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What’s In My Tech Sling – The 2024 Edition

Posted in Products with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on November 17, 2024 by itnerd

When I get a phone call from a client from a client to assist them with some sort of tech issue, I need to grab a handful of things that I know that I will usually need on a job and go. For years, I’ve sort of scrambled to find what I need on a moment’s notice. To make my life easier, I have built up a tech sling bag that has my commonly used items that I need when I go to see a client. By doing this, I simply have to do a “grab and go” and I can add it to my backpack if I need to as it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Let’s start with the bag itself:

The is the tomtoc Explorer-H02 EDC Sling Bag in the 8 inch size which has an outer compartment that holds miscellaneous items, a compartment in the back that holds one item that I will get to in a moment, and a middle compartment that holds the majority of my gear. Because it is a sling bag, it goes over my shoulder which is handy if I am just using it by itself. But it will also fit inside my laptop bag or backpack.

Inside the sling bag is this OWC Envoy 1 TB SSD which recently was added to the sling bag. It doesn’t take up a lot of space, but it is quick. That makes it ideal to travel with and use with my clients.

 The Victorinox Cyber Tool on the right the next item in my sling bag I find this to be extremely handy to do everything from open boxes to disassembling computers. Attached to that is Olight i3E EOS flashlight which makes life easier for me when I need light in a dark corner of a computer case or a room as it gets pretty bright.

I usually have a few random USB sticks with utilities on them. Such as malware scanning or unlocking utilities. But I also have a SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO flash drive which occasionally comes in handy with clients. Though with the 1TB OWC drive, I have to admit that I am rethinking whether I need to have that in my tech sling.

I’ve got an Apple AirTag in it so that if I misplace the tech sling, I can find it easily. Because I have left a customer’s site a few times without it, and then had an alert pop up on my iPhone telling me so. It’s inside a Belkin AirTag holder which makes sure that I can attach it to a loop inside the sling bag.

I have a plastic bag with batteries. Specifically some AA, AAA, CR1632, and CR2032 batteries. Because there have been numerous times where a customer had an issue that was solved by a battery, and the customer didn’t have any spare ones. Thus I cover myself for that eventuality.

I also carry a bag with some Woosh Screen shine and a microfibre cloth as I never know when I might need to clean a computer’s screen or keyboard. Be it mine or somebody else’s. This stuff works really well and it’s currently my go to for my computer cleaning needs. I also have some Q-Tips in the bag to get to those hard to reach places.

I have a small bag with a bunch of USB-A to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A adapters as they come in handy for customers who need to plug something into a computer and don’t have the right adapter.

Another recent addition to my tech sling is this Anker Ethernet to USB-C adapter that runs at 2.5 Gbps. Ideally, I would want to have a 10 Gbps adapter in my sling, but those are still pretty pricy. Thus this will work for me until prices drop.

To cover off any charging needs that I or others might have, I have a UGREEN Nexode 100W charger that has three USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. I can charge anything from phones to my MacBook Pro to my iPhone. Most of the time, I’ve used it to charge my client’s stuff quickly.

I have a variety of cables in my tech sling, starting with this Anker 100W USB-C power delivery cable for charging purposes only.

I also have an HDMI cable that comes in handy when I have a MacBook Pro and I need to plug into a projector or TV at a client’s site.

I also have a flat Ethernet cable which comes in handy when I need to plug into something using the Anker Ethernet adapter that I spoke of earlier.

The key cable that I carry is a RollingSquare InCharge XL which is my one cable to rule them all. I say that because it will cover any use case that I may need when at a client’s location as it is good for data transfer and for charging.

I also have that cable’s little brother the RollingSquare InCharge X as it it sometimes is handy to have a second cable that doesn’t take up a lot of real estate. It’s beaten up as it once was on my keychain. But it works just fine.

The second last item is this GearAid HeroClip. What this is for is to allow me to hook, hang, and carry my gear. I have it because if I have to use a public restroom, there is often no place to hang a jacket, or the sling bag, or a laptop bag. Thus making this piece of kit extremely handy. I got the large size to make sure that I could hang anything that I needed as it has a 100 pound weight limit.

