Findster - finally the road test!

If you read my first entry about Findster then you are probably back to see what happened.  So despite taking the Findster set all the way to Italy a back we just didn't need it.  But last week we had a trip to Legoland being in the middle of the school holidays this seemed the perfect time to give it a go.

Despite the units being fully charged when I went to test them that morning they were all showing low power.  So - this means they don't hold their power when in standby.  Luckily all units charged that morning in about an hour and a half while we were getting ready.  I packed them away powered down and turned them on when we were about 15 minutes away from the park.  Both units paired to my parent unit without any fuss.

Both boys love wearing the necklaces and I slip them under their tops so that they won't accidentally get caught on something as they are zooming around.

The Test

We had two opportunities to test the system since both boys have a tendency to disappear but thankfully have the common sense to wander too far.  On both occasions we could not see the boys in the mass of children playing and I hoped my phone would guide me.  Unfortunately both times it showed on the screen that the boys were over 20m away when the reality was that they were no more than 4m from where we were standing.  I think its because there is a delayed interval between the child units and parent units updating their location information.  This delay for a parent is no good because naturally at that moment when you lose sight of your kid you are already in a blind panic!

But despite that the biggest issue with the set is the battery issues we encountered that day.  Not only does the Findster app completely drain the battery on my mobile but the units failed to last the entire day.  At 5pm we left the park and you can see that both modules lasted until around 3pm.  Considering that we didn't get to the park until 11am - this basically gives you 4hrs of power with the modules.  Furthermore if I hadn't taken my external battery boost charger for my phone that would have failed as well (in the screenshot you can see that I have it charging but its sitting at 26%).  These two considerations are pretty heavily weighed against the Findster system in my opinion as knowing that you are basically killing your phone battery does not give you peace of mind on a day trip out and you can't fire the system up on demand either because the modules need time to pair - so that isn't an option.

The Verdict

Personally I don't think this system lives up to the hype and whilst this is probably perfect for finding lost pets when you go on walks (which is what the original system was designed for) as a system for keeping track of children it needs work.  I find the whole thing more stressful than it needs to be.  You couldn't grab the system 'on the fly' unless you keep the units charging all the time, but that really isn't practical.  The real worry here is that you could be in a situation where think you can rely on the system to keep your children safe but actually what happens is that you end up with both the phone and the Findster system not working due to depleted batteries which, frankly, that just puts me off using it.

Ring a Ring a Roses a Door With a Video Camera!

Now a closer look at Ring.  Another piece of technology that I was REALLY looking forward to a smart video doorbell that I can control through an app but now I'm just glad that I didn't wall mount it before setting it because we didn't even get that far :(

On the plus side to contact Ring was easy - there was a UK number I dialled and got straight through to a friendly American chap in a very noisy office who was happy to chat about my issue - namely that my network simply wasn't appearing in the list of available networks at all.

After trying a few things it turns out that Ring cannot cope with my Linksys tri-band router transmitting both 2.4GHz, 5GHz and indeed 5GHz2 on the same network.  This is actually an issue that I am hitting more an more often with these smart home devices.  Unfortunately I am stuck having one network name for all because Sonos is only available on 2.4GHz and if I have it connect exclusively to that frequency it won't speak to any of my other devices who are happier just choosing whichever comes first. SO, at the moment I can't install it.

UPDATE:  I chatted with Ring Technical Support again late last night but really was wasn't getting anywhere and realised that the only way that this was going to be solved was for m to work this problem just like evey tech problem that I have.

So I slept on the dilemma and awoke at around 4am with 'a cunning plan' as well as decisions on what to cook for dinner - and the good news is that both seem to have worked!  I remembered that my modem is also a router but since I use my Linksys as the main one I could activate the 2.4ghz network just for Ring and get it connected to that.  Since it communicates over the internet I would still be able to access the functionalities on my app or the website despite it being on a 'network' of its own.  So thats what I did, activated and then followed the instructions all over again and Bingo! saw and connected to the network with absolutely no problems.  The rest of the setup was super straight forward and then the added addition of the chime meant it was all functioning before breakfast!  

I want to congratulate my lovely DHL Driver for being the first to try it out!  

