Skip to main content

Keep an eye on your home (literally) with this creepy new motion sensor from Fibaro

fibaro motion sensor eye screen shot 2014 09 12 at 1 27 21 pm
At this point, DIY smart home kits are as common as pigeons, and while normally the announcement of yet another one wouldn’t be a newsworthy event, Polish startup Fibaro has managed to stand out from the crowd by giving their latest product a strange (and slightly creepy) appearance.

The newest member to the company’s growing lineup of network-connected, app-enabled sensors is a motion sensor — but not just any motion sensor. This sensor is designed to look like a disembodied reptilian eyeball. Why? Because a house just isn’t a home without a miniature Eye of Sauron watching over it at all times, obviously.

Related: What the heck are ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Insteon? Home automation standards explained

In addition to all the requisite tech you’d expect to find under the hood of a motion sensor, Fibaro’s device is also equipped with a set of colored LEDs that, when turned on, make the spherical white ball take on the appearance of an eye. With the help of the accompanying smartphone app, you can even tweak the color of sensor, so if you’d prefer to be watched by the unblinking gaze of a blue eye rather than a yellow one, you can change it with just a few taps.

Details on the exact specs of Fibaro’s motion sensor (as well as the rest of its smart home ecosystem) are scarce at this point, but the company’s website does suggest that the system will run on the Z-Wave protocol, which means it’ll likely have great range and be compatible with Z-Wave devices from other manufacturers. We’ll keep you posted on availability and pricing, but for the time being you can find out more about the system on Fibaro’s website.

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
The new Ring Intercom lets you buzz folks into your building from afar
Ring Intercomnext to an intercom handset on a wall.

Wish you had more smart functionality in your apartment? Ring has announced the new Ring Intercom to help renters have a slightly smarter home. The device makes it possible to buzz someone into your building from anywhere.

Ring typically creates products that are easy to install and don't require heavy modifications to your home. The Ring Intercom follows that same premise. The Intercom connects to your existing intercom handset and is powered by a rechargeable battery. It also connects to your home's Wi-Fi to provide always-connected service.

Read more
Fluid One gives you point-and-click control of your smart home, from your smartphone
Fluid One app showing the AR room map and devices.

Ever wished you could use your smartphone to control your smart home, beyond just pulling up an app to turn something on or off? We're now starting to see companies create actual functionality around the Matter initiative. Fluid, a relative newcomer to the smart home field, is building a service on top of Matter to allow you to control smart devices around your home simply by pointing your phone at the device.

Fluid calls this new service Fluid One. You can point your phone at a device, and it will automatically and immediately show you options to control said device. The service also allows for location-based automation and gesture controls. For example, imagine walking around your home and having lights automatically turning on or off depending on how close you are to them.

Read more
How to set up HomeKit Secure Video on your devices
An iPhone on the Home app screen in front of a Vizio Tv.

Apple has been incorporating many features into its iCloud+ service to make it more enticing to its community. For example, they introduced HomeKit Secure Video (HSV) last year. With HSV, any HomeKit-enabled security camera can be added to the Home app on your Apple devices, as well as offer extra features.

Read more