Not ST. Zuli smartplugs $15 at Lowes

Devices & Integrations Deals
1

These are not on the ST compatible list, but they do work with Nest and Hue.

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https://m.lowes.com/pd/Zuli-110-Volt-White-Smart-Plug-1-Pack/999928942

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https://m.lowes.com/pd/Zuli-3-Pack-110-Volt-White-Smart-Plugs/999928944

2

Not very good reviews on Amazon and according to them, there is no Android app. It runs on Bluetooth and yet requires a data connection to the cloud for the app to work. Is it just me, or does it seem like Bluetooth connections can be somewhat unreliable and tend to drop all the time? Plus, is there a limit to how many devices can connect to a Bluetooth device simultaneously?

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I think the big benefit to these is that they use bluetooth to do micro-geofencing, supposedly down to a room level. I wish someone would figure out how to hack these and let them be used in ST. Knowing who specifically is in a room could potentially have a huge impact on automation. Not to mention it might not be necessary to put motion sensors everywhere (other than for security).

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Provided everybody always carries their phone, or you put Bluetooth tags on them. Would come in handy for geofencing the dogs though

5

I was thinking a bluetooth bracelet…

6

Zuli use the ibeacon id, and can be use as a local id, you can use other kind of detectors to trigger actions, but in my experience, zuli adapters block my humeplug devices when a load is active, and the ios app does not work, constantly appears disconnected the units, I just use those adapters like timer switch.

7

Yes, this is the big thing about these. Cool phrase by the way, “micro-geofencing”!

If I may, I’d like to point you to open-source plugs and connectors that do exactly the same. The firmware can be found at https://github.com/crownstone/bluenet. You will not be able to use them on a 110V grid (they run now on 220-240V), but if there are enough requests, we will definitely look into that.

From our perspective Zuli is the only other company on the planet betting on indoor localization. So I’d recommend anyone to try their products and come up with feedback on how to improve the user experience. We’d love to collaborate some time in the future and if there’s something we can do for this community, drop me a message.

Disclaimer: we built the mentioned hardware/software.