Our home got a teeny bit smarter this Christmas when I got an Echo Dot and started calling upon Alexa for music, weather, measurements, timers and all kinds of fun things. I really wanted to add more devices, and use Alexa to control tasks around the house, but I didn't really know where to start, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on gadgets that I may not be able to use. Thanks to the fabulous folks at #Tryazon, I got to try the Smart Geeni tools from #MerkuryInnovations, to add three cool new Smart devices to my home, and link them to my Echo Dot!
In return for my reviews, I received:
Just like that, I could turn it on, off and dim it with just a touch on my iPhone or iPad, from any room in the house! This will be great when I go to bed and forget to turn off the light! But --- then I learned how to set up a Smart Scene; I set the bulb to turn itself on and off at specific times of the day! This way, with the light in the front room, the house would always look as if we are at home. I could also link it to sunrise and sunset, but this seemed easier! I also introduced Alexa to the Smart bulb, and can simply tell her to turn on the lamp, too. It helps that I could rename the bulb, since Alexa called it by the full name above, and it was a mouthful! I can rename it again, if I move it to another room, or name more bulbs to help Alexa (and me) keep them straight.
According to some reviews, the bulbs have a very short life. I cannot attest to that, since I have only used it for a week. And, a 2.4ghz wifi network is required. But, it is a reasonable price (Under $10), it easily replaces a regular 60-watt bulb, is dimmable and programmable, so it is all that I need and more!
Next, I tried the Smart Plug. I have an Aerogarden that I love, but the timer on the light doesn't work very well. I plugged the Smart Plug into the top half of the kitchen outlet, and there was plenty of room for other things to be plugged in below. Again, setup was quick, and the plug did most of the work. I linked Alexa, and told her to turn the garden on, but I wanted it to come on before I got up in the morning, so I set another Smart Scene.
I read that the plug resets after a power outage, and I hope that the app keeps the timer in place. While this gadget doesn't have the thrills of a dimmable lightbulb, it is great that it is dependable, and I think it would work really well for the Holiday Lights this winter!!! No more running out into the cold, dark garage to plug in the lights!!!
The third device is probably the one that I am least thrilled about. It took longer to set up with Alexa, and it has its limitations. The Smart Camera is small and neat, it adheres to smooth surfaces and can bend and twist to frame a specific area. But -- it needs to be plugged into a power outlet at all times in order to work, and the cord is a mere 24" long. That means that I can't mount it near the front door to watch the porch and the yard. It has no power switch, so it is on when plugged in, and can only be turned off by unplugging. It can record video with the addition of a micro SD card, but can stream over wifi to my phone or iPad without, and can capture screenshots from the stream. I set up motion detection, and received notifications on my Apple watch when the dog went to the door to be let out!
The video is very clear, but I wasn't able to transmit audio to the camera, and the audio feedback from the camera was grainy. It is priced reasonably, so for a first camera it works fine; I guess I'll have to figure out how to make use of it without these constraints.
Bottom line is that I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to try out Smart devices around the house, and Merkury Innovations made it more fun with these easy-to-use devices. I definitely will be looking into more Smart plugs, and maybe more bulbs (if this one lasts), and I will look at the Geeni products first.
In return for my reviews, I received:
- Merkury Innovations Smart WiFi 720P Camera
- Merkury Innovations A19 Smart Light Bulb, 60W
- Merkury Innovations Smart Plug
I figured that the Smart Light Bulb would be the easiest to set up and use, so I started with it. I was right - the directions are simple, and I had the bulb responding to my commands via the Geeni app in no time. It sets up the same way as the other devices, really: I downloaded the Geeni app, out the bulb into the lamp, turned it on, and after it flashed a while, setup was complete.
Just like that, I could turn it on, off and dim it with just a touch on my iPhone or iPad, from any room in the house! This will be great when I go to bed and forget to turn off the light! But --- then I learned how to set up a Smart Scene; I set the bulb to turn itself on and off at specific times of the day! This way, with the light in the front room, the house would always look as if we are at home. I could also link it to sunrise and sunset, but this seemed easier! I also introduced Alexa to the Smart bulb, and can simply tell her to turn on the lamp, too. It helps that I could rename the bulb, since Alexa called it by the full name above, and it was a mouthful! I can rename it again, if I move it to another room, or name more bulbs to help Alexa (and me) keep them straight.
Next, I tried the Smart Plug. I have an Aerogarden that I love, but the timer on the light doesn't work very well. I plugged the Smart Plug into the top half of the kitchen outlet, and there was plenty of room for other things to be plugged in below. Again, setup was quick, and the plug did most of the work. I linked Alexa, and told her to turn the garden on, but I wanted it to come on before I got up in the morning, so I set another Smart Scene. I read that the plug resets after a power outage, and I hope that the app keeps the timer in place. While this gadget doesn't have the thrills of a dimmable lightbulb, it is great that it is dependable, and I think it would work really well for the Holiday Lights this winter!!! No more running out into the cold, dark garage to plug in the lights!!!
The third device is probably the one that I am least thrilled about. It took longer to set up with Alexa, and it has its limitations. The Smart Camera is small and neat, it adheres to smooth surfaces and can bend and twist to frame a specific area. But -- it needs to be plugged into a power outlet at all times in order to work, and the cord is a mere 24" long. That means that I can't mount it near the front door to watch the porch and the yard. It has no power switch, so it is on when plugged in, and can only be turned off by unplugging. It can record video with the addition of a micro SD card, but can stream over wifi to my phone or iPad without, and can capture screenshots from the stream. I set up motion detection, and received notifications on my Apple watch when the dog went to the door to be let out!
The video is very clear, but I wasn't able to transmit audio to the camera, and the audio feedback from the camera was grainy. It is priced reasonably, so for a first camera it works fine; I guess I'll have to figure out how to make use of it without these constraints.
Bottom line is that I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to try out Smart devices around the house, and Merkury Innovations made it more fun with these easy-to-use devices. I definitely will be looking into more Smart plugs, and maybe more bulbs (if this one lasts), and I will look at the Geeni products first.
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