Lumawake
• $179.00
• Lumawake

For me the most exciting technologies on the horizon aren't necessarily the most obvious or sexy. Smart home technologies are often eclipsed by tech like giant $35,000 ultra-high displays, but it may be devices like the Lumawake that may actually improve our lives in small incremental ways throughout the day. See what I mean below the jump, where a video explains it all... More

Gatefeeder cat feeding system
• $249.00
• Gatefeeder

You've got a fat cat. No really, it's not big boned or a little pudgy. It's F-A-T. It's not uncommon, a surprise, nor necessarily completely your fault. Out in the wild, your feline friend would be hunting its dinner, the required activity keeping it svelte, the inconsistency of the hunt reducing calories. Bu the moden pet cat has it easy, with a perpetually filled-up dinner bowl waiting for them throughout the day. Gatekeeper uses a RFID sensor collar to control when and which cat is allowed to eat, particularly handy when you're a multi-feline household and one of them seems to harbor the pig gene when it comes to eating, automating feeding with smart technology resulting in a healthier, slimmer cat(s). Check out the video below to see how it all works. More

My 1930's apartment has one of those "scare you out of your britches" loud mechanical metal-on-metal doorbells. I've been considering replacing it with a wireless model, but I've yet to find one with a tone I like enough to bother. But now I know I can use a $12 9V recording module from the Radio Shack down the street to realize my dream of answering the door to The Smiths "Barbarism Begins at Home" or Guns N' Roses' "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"... More

Whoa, check out what happens when someone throws some serious dollars at the task of incorporating home-automation into their home. The Wall Street Journal spotlights the West Hollywood, CA home of Savan Kotecha 34-year-old songwriter and vocal producer at TV show, "The X Factor"... More

Belkin NetCam Wi-Fi Camera with Night Vision
• $129.99
• Belkin

The problem with many home monitoring cameras is two-fold: 1) setting them up can be a pain with issues related to computer compatibility, and 2) some require per month service subscriptions. The Belkin NetCam Wi-Fi Camera eliminates the need to hook up the camera to a computer, connecting via 802.11b/g/n wi-fi instead. Plus there's no monthly fee to access your feed wirelessly with a free downloadable iOS or Android app. The resolution isn't HD at just 640x480, but the night vision mode, digital audio mic, and automatic movement-detection email notifications make the NetCam sufficiently equipped for monitoring a space from their iPhone, iPad, or Android device with as little hassle as possible. Plug-and-play home monitoring, ideal for new pet owners or parents who want to keep tabs on a space with the tap of an app.

Have you ever inched your way forward into the garage only to smack the front end of your car into the wall, not only damaging your vehicle, but also the house? Have you ever wanted a way to monitor whenever someone pulls up into your driveway while you're home and away? Outdoor monitoring systems can help...home More

Living in a 1930's building, it's obvious the era of "plug in everything" is a very recent change in lifestyle. And although our modest one-bedroom apartment isn't a big energy hog (modest refrigerator, window AC, gas heater, and LED/CFL bulbs throughout), there are always a few more ways to nip and tuck at the monthly energy bill... More

As a cat or dog owner, most of us are resigned to live with a perpetual layer of animal fur on all of our clothing and upholstery (aka, the pet tax). But MAKE's DIY maestro, Mark Frauenfelder, wasn't going to stand for it any longer, calling on the services of an Arduino with a proximity sensor combined with a cymbal-bashing monkey to scare the whiskers off would-be couch intruders (ha!)... More

Quite a few of my tech-loving, home-owning buddies have been raving mad about the Nest learning thermostat for awhile now (it proved so popular, they were harder to come by than iPhones!). Just announced, the 2nd generation Nest thermostat looks like it's thinned out in dimensions and bulked up in features, probably being the first thermostat product people will be eagerly awaiting for an upgrade for... More

Belkin WeMo Switch and Motion
• $99.99
• Belkin

Earlier this year I previewed the Belkin's WeMo home automation kit, a promising affordable app-controlled home automation system now available.

Plug in the switch and the motion sensor, download a free app for iOS 5 and higher, and you can start turning on and off lighting or home appliances from any iOS device. It gets even more interesting once you add a few additional switches ($49.99/each) and start programming automation actions using the motion sensor with IFTTT (If This Then That) (an example I'm working on for winter: walk into the door after 5pm and the WeMo turns on a small ambient space heater). I imagine this could be extremely useful for pet owners, parents of small children, seniors, and people with larger homes...so far, I just use WeMo to turn off the living room light once I'm comfortably tucked into bed!