Do you have a Google TV sitting around collecting dust that isn’t automating your home? I’m sure a lot of us do, and there’s a great way to fix this by using the Enblink dongle, which turns your Google TV into a central home automation control hub!
Enblink will work with any Z-Wave enabled gadgets, and once plugged into your Google TV it’ll begin functioning as a Z-Wave radio. After it’s plugged in, the Enblink uses the Google TV’s processor to control various functions in your home, such as security camera’s, locks, lights, and much more.
Again, they do have to be Z-Wave enabled devices, but never fear, there are hundreds of Z-Wave certified devices out there. If you don’t have many in your home, you may end up spending a bit more than $85 or $99 for this dongle.
To make things easier, there’s an Enblink companion app that allows your Android device to serve as a remote control. There's also an app coming for iOS users who own a Google TV.
What’s interesting about this is that Amazon Web Services actually does all the heavy lifting on the back end. When you initiate a command in the mobile app, that input actually goes through AWS, which then relays the command to the Enblink dongle, and finally fulfills your request.
Right now, you can pre-order the base device for $85, but the price will heighten to $99 once the dongle releases in the next month or two. Again, this is just the price for the base device; there’ll be extra , ongoing costs for additional services, such as video streaming once you use up your daily 30 second limit.
So while this device could eventually cost a nice chunk of cash in the long run, it’s really cheap for those that just want to get their foot in the door with home automation. Compared to other home automation services, this is actually a very cheap and cost effective option.
The Enblink dongle comes with a one year warranty, too. So, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be able to get a replacement during that time period. With the purchase of this device, you can also expect access to updates for the lifetime of your Enblink dongle.
I’m actually excited to see what the eventual software updates will bring, and just how much worth they’ll add to the Enblink dongle. So far, $99 is beginning to seem like a real steal.
Any takers?
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