Looking to make your home just a little smarter? While still in its infancy, the number of smart home products—devices that let you control your lighting, thermostat, or even your crock pot from your smartphone—is rapidly growing. From GE to Belkin to Home Depot, tons of products and whole ecosystems want to help you control your home via a single iOS or Android app. You can pick and choose your favorite gadgets to assemble an affordable intelligent abode on your own terms, or opt for an entire smart home system that does all the work for you. Here are some of our favorite smart home systems and individual gadgets.
The third generation of the excellent Dropcam, this $199 camera now shoots video in 1080p (up from 720p), and has a magnetic, swiveling base that lets you set it up almost anywhere. It features two-way audio, sharp night vision and a powerful digital zoom, and integrates with other smart home products, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat. But to really make use of Nest Cam's features, you'll have to shell out $10 or more per month for the Nest Aware program, which gives you access to cloud storage and much more.
A mere touch of your finger unlocks or locks this otherwise normal-looking front door bolt lock. You can assign virtual keys permanently or temporarily, monitor ins and outs remotely and receive activity alerts via the Kevo app. Kevo's quotidian aesthetics are actually part of its security function – unlike other, perhaps admittedly smarter, locks, nefarious folks will have no clue to Kevo's intelligence. And in case of a technical snafu, Kevo can be opened with a reliable regular key. Kevo also is due to be incorporated into both the Home Depot/Wink and Staples Connect ecosystems.
Complete report > http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-smart-home-gadgets,review-2008.html