The last item is this pen. Because everyone needs a pen.

So that’s what is inside my tech sling bag. This works for me, but I would be interested in hearing from you in terms of what you think I should add to it or change. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

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My Every Day Carry (EDC) – The 2024 Edition

Posted in Products with tags , , , , , , , , on November 16, 2024 by itnerd

My every day carry or EDC has evolved slightly since the last time that I covered what my EDC consists of. I’ve tweaked some of the items that I carry not only for meeting my daily needs but to add some style as well. So let’s have a look at what my EDC consists of the following:

I am still using the iPhone 14 Pro as it’s a fast phone and none of the Apple Intelligence stuff or the camera upgrades have enticed me to switch to the iPhone 16 Pro. I have a dbrand Grip Case on it and I protect the screen with a dbrand Prism 2.0 screen protector. The only thing that I have done to the phone is have the battery replaced under AppleCare when the battery health went below 80%. Now for formal occasions I have been known to switch my case to this one from Mujjo, but I might be able to get away with not having to do that as the dbrand case is something that I might be able to roll with for any occasion. We’ll have to see the next time I have to do something super formal.

I now use the original Apple Watch Ultra as that fits with the sports and other athletic activities that I do. I’ve had this for over 2 years and the battery health is currently at 94% which is outstanding after two years. While you see it here with the Apple Nike Sport band, I do have a selection of bands that I can swap to if the need arises. Including this recent addition. I’ve also customized the watch with apps that make it close to a Garmin watch as that fits with the fact that I am a very athletic person.

Next up is the Ekster Carbon Fibre Cardholder which is made of 3K carbon fibre. All the cards and ID that I need are in this slim and light package that I barely notice in my pocket. It does have RFID blocking capabilities which is a good thing. One thing that I should point out is that if I am wanting to slim down what I carry, I can switch to either this MagSafe wallet for formal occasions, or this MagSafe wallet if I am going for a bike ride. In either case, I just take my ID out and place it in the MagSafe wallet of choice and the wallet on the back of my iPhone 14 Pro.

I make sure that I know where my wallet is at all times by having this Zike Smart Tracking Card inside the wallet which integrates with Apple’s Find My network. One thing that I really like about this tracking card is that unlike a lot of them, this one is rechargeable. So when the battery goes dead, I just toss it onto a wireless charger and I get a charge that lasts about six months as opposed to having a card that works for about two years that you then have to replace when the battery goes dead.

If I want to listen to music while I am on the go, my Apple AirPods Pro is my go to as they allow you use active noise cancelling to shut out the outside world, or use transparency mode to stay aware of what’s going on around you. I have been wanting to replace them with the AirPods Pro 2 but these won’t die. They are wrapped up in the dbrand AirPods Pro Grip case to make sure that I don’t drop and damage them. I should also mention that I did replace the stock silicone ear tips with the Comply Foam Tips which not only make the AirPods Pro feel more comfortable in my ears, but they allow the AirPods stay in my ears better. They also sound better and noise cancelling works better.

When I am not driving, my sunglasses of choice are the Rudy Project Zyon’s. My wife originally got them with the prescription inserts. But she then moved onto a different Rudy Project model. Thus I took them, removed the inserts and have been using them ever since. I really like these as they provide a great amount of coverage, which means better protection for my eyes.

My keys are the next things that I grab. My keys are in a KeyPort Pivot 2.0 key holder which on the inside I have a 64GB USB stick, a multi-tool that in a pinch can open an Amazon box, a SIM card ejector tool, and a pen. Oh yeah. It also has my keys as well. One thing that I appreciate about this setup is that keys don’t dig into my thighs and they don’t jingle. I also have my key fob for my condo along with an Apple AirTag on them to find them when I misplace them. Since you can’t directly mount an AirTag to anything, I use the Belkin Secure Holder with the AirTag as it’s secure and cheap relative to the cost of what Apple wants you to pay for their products.

If I am driving I take my car keys with me as well, and they too have an Apple AirTag along with a Belkin Secure Holder on them.

