This is a UK – We Own It review of the Nokē Bluetooth Padlock.

The Noke Padlock was launched after a successful Kickstarter in 2014. It raised an impressive $652,828 of their $100,00 goal. Before you ask, no it’s not from our friends in Sweden but USA, the name is just a play on words pronounced – ‘No Key’, get it!

It was created by design and product company Fuz Designs, it has since split into a separate company.

What does the Noke Bluetooth Padlock do?

Nokē is a padlock but with…no keys!

The way to unlock the padlock is via your phone ( iOS / Android / Windows ) or with a special combination of presses of the shackle, a feature they call Quick-Click.

You can also buy a separate fob that can also unlock it – we think that is a little cheeky considering the lock itself is not cheap.

To unlock it, all you need to do is be near the lock,with a setup phone and Bluetooth turned on.  Press the shackle until the light changes from blue to white and it will unlock. This type of unlock is called 1-Step Unlocking.

The issue with 1-Step is that if the phone is in range and someone tries their luck and presses the shackle it will unlock.  We therefore recommend using 2-Step Unlocking – this requires you to press the shackle and then confirm the unlock in the app, this prevents anyone trying their luck opening your lock if your near enough.

To use Quick-Click you set a code, something they explain in a very complicated manner but basically its long and short presses of the shackle. Just like a combination lock but on the shackle not a keypad.

The accompanying App comes with a few functions:

• Adjust range of control. This is very important if your using it in a small area for example a gym where you will be near the lock and don’t want to turn on 2-Step Unlocking.
• Share locks with friends, although this is not remote control also working via Bluetooth.
• See the location of where a lock was last used and what action was done. This is good for ‘did I lock the..’ moments.

Unlike a lot of its competitors it’s weather resistant, up to an impressive IP66 “Totally protected against dust / Protect from strong water jets“.

The lock is well designed, with a modern brushed steel look and a weighty feel. The clever part of the design is that the accent above the ē is the LED indication light.

• Flashing Green = Unlocking
• Red = Locked
• Blue / White = Woken up

How does it work and what is the tech?

The lock connects to your phone via Bluetooth 4.0 using 128-bit AES encryption.

On top of the standard encryption they have added another layer of 128-bit encryption and created their own custom protocol for all communication.

It is powered by a 2032 watch battery that they claim is designed to last a year. The good thing is this can be replaced, unlike other tech like Tile that dies with the battery.

If the battery fails it has a jump start feature to enable you to open it.  You just remove a clip at the bottom of the lock and hold a 2032 battery onto the exposed terminals and it will start.

How easy is it to set up?

Easy!

1. Install the app
2. Open the app
3. Press and release the shackle
4. Setup the lock including setting the ‘Quick-Click’ code

However the app is a little buggy, almost feeling like a beta despite being version 2.1

Fields in registration were named incorrectly:

‘Confirm name’ is supposed to say ‘Confirm email’ this caused confusion as the validation rule prompts you to correct it.

The Quick-Click code states it has a minimum requirement, and rightly so to prevent anyone getting lucky after a few attempts. However, you can actually set anything and it’s accepted:

Left screen shows the requirement, right shows its ignored and can set anythingWhere the date and time is supposed to be displayed in the app under activity it displays ‘null’.

All these, all be them small, bugs do create a lack of confidence in the product, not good for a security product.

What’s the connectivity?

Unfortunately, other than to its own app via Bluetooth it doesn’t have any.

They are really missing a trick here, for example if it had Wi-Fi it could allow remote unlocking or scheduled unlocking. This would be brilliant for allowing couriers to put deliveries in a locked storage box after they have spoken to you via a Ring video doorbell.

One frustrating thing is digging around their website and the ‘Pro’ app, designed for business, comes with an API and SDK. As well as a management portal. We only assume they have deliberately limited the functionality of the standard Nokē to allow them to up-sell businesses to the Pro version.

They also do not have an Apple Watch app, again frustrating as this would allow unlocking when you don’t have your phone but you do your watch – like at the gym.

Noke Bluetooth Padlock

How much does it cost?

£60 – Not too expensive when considering the features however to replace an existing combination lock it does seem expensive. Especially considering the lack of smart connectivity.

What’s it like living with it?

We used it for the gym a few times and it is handy not having to remember a combination or find a key.  However as the locker rooms are near the gym floor we ensured 2-Step Unlock was enabled.

When we decided to go for a swim, we suddenly realised why they have the Quick-Click feature as the phone is locked inside the locker. Again this highlights why 1-Step Unlock is not a good idea as if your phone is in the locker anyone could open the lock on the outside!

What are our final thoughts?

Nokē has great potential, the physical lock is good just the app and the connectivity needs work. At the moment we are not sure this is a replacement for combination locks however a few tweaks and new features and it easily could be.

This is a We Own it review!

Nest learning thermostat is the flagship product of Nest. It is now part of Alphabet, the same company that own Google.

They first launched the learning thermostat in 2011 and it is now on its 2nd generation in the UK. The UK. version of Nest is different to the American due to the way heating systems work here. For example we normally don’t have cooling functions.

Nest has three gadgets in the Nest family (Nest Protect / NestCam / Nest Outdoor Cam), in this review were only looking at the Nest Thermostat.

What does the Nest Learning Thermostat do?

Nest Thermostat is a modern thermostat, if you already have one this replaces it.

