Logitech today announced a new single-button device called the Pop Home Switch, designed to simplify the control of multiple smart home products.
The interactive accessory company says the idea behind the Pop is to free up control of smart devices so that anyone in the home can operate them regardless of whether they have a smartphone and the associated app for each device.
The palm-sized, wall-mounted switch connects wirelessly to a Bluetooth hub that plugs into a power outlet, and enables users to activate up to three pre-programmed moods with a single, double, or triple press.
A companion mobile app scans local Wi-Fi networks for compatible devices and allows users to create a recipe for each. For example, a recipe called "morning" could be programmed to open the drapes and begin a particular music playlist with a single click of the button.
The Pop supports a range of smart home devices, like Phillips Hue lights, Sonos speakers, LIFX connected bulbs, August locks, and Lutron smart drapes.
Logitech's Starter Pack comes with two wall-mounted buttons and a single hub, and additional Pops can be bought to increase the flexibility of the system.
The Pop Home Switch Starter Pack costs $99.99 and additional switches cost $39.99. The device works with both iOS and Android; pre-orders begin today and the product will start shipping later this month.
Top Rated Comments
If it tied into the HomeKit ecosystem, it might be more interesting. As it is, I think I'm happier with Hue's dimmer wall switches, which have a nice interface - they're limited to Hue lights, but that's all I'm looking to control so far.
(FWIW, I've also got a couple of iDevices' Switches, controlling a couple of much brighter lights, which I love, except for the fact that they're only controllable via HomeKit - the Hue Bridge offers a nice simple RESTful interface that I can control from a Raspberry Pi, but I've not found a way to have the Pi control an iDevices Switch.)