The Groove Life Groove Belt is a great addition to my EDC as I can use it for formal occasions or just wearing jeans. It comes together using some really strong magnets and you feel like a superhero when you put it on. I’ll also point out that you can resize it at will which is handy as I have steadily been losing weight over the last couple of years.

The last item is some Blistex or some other form of lip protection as I get really dry lips.

That’s my EDC or every day carry. What do you think? What do you think I should add to it or change? And were you able to spot the theme? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts. In the meantime, stay tuned for a look at my Tech Sling that I carry with me when I see clients as that has a lot of interesting things in it.

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What’s In My Tech Sling Bag – The 2023 Edition

Posted in Products with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2023 by itnerd

Often when I get a phone call from a client from a client to assist them with some sort of tech issue, I need to grab a handful of things that I know that I will usually need on a job and go. For years, I’ve sort of scrambled to find what I need on a moment’s notice, and that came to a head when I lost my Victorinox Cyber Tool. Thus I decided that I needed to do something different and have a bag that has the most commonly used items that I need when I go see a client. That way I know where everything is, and I can get out of the house quicker. Not to mention reduce my chances of losing something. I decided on a sling bag as that is compact enough to fit inside a backpack or a laptop bag, but holds everything that I need. This is the sling bag in question:

The is the tomtoc Explorer-H02 EDC Sling Bag in the 8 inch size which has an outer compartment that holds miscellaneous items, a compartment in the back that holds one item that I will get to in a moment, and a middle compartment that holds the majority of my gear. Because it is a sling bag, it goes over my shoulder which is handy if I am just using it by itself. But it will also fit inside my laptop bag or backpack. Another plus is that it will fit some of my EDC should the need arise. Be it my sunglasses, AirPods Pro or anything like that.

As for what’s inside of it, here’s the current list.

I’ve got an Apple AirTag in it so that if I misplace it, I can find it easily. It’s inside a Belkin AirTag holder which makes sure that I can attach it to a loop inside the sling bag.

In the back compartment is this GearAid HeroClip. What this is for is to allow me to hook, hang, and carry my gear. I have it because if I have to use a public restroom, there is often no place to hang a jacket, or the sling bag, or a laptop bag. Thus making this piece of kit extremely handy. I got the large size to make sure that I could hang anything that I needed as it has a 100 pound weight limit.

I also carry some Woosh Screen shine and a microfibre cloth as I never know when I might need to clean a computer’s screen or keyboard. Be it mine or somebody else’s. This stuff works really well and it’s currently my go to for my computer cleaning needs.

I carry two cables with me at all times. The first is an Anker USB-C cable that does power delivery, as well as a RollingSquare InCharge XL which is my one cable to rule them all. I say that because it will cover any use case that I may need when at a client’s location as it is good for data transfer and for charging.

On the right is a replacement Victorinox Cyber Tool as I find this to be extremely handy to do everything from open boxes to disassembling computers. On the left is a 1TB NVMe that I use to transfer data at a customer’s site. This is something that I built myself so let me explain what went into building this. I started with a SABRENT 1TB SSD Rocket NVMe m.2 4.0, Gen4 PCIe M.2 SSD which is one of the fastest drives that the company makes, then I got my hands on this four pack of thermal pads from Amazon as NVMe SSDs tend to get hot, and I wanted to make sure that it didn’t nuke itself while I was using it. I also got my hands on this enclosure from Amazon that did USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps transfer speeds. That’s more than fast enough for my needs. Plus it’s made of metal so it will dissipate heat. Putting it together was a bit tricky as I wrapped the thermal pads around the SSD which made sliding it together a tight fit. But by using the thermal pads, I can be assured that the heat that the SSD generates would be transferred to the case and then dissipated from there. I will say the case does get hot when it is used for extended periods of time, but that does not concern me given the care that I have taken to put this together.

The next thing in my sling bag is this Ugreen Nexode 100W USB charger. This allows me to provide power to my MacBook Pro or customer’s computer, tablet, or phone should the need arise. And you would be surprised how often that happens. Because this adapter is 100W and doesn’t take up a lot of real estate, I am covered for almost any charging related issue.