I have now moved my Nest Cam to the Living Room as I feel that Ring is going to be more than enough coverage for the front door and drive area since it has superb motion sensors that will kick in even if the doorbell hasn't been pressed and this way both my front and back doors are now covered!  

So now I can actually review it a little better.  No doubt it is bulky for a doorbell but remains the width of a standard UPVC doorframe.  I did however need to mount it on the wall by the door since my doorframe sits back from the wall and restricted the view as a result - so this is a consideration.  Battery apparently lasts between 6-12 months between charge and I will monitor this.  Also there is the ongoing subscription to consider to store the video footage though you get a 30-day trial to see if you need it.

LIFX Lights Up the Dining Area! The Smart Bulb Conundrum

LIFX arrived today!  Yes - I now no longer need to flick a light switch I can madly chat away to Google and get her to do it for me......which is actually pretty handy when you are carrying a whole load of shopping or have your hands full of dinner plates and any other stereotypical parent scenario that you can identify with.

LIFX was easy peasy to install.  Just pop out your old bulb and put your new one smart one in - brilliant.  Asthetically speaking they are much pretty than my old energy efficient bulbs and whilst I read some reviews complaining about brightness I can catergorically confirm that the LIFX bulb is much brighter than the bog standard one that was there before.

I now have successfully linked LIFX to my Nest products after having to have a good hunt for where the 'intergrations' menu was in the LIFX app I realised that I hadn't properly claimed the bulb.  So claim the bulb - then link to Nest and then onto Google Home Assistant.......seamless!  Check out my short video on the funky Google voice command.

Findster - the possible solution to the dilemma of keeping track of your children?

So our twins refuse to be kept on harnesses, leashes and any other of anti-child escape device we have tried and now that they are too big to be strapped down in a pushchair they  find nothing more fun than darting off in every direction at any chance they get got me thinking about if there were any possible technology solutions out there that could help with this dilemma.

I embarked on some serious research discarding nearly all that Google presented to me as most require subscriptions or SIMs cards = ongoing costs.  Which when you weigh level of usage with these ongoing charges it didn't justify the investment.  The cheaper offerings looked to be pretty unreliable and there just didn't seem to be anything inbetween.  

So I firstly decided to go low cost and ordered two ID bands from eBay which are worn on their wrists when we go out with a full explanation that this is the information in case they get lost.  There are a few different types available at a reasonable price some with clasps that cannot be opened easily.  So - at least this way I know when we go out that if they do get lost and are found that our contact information is easy to find.

But as a parent this isn't enough and I felt like I could do better.  It was after that thought and subsequent search on the Internet that I stumbled across Findster's Kickstarter projects.  I was intrigued by their ethos and belief that as a parent this sort of technology should not have any ongoing costs the system also looked simple to use and not bulky (as some other units were).

So I contacted Findster to ask if they were shipping to the UK and if they would be interested in being featured in my blog.  I received a fairly medium of the road response and indifference about being written about here since 'we are so popular that we sell out all the time thanks to Kickstarter'.  'Wow' I thought, 'They must be good' so placed the order and patiently waited.

The package arrived over a week later from Portugal.  The following video was made minutes after it arrived after which I put all three units to charge.  

Later that day I started to try and set it up hoping to be able to use if.  Unfortunately that has simply now been the case and I am beyond disappointed.  Three days later I am still no closer to having a working Findster system and having waited very patiently with their 48hr technical support response times my much awaited 'technical support' help was less help and more of an email that arrived while I was asleep (seems to be based west coast USA) containing lots of links to the Findster FAQs which I have thoroughly already pawed over in desperate quest to resolve this issue myself.  

Just to give some context to the level of frustration that I am experiencing right now I am going to reset everything to zero and demonstrate in a second video my Findster groundhog day loop which I am so disappointed about because I wanted this to be another great gadget!

UPDATE: Findster have been in touch.  It appears that they have sent me a Findster Duo Guardian module in error which is for their pet GPS tracking system and won't work with the Kids system.  So its going back and I await a new set to try again!   

