Home automation is here, but it isn’t cheap — unless you go the smart route with Securifi‘s new Almond+ router. For $100, this thing has much of what you’d expect from a top-tier router: Fast, next-gen 802.11ac compatibility (but still works with this-gen “n” devices), a claimed 5000 ft radius of coverage, four ethernet ports, a USB port and some slick mounting options.
But the kicker is that it’s also compatible with the two most popular home-automation device languages, Zigbee and Z-Wave, and can control a variety of cheap, generic home-automation sensors (like these) through the built-in, generic, modular control screens on its touch-screen interface.
Another plus: Because it has its own touch-screen interface, you could ostensibly control your house without even needing a computer, or from your iOS or Android device (Securifi says iPhone and Android apps are imminent).
The Almond+ Router should hit Kickstarter in a week or so. It’ll initially sell for $99, but jump to $129 on Amazon when it leaves Kickstarter.