If I am away from a AC outlet and I need to top off my iPhone, or a phone belonging to someone else, I have this Jackery Mini charger along with the RollingSquare InCharge X which between the two of them allow me to charge any smartphone to past 50% at the very least.

Finally, I have the Bic 2 in 1 Pen. This is a lightweight pen plus stylus for any capacitive touch screen device which is handy for an iPad or iPhone. I have an emergency pen as part of my EDC, but it doesn’t hurt to have another one in my sling bag.

I have a CR2032 battery in this sling bag. Why? I can’t count the number of times that I have come across a PC with a dead clock battery, and then had to find a battery either at a corner store or a local “The Source” store in a panic. Thus I keep one in my possession at all times.

So that’s what is inside my tech sling bag. This works for me, but I would be interested in hearing from you in terms of what you think I should add to it or change. Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

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BREAKING: Belkin Extends Wemo NetCam Kill Date To June 30

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 27, 2020 by itnerd

I guess that the public pressure was getting to Belkin as I have been tipped off that an email is hitting inboxes as I type this which states that the date that Belkin plans to EOL the Wemo NetCam and the back end services that they rely on has been moved to June 30th. This is reflected in an updated support document, and this text was in the email that I was sent:

We want to send out this reminder that on June 30, 2020, your Belkin Wemo NetCam will no longer work as the servers will be shutting down. Your camera will still function up to that day, but after that the service will end.  

We don’t want to leave our loyal customers out in the cold. Depending on when you purchased your NetCam you may be eligible for a refund or another offer. Please visit our website at  www.belkin.com/netcameol  for more information.

We’ve truly appreciated your support over the years and so, will continue to create best-in-class products that make your life better, easier, and, hopefully, more fulfilling. 

From all of us here at Wemo, thanks and stay safe! 

You’ll note that they aren’t saying that this has been extended. Let me show you the original email that was sent by Belkin:

And here’s today’s email from Belkin:

I am guessing that Belkin was hoping that nobody would notice.

I am not sure that this will stifle the anger from NetCam that has surrounded this announcement since it appeared a few weeks ago for the following reasons:

  • Belkin decided to kill perfectly working cameras that their customers rely upon during a pandemic.
  • This announcement has sent users of these cameras scrambling for alternate camera systems. Which in the middle of a pandemic is a challenge.

Thus I will continue to watch this story, and the reaction to it. Because I am pretty sure that this is far from over.

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#Fail: Belkin Kills The NetCam Line Of Cameras AND The Back End Service That They Run On [UPDATED]

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 5, 2020 by itnerd

From the “Belkin must really hate its customers” department comes this news from Belkin that as of May 29, 2020, the NetCam line is being discontinued. That’s understandable as Belkin reps in the past have told me that they don’t sell a lot of them. But the real insult to injury comes with the fact that Belkin also decided to kill the back end services that these NetCam cameras need to run on. The net result is that owners of these cameras which are perfectly good now own bricks because the cameras require the back end service to work.

Cue the outrage:

Let’s get to the point. It’s not unusual for a manufacturer to kill off hardware because it doesn’t make sense to support it because of economic or other reasons. But by killing the service that these cameras run on, Belkin has pulled a Sonos by killing perfectly good hardware. On top of that, the only way you’ll get any sort of compensation is if you have an active warranty. I guess that covers them from being sued by the dude who just bought one of these cameras from Amazon. Oh yeah, they also want the camera back. Presumably to get them out of people’s hands so that they don’t end up on the secondary market where an unsuspecting buyer would have just bought a brick.

Now there is a flip side to this. If you buy some sort of IoT gear, there is typically a single point of failure. Which is the back end service. That’s true if you are buying a product that ties into Apple HomeKit or a Google service. If that service gets nuked, your gear is useless. So people who buy this gear need to take that into consideration. And companies who make this gear need to take this into account as well as the blowback from killing these sorts of services will be epic. Just like it is in this case.

The bottom line is this. By shutting down the back end service that run their NetCam products, Belkin has managed to not only anger people who bought their products, but they also managed to create a lot of bad press for themselves. Neither is good. And you can bet that the next time that someone needs some cool high tech gear, Belkin won’t be on the list of contenders.