Read the Road test and verdict here: http://kaosfusion.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/findster-finally-road-test.html

Internet of (more) things - Google Home Assistant

Those who know me know that as much as I love Amazon I have hated what they have done to the Android OS on their Fire tablets and for this reason I decided to stall on buying an Echo in favour of waiting for Google Home Assistant, which for all the reports was a bit of a 'will it, won't it' be coming to the UK.  

With the decision made in favour of being released over here at exactly 8am on the 9th of April I reserved one online and quickly drove to collect it.  I had co-incidentally also had a Nest thermostat installed that week and was initially keen to see how the two worked together.

I then left it in the box all day contemplating if I ACTUALLY needed a box that talks to me.

After work I decided to get it out and give it a go.  At first I set-up the unit in my home office but quickly realised that since she can't control my Sonos system it was like having two music players in the room so I had a rethink.  I then plugged her into the hallway and again realised that she would probably only get limited use there as well.

She has settled in the kitchen where I find her the most 'use' but I have to admit my expectations have not been met!  This can sometimes be the downside of being an early adopter and I hold onto the hope that she is learning (as she keeps telling me when she can't answer a question that I ask) but so far I can get the weather forecast, know eta for my work commute, listen to the minute BBC news and music via Spotify (which errors out A LOT and makes me wonder if somehow having Sonos and Assistant under one roof poses a conflict of musical interest between the devices).

What I do think is cool:
Aside from the playing of music or turning on the radio at the command of my voice I am also finding the following helpful in running our house.
The Heating:  I can control my Nest Thermostat via my Google Assistant she can tell you the current temperature and turn the heating up or down so now I can ask my husband to redirect his 'why are the radiators on' and other heating ponders in her direction.....at least she will never tire of them!  
Shopping Lists: As a busy Mum I also find the shopping list function super handy and being in the kitchen I can add as I find whatever has run out.  Basically the simple 'Hey google add peas to the shopping list' will add the item to a google drive electronic 'Shopping list' document that you can then access when you go shopping through the 'Home' app on your phone - though she did understand 'Naan Bread' as 'Number' which meant I had to have a good think when I was looking at it!
The Weather: What should I wear today and more importantly is it worth hanging the washing out?  All these very important questions can be answered while you are stirring your first coffee of the morning.  Simply asking 'What's the weather going to be like today' or even more simply 'Will it rain today?"

What would I like to see?  The smart recipe thing - "ok google give me some recipes for chicken breast" a smart BBC iPlayer thing "OK Google play Doctor Who on my Fire tablet through the BBC iPlayer" and finally I would like to change her name to 'Computer' because 'Hey, Google' and 'OK, Google' gets a little annoying and doesn't make me feel like Captain Picard.

The 'toy' factor - well, my boys adore her and the first evening I found L holding her whilst explaining everything he knew about our family.  This was another reason she now lives downstairs on top of the fridge!  This way they can amuse themselves asking questions without the danger of dropping her!

So let's see how this pans out......and if you have one check out 'Hey Google I'm Feeling Lucky'.

Internet of (some) Things - Nest Thermostat

So we got a leak, a proper dripping ceiling leak that signalled the end of our 40yr old heating system with its banging boiler and various tanks in the loft.  At this point I also decided that this might also be a good time to think about installing a smart thermometer and get on board with some 'Internet of things' compatible devices.

Researching smart thermostat though presented a bigger challenge than I realised.  I knew that the new Google Home device would be released at the same time that my new heating system was being installed so decided to make sure that whichever device that I decided it would be compatible with that which meant that we went with the Nest Thermostat over the Worcester Bosch Wave.  I knew with certainty that Nest is compatible with Google Home assistant and so I would be able to control and monitor the temperature of my house with voice commands - but more on that later on.

Four days later I had one new Worcester Bosch 38cdi combi-boiler installed in the loft with a lovely Nest transmitter box next to it.  Since we had removed the original boiler this meant that it wasn't going to be a simple case of installing the new Nest thermostat where the old one was.  With Nest there is the option so you don't need to run a new thermostat cable though and basically run it via the wi-fi and plugged into the mains.  Granted this means that there is a white cable into the back of the unit but you could have it mounted on a stand so the cable can be hidden.  In our case though with toddler twins running riot around the house I decided that the safer option would be to mount it high on the wall out of reach.

