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Etekcity Voltson Smart Wi-Fi outlet review

Smart devices are becoming all the rage in the popular press. For many Gadgeteers, they are pretty much old hat, but if you’ve not yet taken the plunge, there may be no easier way into the world of home device automation than a smart plug. These are small wall warts that sit between your current non-smart device and the outlet they plug into and have a way to connect to your home wifi. Etekcity sent me a trio of their Voltson Smart outlets to run through the gauntlet.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

What is it?

The Etekcity Voltson Smart Outlet is a controller for a single electric receptacle. Once connected to the building’s power and whatever Wifi is available, it will pair with your Android or iOS device and allow you to control the outlet via the app. You can monitor, schedule, and group devices, as well as act on them together.

Hardware specs

  • Works with Alexa for voice control (Alexa device sold separately).
  • Track power usage for connected devices and figure out which devices use the most energy. You can effectively cut your usage so that you can save money on your next electric bill
  • Easy to install and stable connection. Controlled from different devices and manage your home on your smartphone or tablet from anywhere
  • Get ready to have a smart home and create customized schedule to automatically turn on and off any home Electronics or appliances such as lamps, Christmas Lighting, coffee maker, etc
  • NOTE: A secured 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network is required, 30-Day money back, 2-year warranty and lifetime support.

What’s in the box?

  • 3 Voltson Smart Wifi outlets
  • quick start guide

Design and features

The Etekcity Smart outlet is a 2.25” diameter puck with a small bump on the rim. It sticks out of a regular North American outlet 1.5”, which is barely more than the blades of the plug it takes in. On the back, there is a three-prong connector, and on the face, there’s a three-prong socket, as well as an LED light and a power button in the aforementioned bump.

Setup

Setup is done by connecting the device to a power outlet, and then allowing it to start its own internal wifi hotspot. You join it with your phone through the app you have to download to use it and pair the two. This forces the outlet to restart, and your phone then reverts to your home WiFi. When the device wakes back up and grabs your phone, it will be connected to your home network. From there it is controllable, renewable, and groupable. You can also assign it to a cylinder-that-you-talk-to if you have or purchase one of those.

Performance

Once I had the smart outlets configured to my home network and renamed (Winking, Blinking, and Nod), I could control any outlet I plugged into them. Lamps are a big issue in our house since several of our rooms have no overhead light or one that we prefer not to use. I tested with several lights, and found pretty consistent results – you turn it off in the app, and the lamp turns off. There is an icon that changes to show whether it’s powered or not.

I have a power cord that controls my photo studio lights through a three-way connection. I plugged the controller between the wall and the extension cord and now can fire up most of my studio lights with a single switch. Sure, I can do this from a power strip, but it’s cooler with a phone app, right?

What I Like

  • Fairly easy setup
  • The app is light and doesn’t require onerous setup.
  • Works as expected

What needs to be improved

  • These guys are still expensive, and I think artificially so. If 6 cost $90, then why can’t 1 cost $15, rather than $21?

Final thoughts

While I enjoy having these outlets, it’s still strange to have to open an app on a device to turn on lights, but the fact I can do it from the driveway or from another point in the house makes it a powerful tool.

I remember my parents had a timer on their lights in the living room that came on at 6 in the evening and turned off at 11 PM. They couldn’t change it unless they were at the house, and if the power went off for two hours during the day, the times would be offset by that amount. The improvement with smart outlets is that not only are they controlled or programmed from remote servers, but they can also be edited and maintained from anywhere in the world. What you can’t do, however, is see that the items you’re wanting to remotely power are plugged in and switched on or not. For that, you’re going to have to add remote cameras, which is usually step two of the Smart Home takeover!

