Brew a wired cup of joe via WiFi In 1991, a standard glass coffee pot at the University of Cambridge in England inspired the first webcam, so computer scientists in their labs could monitor its contents. Now you can tap British-designed Smarter Coffee, “the world’s first bean to cup, WiFi-enabled coffee machine” to customize caffeine fixes with a few buttons on the mobile app. Available on pre-order from www.firebox.com, $274 |
Check on home using a sweet webcam About the size of a lollipop, Nest Cam eases domestic security concerns whenever you’re away, providing WiFi-linked peace of mind with 1080p high-definition video streaming, vivid nighttime infrared vigilance, keen motion detection, and clear two-way voice contact through your phone or tablet. This compact successor to the pioneering see-and-store Dropcam, acquired for $555 million by today’s IoT pacesetter Nest Labs, can save surveillance images for up to 30 days on its optional Nest Aware cloud storage service. Available from Best Buy, $199; Nest Aware subscription from $10 per month |
Light up your life with a smarter bulb Bolt, the latest hooked-in, power-sipping LED electric bulb, is hardly dim. It blazes custom-colored illumination, outshining any classic 60W incandescent by being simply brilliant. Program it to cast shifting shades of sunset, sunrise, or mood lighting for special occasions, or optimize levels for everyday indoor lighting. From Misfit, maker of wearable activity trackers, Bolt lets you change settings from your wrist or phone via WiFi (no additional wireless hub required, as with competing smart bulbs). Available from store.misfit.com, $49.99 - Partner Content -
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Craft your quaff in this robo-brewery Who needs the Budweiser Clydesdales? Ferment a flavorful and super-local beer or ale in your kitchen, thanks to the PicoBrew Zymatic. The 50-pound, toaster-oven-sized home-brewing appliance automatically heats grain and water to the right temperature, seeps hops and flavorings, and leads you through yeasting to produce any of hundreds of distinctive brewskis listed on its website. This WiFi- and Ethernet-connected true microbrewery produces 2.5-gallon batches of tasty, bubbly beverages on any countertop in about four hours. Available from Amazon, $1,999 |