Belkin’s smart plug lets you turn off your child’s computer from Hawaii
Belkin's new WeMo Insight power socket reports on energy consumption
The original WeMo Wi-Fi power socket is a useful thing, letting you turn it on or off through an iOS or Android app. The new one, however, goes beyond that binary existence. It has opinions.
It knows not only whether the socket is on or off, but for how long, and how much juice has passed through it.
This is useful information, because it tells you that the washing machine has finished, and whether that plugged-in charger really sucks the life-blood out of the planet. Or, whether little Timmy has been using his computer or TV for too long.
As with the original WeMo socket, you can set actions on IfThisThenThat (ifttt.com), potentially restricting Timmy’s ability to finish his homework by setting a two-hour limit. Of course, what’s missing is “IF Timmy-unplugs-Insight THEN electrocute-him”.
The surcharge for this usage information is £10 more than the original WeMo Switch, making the Insight £50. It’s out in December, at belkin.com/uk.
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