The Jetsons lifestyle is becoming more of a reality everyday. Computers and mobile devices are making home automation attainable for the masses. With more and more of us spending less and less time at home, these devices allow you to use your iPhone or iPad to keep an eye on things while you’re out and about. All of the devices mentioned below use your home wifi and an app to let your iOS device control your appliances. Pretty cool, huh?

Nest Learning Thermostat

Nest was one of the first players in the home automation game to catch on in the mainstream. Their founder comes from Apple and is credited with designing the iPod. His eye for simplicity and function shows in the company’s first product, the Nest Thermostat. This Thermostat let’s you easily set a temperature schedule for your home and even control it when away. It also employs some neat tricks to keep your energy savings high and your bill low. Check out more about the Nest Thermostat here…

Nest Protect Smoke + Carbon Monoxide

Nest’s second product focuses on keeping your family safe. The Protect Smoke + Carbon Monoxide device constantly monitors its environment to detect harmful situations. Unlike simple smoke detectors, Protect Smoke + Carbon Monoxide alerts your iPhone or iPad when there is a problem. It also works with the Nest Thermostat to shut off your furnace if it detects carbon monoxide. The rechargable battery last for over a year and sends an alert to your device when its low. Lastly, the Protect Smoke + Carbon Monoxide can be silenced by a simple hand wave if it goes off while you’re cooking. Check out more about the Nest Protect Smoke + Carbon Monoxide here…

Belkin Wemo Series

Belkin has had a long history of making accessories for Apple’s products. Now they are reversing things by making the iPhone and iPad an accessory for their products. The Wemo line is Belkin’s play in the home automation game. Here are some of their offerings:

Switch

Perhaps the simplest of their products, the Wemo Switch can be plugged into any home power outlet and turn on and off any appliance that’s plugged into it. Through the Wemo app you can even set timers and schedules. It’s great for floor lamps.

Switch and Motion Sensor

The Wemo Switch can also be activated by movement with the add-on motion sensor. So now you don’t need to do anything to turn on the lights when you enter a room.

Light Switch

If your more interested in controlling your ceiling lights than floor lamps, the Wemo Light Switch is the model for you. A little bit harder to install than the Switch, but still super easy, the Light Switch will replace any common light switch you have in your house. Then any light it is wired too will be wirelessly available to turn on, off, or schedule.

Philips Hue

The Philips Hue lighting system takes the idea behind the Wemo lights and adds a huge amount of customization. The starter kit comes with a hub and three bulbs. The hub connects to your internet router. Then each bulb connects wirelessly to that. These bulbs use hightech LEDs that can change color. In fact, using the iPhone app, you can change the light color to any color you want. Even colors in photos on your camera roll. Unlike the Wemo light switches, these bulbs can dim. So you can set timers to gradually lighten the room when you need to get up. Kind of like waking up to a sunrise. Learn more about the Philips Hue system here…

DoorBot

DoorBot was originally a crowd funded campaign that proved people want an iPhone connected doorbell. With the push of the illuminated button, visitors can contact you directly on your mobile device. Once the button is pushed you will be able to see and even talk to whoever’s at your door. You don’t even need to be home to do this. I’d like to be able to set motion alerts too but right now the DoorBot can only operate once the button is pressed. Hopefully a motion feature will be added in the near future. The unit runs on a rechargable battery that lasts a year. It also can withstand rain, blazing heat, and freezing cold temperatures. Definitely an awesome device! Find out more about the DoorBot here…

August Smart Lock

The Lockitron was the first internet connected door lock to take the media by storm. But the August Smart Lock offers a more elegant looking solution. Have guests coming over who will arrive before you get home? No problem, you can assign them temporary access to your house through their cell phone. Or you can unlock the door for them while you’re away. The August unit is completely contained on the interior of your house, so you can keep your existing key and lock on the outside. But if you forget your key on arriving home, or have your hands full, the August will sense your iPhone in your pocket and unlock the door for you. Combined with the DoorBot, the August Smart lock would be a neat way to greet your guests. Learn more about the August Smart Lock here…

Dropcam

If you want a look at what’s going on inside your home while you’re away, the Dropcam Pro is arguably the best camera for that. The Dropcam Pro gives you a fantastic way to watch and even record activity in your home. Want to check up on the cat or dog? Dropcam can do it! Just fire up the iPhone app and you can instantly get a live feed of what’s going on. Motion detection can alert you through the app of activity in the house. Dropcam also offers a monthly service for storing video in the cloud for future playback. I do wish that the Dropcam Pro didn’t need to be plugged into a power outlet and could be run off a rechageable battery. But right now, plugging it in is the only option. So you’ll have to put it in a place near an outlet. Here is more info about the Dropcam Pro…

That’s it for now! As more home automation products become available, we’ll update you here.