My Favourite Smart Thing

Stress level's down, reading time is up, with WeMo wi-fi switch

Thanks for the wonders of wi-fi technology, the games of hide-the-TV-remote are over. Reading time for my son is up, and his TV viewing time is way down.

"Daa-a-a-ad," pleads my son on the phone from home after school. "Can you turn on the TV now?"

Homework done? Send me a text with an image. "OK, you've got 30 minutes of TV."

Via an easy-to-use app on my smartphone, I then turn on the TV from work. The app controls the on-off of a wi-fi-enabled WeMo smart switch I bought and promptly installed in the wall outlet where I plug the TV's power cord into. And when we go on vacation, I'll move the switch to a light plug in our living room, and use the app to program the light being switched on after dark each evening.

If this is what the connected home is all about, count me in. I'll need to add a WeMo switch in my son's bedroom to help limit his time playing FIFA 17 on the PS4. But I'll try not to switch it off just as his favourite player (Ronaldo! Can you believe it?), is about to take a free kick. I'm in control, but I'm not cruel.

Other 'Favourite Smart Thing' stories:

• Digital door lock can be operated by smartphone, keypad, or key
• Controlling the lights with a swipe of your phone