Consider this is an “own goal” for Belkin.

UPDATE: The death of this service has been pushed back until late June. More details here.

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Review: Belkin BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch + USB-A port

Posted in Products with tags on September 25, 2019 by itnerd

My wife this summer got a iPhone XR which comes with wireless charging. That to me required a new charger to make her life easier as she was charging her previous iPhone 7 Plus with a Lightning cable. Thus Belkin was kind enough to hook her up with the BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch + USB-A port:

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This is everything that you get in the box. The power adapter is on the larger size. But the plug is at the end. Thus you won’t have a problem plugging it into a power bar. And you can see the charger which has stands for your Apple Watch on the right (which allows your Apple Watch to go into Nightstand Mode), and the stand for your iPhone on the left which supports 7.5w Qi-certified charging. One thing that I like about the Apple Watch end of the charge is that it will work with any band. By that I mean that if you have a traditional leather band, a sport loop, or something in between, you can still charge the watch.

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There’s a A 5-watt USB-A port on the back so you can charge another device. Though I can expect that somebody who reads this review would want USB-C to be here instead. I personally don’t think it’s a deal breaker though.

My wife had the following thoughts on the Belkin BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch + USB-A port:

  • My wife thinks that this charging stand is a game changer as she can just drop her iPhone XR in with the case and it will charge 100% of the time without fail and without thinking about it.
  • The fact that it also puts the Apple watch in Nightstand Mode is also great.
  • As far as she is concerned, it’s a home run for Belkin.

I think that another plus is that it doesn’t take up a whole lot of real estate. If you have a small nightstand, that’s important to take into consideration.

The Belkin BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch + USB-A port has a long name. But it does have a pretty decent price which is $139.99 USD. Consider this a must get if you need a wireless charger for your iPhone and Apple Watch.

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Review: Belkin MIXIT DuraTek Apple Watch Charging Cable

Posted in Products with tags on September 24, 2019 by itnerd

My wife (thanks to yours truly) is an Apple Watch user as I gave her a Series 4 with GPS+LTE for our wedding anniversary. The one thing that she didn’t have was an extra charger for it. So it’s a good thing that Belkin hooked her up with the MIXIT DuraTek Apple Watch Charging Cable:

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Belkin sent her one in pink which she REALLY likes. When she showed it to me, I noticed this right away:

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First, the cable is braided. And it has Aramid fibers which add extra strength and act to protect the wires in the cable. Second, the ends of the cable have molding at the ends. That should ensure that the lifespan of the cable will be long. It’s 1.2M length which should give you the length that you need for any situation.

My wife noted the following:

  • She noted that it doesn’t tangle.
  • It worked everywhere she tried it.
  • It looks really, REALLY good.
  • She liked the length of the cable as it goes across her desk at work which is where this cable lives.

All of this is a win. The only thing that I will note is that charging module that you drop the watch onto is a bit larger than the stock Apple Watch which shouldn’t pose a problem unless you are using it where the size of the charging module matters. An example of this is if you want to put the charger in something like this. The price for the Belkin MIXIT DuraTek Apple Watch Charging Cable is $49.99 USD which is a bit more than any of the Apple Watch charges that Apple offers. But the Belkin MIXIT DuraTek Apple Watch Charging Cable is a much better cable that you should go for if you want a much better quality cable for your Apple Watch charging needs.

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Review: Belkin ROCKSTAR Headphones with Lightning Connector

Posted in Products with tags on September 23, 2019 by itnerd

A good set of in ear headphones requires three things in my mind:

  • Good fit
  • Comfort
  • Good Audio

Belkin has a set of in ear headphones that they claim that addresses all three of those points. They’re called the ROCKSTAR Headphones. And the ones that we are testing today are the ones with the Lightning connector which is aimed at iPhone users.

 

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The key features include the fact that they are water-resistant and noise-isolating thanks to the fact that they fit in your ears. Other key features include the fact that it comes with three pairs of ear tips that allows you to tailor the fit to your ear. The cables are flat which makes them more durable and less likely to tangle. The ends are also moulded for durability as well.