After the plumber had installed the transmitter box I did the installation and setup of the thermostat unit.  I found it fairly straight forward.  There are three pieces to consider; the unit, the mount and the power cable.  There is an additional mount plate that I did not use.

Once you attach the thermostat to the mount the unit switches on.  You then complete the setup by downloading and following the instructions on how to add the device to your Nest account.  In all this took me less than 10 minutes. Two screws into the wall and a click to mount the unit onto the mount.  The interface has a 'far sight' function which means that you can see it from afar and set it to only switch on when you approach it - very nifty!


Now it is working we can control the thermostat from our mobiles via the Nest App.  Computer via home.nest.com and via voice command with our Google Assistant.

I am now planning to have a play with integrating a Nest Protect camera but so far the first one has had to be returned to Google as having worked fine for a week and being throughly impressive it stopped working and has become throughly annoying!  

I am also thinking of controlling some of the lights through some LIFX bulbs - particularly in the hallway where it would be nice if the light would switch on as we open the door but budget restrictions mean I need to save some pennies before making this purchase and sort the Nest Cam!

Neato Bot Bot is here to stay!

So this year I decided that taking out the daily vacuum and handing it over to robot might be the way forward.  My reservations were the effectiveness of having a blind machine rolling around the place sucking up the dirt because whilst they are quite large for a robot they are tiny compared to most vacuum cleaners.

Research took me to the main players namely Roomba and Neato.  I settled on a Neato
because the technology behind how it was going to blindly bumble around my room seemed to have a bit more logic behind it.  I was tempted to get the one that connected to the internet but with a price tag that broke an already stretched budget I settled on a Neato Robotics Botvac D85 Robot Vacuum

Which is one up from the basic model.  The big box arrived home and setup was pretty straight forward.

- Find somewhere to plug it in, dock it and leave it on charge overnight

- Turn it on and setup time and cleaning schedule. Since this it doesn't have a touchscreen you do this  using the buttons located to the sides of the display. 

 
All setup that's it!  Just leave it docked.  Four months in I can definitely say that these are well worth considering.  Not only do my 3-yr old twins tidy up now that 'Bot Bot' came home and will eat anything left on the floor but the Neato never complains yet reliably comes out everyday.  It has mapped the downstairs space and just makes its way around all the chairs, under the dining room table and all around the living room and kitchen meaning that I can come home to a lovely vacuumed house every day.

Using the boundary marker I can also indicate areas that I don't want it to clean- like the place room for example and whilst we usually keep the floor clean of any debris on the occasions a puzzle of toy has been left Bot Bot has done a pretty fine job of just going around anything he knows he shouldn't be cleaning.  We have both tiled and carpeted floors and they are both tackled equally well with the unit transitioning from carpet to rugs and tiled floors to mats without thinking twice.  He might get stuck sometimes and will beep until someone let's him out but usually learns how to tackle tricky areas.  Noise level is the same as normal vacuum cleaner and he takes about as long as a person to do one level.  No, he doesn't climb stairs, or fly - I have been asked.

In terms of maintenance on the Neato the bagless bin needs to be emptied once a week in our house and the cleaning schedule we have is Mon-Fri.  The brush rollers should be cleaned and cut free of hair regularly - though check out the photo of all the stuff that was around the rollers today!  I can safely say that a wipe won't slow these durable machines down!  Ongoing costs to consider are the the filters which should be changed roughly once a month and can be bought in packs from the internet  The great thing is that the unit 'beeps' to tell you if it needs something and a helpful message on the display will indicate what needs to be looked at such as 'please empty my bin', 'please clean my brushes' etc etc.

I have only had the need to contact Neato technical support once and I found them to be super responsive and very helpful.  They also are more than happy to do straight swap outs in the event that something goes terribly wrong with the unit so the brand also comes with a 'peace of mind' that you would expect when you make an investment like this.

So do you need a robot vacuum in your life.  I would say a resounding 'yes!' give it a go!  Personally I am super happy with 'Bot Bot'  it have given me back precious minutes in my day and if the price tag scares you then my recommendation would be to keep a keen eye peeled for sales and Warehouse deals.