Price: $24.99 for 1, $38.99 for 2, 58.99 for 3, or $74.99 for 4 (slightly less at Amazon)
Where to buy: Company website or Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Etekcity

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Etekcity Voltson Smart Wi-Fi outlet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Cure your tension headache with a hook

If you get a lot of tension headaches (not migraines), the Relēver tool might become your new best friend. Made in the USA, the Relēver is a specially designed “hook” that you can use to relieve headaches by stretching your jaw muscles. Why does that help? Apparently many headaches actually begin in your jaw due to grinding your teeth, chewing gum, and day to day anxieties and stress. The Relēver tool hooks behind your teeth so you can pull down to give your jaw muscles a nice stretch to relieve tension without drugs. The Relēver headache relief tool comes in several colors and is priced at $15. You can get one on thegrommet.com

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Cure your tension headache with a hook originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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With the Nebula Capsule Smart Mini Projector, you can always take the show on the road


I must admit that as a self-confessed gadget nerd and techie, I am always looking for some sort of device to add a new level of technology, and sometimes a balance of ease versus complexity to my work processes, and to just about any and everything I do.

Today I was reading about a nice little but powerful gadget called the Nebula Capsule Smart Mini Projector. This is a soda can type design mini projector that is made by Anker, and it is touted as being a portable high-contrast pocket cinema device with built-in WiFi, and a 360 degree omnidirectional speaker. It is capable of projecting an image up to 100 inches, and its battery will last for up to 4 hours. Its operating system is Android 7.1, and there is an app that can be used to control all of its functions. The specifications state that the “DLP’s advanced IntelliBright algorithms deliver a remarkably bright (100 ANSI lumens), vivid picture”. It is very portable weighing in at only 15 ounces, and yet it still provides seamless connectivity utilizing its built-in HDMI port, or USB port, or via screen mirroring.

You can purchase the Nebula Capsule Smart Mini Projector by Anker on Amazon for $349.

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With the Nebula Capsule Smart Mini Projector, you can always take the show on the road originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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The Lumos smart bike helmet has built-in turn signals

Sure, you can signal your intention to make a turn with hand signals while riding a bike, but those hand signals might not be so visible at night.  I’ve seen gloves with lighted turn signals on them, but not everyone wears gloves when they bike.  Everyone wears helmets, though, and Lumos has added LED lights and signals to their helmet that are bright enough for day or night use.  And they even include a remote control to activate the lights to signal your turns.

The white LEDs on the front and the red triangle on the back light up to make you more visible to others in front of and behind you.  Yellow turn arrows on the back blink to show your intended turn, and half the front lights blink to show the direction of your turn, too.  And the accelerometer knows when you’re slowing down and can signal that with the helmet, as well.

Attach the remote control to your handlebars so you can trigger the Lumos helmet to signal a turn.  The remote is weatherproof and detachable to prevent theft while the bike is parked.  One is included with the Lumos.

The Lumos helmet also connects to the Apple Watch.  When you manually signal with the arm wearing the watch, your movements trigger the Watch to turn on the appropriate signal on the Lumos.  It also syncs with the Strava app and Apple’s Activity app.

The Lumos helmet is available in adult size (54 – 62cm / 21.3 – 24.4in) in pearl white, cobalt blue, or charcoal black for $179.99 at the Lumos website.  You can also get the helmet in all three colors at the same price at Amazon with free Prime shipping.

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The Lumos smart bike helmet has built-in turn signals originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 19, 2018 at 8:22 am.

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Rowkin Surge Charge earbuds, Keysmart Pro, Bellroy Duo Tote, and more – Review updates

We have seven review updates for you today. We think that you’ll appreciate our regular updates to our reviews days, weeks, months, and even decades after the original post. These updates let you know how a product stands the test of time. You’ll find the updates at the bottom of each page.

Keysmart Pro key holder plus Tile finder review By Steve Holt

OtterBox Symmetry Series Star Wars iPhone case review by Howard Sneider

Rowkin Surge Charge wireless earbuds review By Julian Perry

Star Wars — The Last Jedi Portable Battery Charger with Laser Pointer review by Bob Patterson

Bellroy Duo Tote Pack review by Bob Patterson

United By Blue Lakeland Laptop Bag review by Bob Patterson

Mission Workshop Rhake Backpack review by Bob Patterson

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Rowkin Surge Charge earbuds, Keysmart Pro, Bellroy Duo Tote, and more – Review updates originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 18, 2018 at 4:37 pm.

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