The question is how well do they work. To get that answer, I turned them over to my wife and let her have at them. Seeing as she does science for a living, she came up with a way to test them that was scientifically valid to a point. She bought a song and used it to test the audio quality. She then compared it to the following headsets:

  • RHA MA450 headsets with the Apple 3.5mm to Lightning dongle

  • Jaybird X4 Wireless headsets

  • Apple EarPods

Her thoughts are:

  • The main selling point of these Belkin ROCKSTAR headphones is that they are going to be more durable. Especially if you have gone through a couple of Apple EarPods. These ROCKSTARS would be a good option once the original headphones wear out. Which they will. This is a win as from a price point as they come in around the same price as the stock apple headphones.
  • When compared to the EarPods that your original iPhone, they are tuned slightly different but comparable across the audio range.
  • Compared to the RHA MA450 with the Apple dongle & Jaybird X4 it doesn’t do quite as well. If you have headphones that more high end, even with the dongle and accounting for degradation audio resolution (due to the digital to analog conversion) or having the audio being pushed over Bluetooth, your higher end headphones will continue to be superior to these ROCKSTARS. But they are also way more money.
  • They don’t tangle in her purse.
  • Phone calls sound good.
  • They do isolate you from the exterior noise. But it’s not totally isolating as you can still hear some exterior sound. That might be a good thing when jogging for example.

So, given that these headphones are $39.99 USD, I would say that this is a win if you don’t want to get the stock Apple EarPods, but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a pair of replacement headphones. If you’re that person, this is a great option.

 

 

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Belkin International Returns To CES For First Time Since Merger With Foxconn Interconnect Technology

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 7, 2019 by itnerd

Belkin International brands – Belkin, Linksys, Wemo and Phyn – for the first time since merging with Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT), today announces its 2019 portfolio of connected things (Belkin) and connected home (Linksys, Wemo and Phyn) products at CES 2019. New connected things products include audio, USB-C, mobile power, and new cables and new connected home products include enhanced WiFi security features, HomeKit compatibility and Alexa integration across connected home products.

Connected Things 

BELKIN

Audio

  • ROCKSTAR™ Headphones with Lightning Connector
    • Engineered to enhance durability – prevents cable strain, breaking and straining; MFi certified
    • Designed for comfort and quality performance, silicon ear tips provide enhanced fit and seal for noise isolation; sweat and water resistant
    • Available Summer 2019, Belkin.com
    • ROCKSTAR Headphones with USB-C Connector coming later this year

Charging Cables

  • BOOST↑CHARGE™ USB-A to Lightning, USB-A to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning Cables made with DuraTek™
    • Re-engineered design to maximize cable durability and strength; newly included leather strap to organize cable and prevent tangles
    • Available in 4ft, 6ft and 10ft lengths offers the perfect cable length for any use case
    • New speckled design available in black and white
    • MSRP $24.99 – $34.99
    • Available Spring 2019, Belkin.com and retailers worldwide

Fast-Charging Chargers and Power Bank

  • BOOST↑CHARGE™ USB-C Car Charger + Cable and USB-C Home Charger + Cable
    • QuickCharge 4+ technology enables faster charging up to 50% in 15 minutes
    • Compatible with all QuickCharge and Power Delivery devices up to 27W; 4ft. USB-C cable included
    • MSRP $39.99 – $44.99
    • Available Spring 2019, Belkin.com
  • BOOST↑CHARGE™ Power Bank USB-C 20K with USB-C Cable
    • Power Delivery 2.0 30W enables fast-charging of 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation)
    • The high-capacity power bank supports most USB-C devices including Apple MacBook and Nintendo Switch
    • Charge an additional device with the 12W USB-A port
    • MSRP $129.99
    • Available Spring 2019, Belkin.com

Connected Home

LINKSYS 

Mesh WiFi Router

Mesh WiFi is an enhanced version of WiFi, delivering faster speeds, more coverage and more reliable connections – the more radios a router or mesh solution has, the more ways to deliver better, faster and more dependable WiFi. For more information on mesh networking, please see this recent study: https://www.linksys.com/us/r/resource-center/idc-consumer-infobrief/ 

