system that allows you to illuminate a wall and thus illuminate an entire room. On the program, a square format, completely customizable. The company suggests using it to reproduce a sunrise in the morning on the wall of your living room or a paradisiacal waterfall with a simple pressure on your wall.

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Blog 14. The guide to a house for a successful installation

The home automation market is booming. Many installations are appearing to better equip your home on a daily basis. Do you have any idea of the cost and service. I'm going to offer you a guide and a comparison of these different products.

New technology has shaken up your habits with the appearance of smartphones, objects and applications for your leisure, sports or office activities. For the end of the year holidays, We offer you a guide and a comparison of the installations to better equip your home. From security to monitoring and energy consumption, you can turn off lights, lock locks, monitor your garden or house, turn up the lights, control the temperature and open the garage door, directly via an application or speaker such as Alexa from Amazon or Google Home, a good idea on the surface. Today, how much is the smart house estimated to cost? Following the proposal of the guide and comparisons, you will have all the possibilities to better succeed in equipping your home.

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Blog 15. The personal assistants used by perverted narcissists on their victims

The New York Times showed that personal assistants were now being used by narcissistic perverts to terrorize and control their victims.

Technological advances sometimes have a double edge. This is the case of personal assistants such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, which are now often used by perverted narcissists to extend their influence on their victims. The American newspaper "New York Times" collected about thirty testimonies to chill the blood on the behavior of these individuals.

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Blog 16.  The heating guide is available!

Despite the good weather at the moment, winter will come quickly behind, and, like the ant, it is best to be prepared for it. The file on heating management will help you do that! In a traditional household, the most important item in terms of energy consumption is heating, which represents 70% of the energy bill. Of course, the best way to save money in this area is first of all to properly insulate your home. However, it is also very important to control your heating as well as possible, and home automation offers many solutions in this direction.

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Blog 17. Wiser: Schneider Electric’s solution to control its heating

Schneider Electric, among its extensive catalog, also offers solutions to control its house, and in particular its heating, thanks to the Wiser solution. A solution that I did not mention in my Heating Guide, but that I had already addressed in my Guide to Home and Connected Objects. A solution proposed by a major name in electricity, Schneider Electric, which will be able to reassure against connected objects proposed by young startups whose future is sometimes uncertain.

Under the name Wiser, Schneider Electric offers a wide range of equipment to control your home and make it smarter. As far as energy and heating management is concerned, Schneider Electric’s solution is based on an X-shaped box.

Like many home automation boxes, this one must be connected to the ADSL box by an ethernet cable, then to a power socket. Then come various peripherals, communicating wirelessly, thanks to the ZigBee protocol. Whether you are equipped with electric radiators or a boiler, Schneider Electric’s solution offers the right products.

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Blog 18. BlueHub: when Siri can make life easier

This was a subject I had addressed in my book, the "Guide to the Home and Related Objects", by demonstrating the interest that home automation can have for people with reduced mobility. Last Monday, I was able to attend the presentation of BlueLinea, a French company specializing in this field, which is a good illustration of what I said. A short video of Bluelinea presents its activity very well, through testimonies.

Last Monday, the company announced the launch of its new product, BlueHub, in collaboration with Apple, since the solution in question is based on Homekit and Siri. Even if the solution is not Bluelinea's, this video broadcast by Apple in the United States shows very well the interest of home automation and Siri for people with reduced mobility:

Already having solid knowledge in the field, as well as an adapted product catalog, BlueLinea wanted to go further by proposing a complete home automation solution, adapted to each person, each disability being different, with its particular constraints. Working closely with Apple, as well as other giants in the field of home automation and automation (Hager, Legrand, Somfy, Geze), it has developed a solution that incorporates the best of today's technology, with the man/machine interface using Apple's Homekit and its Siri voice assistant.

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Blog 19. H-Elec Confort invents the 100% smart home system built in 10 days

If like me you had the chance to build, you should know that it is a long adventure. In addition to the paperwork, the construction itself usually takes between six months and a year. Today, we are beginning to see the appearance of houses in “kits”, capable of being assembled in a few days. But the originality of H-ELec Confort’s project is to offer a totally industrial home, already meeting the thermal and energy standards of 2020, “intelligent” thanks to home automation, and with a construction time of 10 days!

H-Elec Confort is a company created in 2011 by Sébastien Horemans, which specializes in all home renovation work: insulation, painting, carpentry, heating, plumbing, electricity but also the installation of technological equipment to optimize and automate tasks in a house. In other words, home automation.

Made up of a team of a dozen people, this company based in the Somme region has nearly 500 individual clients, but also social landlords, companies such as the PPG Group, the Garage de l’Etoile, a departmental Chamber of Agriculture, La Tech Amiénoise and the Departmental Union of Family Associations (UDAF)…

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Blog 20. Ikea is launching into smart home

Ikea will never cease to amaze us. The Swedish giant does not want to limit itself to furniture and decoration. He had shown it with his induction chargers integrated directly into some of these pieces of furniture. This time, the company decided to launch into Smart home, through a range of products available under the name Trådfri ("wireless" in Swedish).

To begin with, this collection first of all offers connected lighting. If I talk to you about connected bulbs, with a Hub to drive them with your smartphone, it will probably remind you of something? Yes, to Philips Hue light bulbs. Ikea's equipment shares the same protocol, since the products communicate in ZigBee.

First of all, we have a wide range of LED lighting: classic screwed bulbs in E27, GU10 or E14 format, and offering colors of 2200K, 2700K, and 4000K. There are also LED tiles to be placed on the ceiling or wall. The bulbs start at 9.99€.

But, a little originality, we also have furniture doors with LED technology, specially designed for its famous kit furniture! I feel that my Ikea living room furniture will soon evolve:) I had already explained to you how to integrate Led Ikea lighting into his home automation system, but it might well be even easier very soon ;-)

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