  • MAX STREAM AC2200 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi Router 
    • Tri-Band WiFi and MU-MIMO technology delivers blistering combined WiFi speeds up to 2.2Gbps, essential for simultaneous streaming of movies, online gaming, video chatting and using smart home devices
    • Built-in Mesh WiFi lets the router’s coverage grow as your needs do; simply add and connect a Velop Mesh WiFi Node anywhere in your home for additional, ubiquitous WiFi
    • Easy setup through the Linksys App
    • Automatic software and security updates keeps your network ahead of the game
    • MSRP: $199.99
    • Available on Linksys.com, Bestbuy.com, Amazon.com

Parental Controls and Network Security

  • Linksys Shield
    • Premium subscription software service for Velop Tri-Band users to block unwanted content/category and provide an additional layer of digital protection for your connected devices and
    • family
    • Content filtering flags sites that contain adult, violent or unwanted content and allows you to choose which types of sites your kids can visit
    • Advanced browsing protection by checking the sites you visit against a database of millions of known threats, can help prevent you and your family from unsuspectingly visiting malicious sites
    • Parental Control Subscription is $4.99 per month or one year for $49.99 and will be available February 2019
    • Network Security Subscription is $1.99 per month or one year for $19.99 and will available later in 2019

WEMO

  • New Wemo Light Switches for 2019
    • Native HomeKit compatibility; leverages Apple’s software authentication for HomeKit compatibility without the use of other hardware. Joins Wemo Mini Smart Plug and Wemo Dimmer for full HomeKit compatibility across Wemo’s leading family of devices
    • Updated design, single-pole and 3-way options
    • Control your home lighting from the wall, your phone or by using your voice via Siri
    • MSRP of $39.99 (single-pole) and $49.99 (3-way)
    • Available Spring/Summer 2019 on Wemo.com

PHYN

  • Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant + Shutoff
    • Connected smart water monitoring device that detects leaks anywhere in a home and can automatically shut off the main water supply to prevent costly damage
    • Monitors water use, giving homeowners insight into how much water their homes and water using fixtures are consuming so they can conserve and save
    • Alexa integration; homeowners can now ask Alexa to provide updates on their water usage and turn on and off their water through Phyn Plus’ shutoff valve
    • Phyn Dashboard for professional remote water monitoring and management across multiple properties
    • Expanded availability – across Europe

 

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Wemo Mini Smart Plug Now Apple Homekit Compatible

Posted in Commentary with tags on July 19, 2018 by itnerd

Continuing to expand its award-winning Internet of Things ecosystem, Wemo today announced that Wemo Mini Smart Plug users can install new software from the Wemo App to enable Apple HomeKit compatibility. With this software update, Wemo Mini Smart Plug customers can add their Mini devices to the Apple Home app and have Siri control their devices and what’s plugged into them. Users can include the Wemo Mini into scenes and rooms to work with more than one hundred other HomeKit compatible products and access them while on the go.

The Wemo Mini Smart Plug is the first Wemo product to leverage Apple’s software authentication for HomeKit to enable compatibility without the use of other hardware.

The Wemo Mini Smart Plug with HomeKit software authentication empowers users to do all the activities Wemo users enjoy in the Wemo app but also extends the Wemo functionality into the Apple Home app via the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and HomePod. 

  • Control Wemo Mini from the Wemo App, Apple Home app or with Siri from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and HomePod
  • Create personalized scenes such as movie lighting or schedule appliances for a morning routine
  • Set schedules and timers for lights and devices, and control it all by accessing the Wemo App or the Apple Home app
  • Sync lights with sunrise and sunset or personal schedules
  • Set up away mode to protect your home by randomly turning on and off lights

The update to enable HomeKit on Wemo Mini Smart Plugs will begin rolling out today and will be available to all customers by the end of next week.  The update includes a new Wemo app available via the Apple App Store for download (at no cost) that will facilitate a firmware update for Wemo Mini Smart Plugs. Wemo is also looking into providing HomeKit capabilities in other new Wemo products such as the Wemo Dimmer Light Switch coming later this year.  

 

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