One of the the first thing to say about Nest is the stunning design. It was designed by Fred Bould the same designer who designed the first iPod, hence the beauty and tactile nature, you can tell thy have really thought about how users will interact with it.

Form wise it is a metal and glass disc with a screen that’s either wall mounted or stands in its stand:

It connects to your internet and then allows you to control your heating from your phone.

It also goes one step further by learning what temperature you like your house, how long it takes to heat your house, a feature they call True Radiant, and monitoring when you are in and not.

It then creates your optimal heating schedule for you – much easier than any other heating controller we have ever seen. You can of course edit this if it get it slightly wrong – this can be done via the app or on the Nest itself.

A recent update added weather checking functionality – so if it’s hot tomorrow the heating is adjusted.

All this intelligence means more energy efficiently so saving money on your heating.

It also has built in gamification and awards green leafs when you turn down your heating. It emails you a monthly report showing your usage against a benchmark as well as how many leafs you have been awarded that month.

Nest Learning Thermostat, 3rd Generation

How does it work and What is the tech?

Nest learning thermostat comes in 2 parts:

1. Nest Thermostat – Is the disc you control
   
2. Nest Heat Link – That connects to your boiler

Nest does not offer zones and the temperature is for the entire house, at present the only solution is to have a nest in each room you want to separately control, not a cheap option!

You also need additional Nests for different heat sources, we have underfloor water heating and a combi boiler so have two.

How easy is it to set up?

You need a qualified person to connect the heat link to the boiler. We had ours installed for £75 but price depends on your installation – ours was simple as a new boiler.

What’s the connectivity?

The connectivity is brilliant – connecting to:

• IFTTT
• STRINGIFY
• NEST PROTECT
• NEST CAMERAS

See their full program of connectivity here: https://workswith.nest.com/uk/

How much does it cost?

£200 plus installation (Installation is approx £75)

What’s it like living with it?

We really like it! We have had one annoying fault where True Radiant meant the heating came on at 3am so the house got very hot!

We made a call to the customer service and impressively they could see what caused it and fixed it with me. For them to access my account I had to pass security and all they can see is heating on, off times and settings.

One nice feature is Family – allowing you to add family members to the App so they can have their own login and fully control it. They also get their own copy of the monthly report.

What are our final thoughts?

There is nothing nicer than being able to turn on your heating on your way home, especially cold evening. That combined with saving money and energy efficiency we a big fans of Nest. The only drawback is the lack of zones, meaning one nest controls the house not rooms – there is a solution it’s just not cheap.

This is a We Own it review!

Nest Protect is part of the Nest series, owned by Alphabet – Google’s Parent company. Nest first started life in 10 as a small startup before being acquired in 2014.

The Nest series has a few different gadgets (Nest Thermostat / Nest Cam / Nest Outdoor Cam). In this review we are only looking at Nest Protect the smart fire alarm – we are also looking at the latest Nest Protect 3rd Generation.

The first thing to point out is that despite everyone calling these ‘fire alarms’ they are actually called a ‘Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detector’.

What does the Nest Protect do?

The detectors detect 3 things:

• Smoke
• Carbon Monoxide
• Heat

Unlike traditional alarms the Nest Protect talks to you and tells you what’s wrong and if you have multiple Nest Protects it tells you where the problem is on all the Nest Protects. For example in the bedroom the voice will say ‘Smoke detected in the kitchen’. The App also alerts you and if a false alarms allows you to silence it.

One brilliant feature is the auto testing. It tests all its batteries and sensors over 400 times a day. Every month it also test the sounds, don’t worry not at full volume just loud enough for you to confirm you hear.

This is great for peace of mind as how often do you REALLY test your normal smoke alarm, if like us probably never.

This is also shown via a green glow light at night, as a visual reminder it’s tested and working.

Finally it has a night light feature called ‘pathway’. This lights up when it’s dark as you pass and goes off when you have – the idea is to light your path.

How does it work & what is the tech?

There are two different versions either hard wired (230V) or battery.

As the name suggests this depends on if you want to hardwire it or use changeable batteries.

The functionality is exactly the same the only difference is how the gadget gets power.

The Nest Protect uses Wifi (Only 2.4 GHz) to connect to the internet as well as Bluetooth to connect to your phone for setup, manual Check-ups and false alarm silencing – you don’t need to leave Bluetooth on all the time.

Thank you to our reader David who told us in the comments the reason Bluetooth is used for silencing false alarms is to prevent disabling from afar as you need to be near the device.

One interesting tech feature is Nest Weave – this is their own connectivity protocol they have developed They are 2.4GHz and based on 802.15.4 radios – thanks to David again for the additional information.

This allows Nest Protect to talk to other Nest Protects and Nest Thermostats,  meaning even if the internet goes down they can still all communicate.

One good example is how the PIR, motion sensor, helps tell the Nest Thermostat if the house is occupied or not. Also if the CO is detected the boiler is shutdown.

This is essential as the last thing you want is an internet out safe to stop your smoke alarm going off!

How easy is it to setup?

Very easy:

1) Create a Nest account
2) Install the app
3) Scan a QR code on the device – this sets up the app and is where you put your wifi details
4) Put on ceiling

What’s the connectivity?

Nest Protect connects to all other Nest products. This means if Nest Protect detects Carbon Monoxide it will talk to the Nest Thermostat and turn off the heating. This is because boilers are the most common source of Carbon Monoxide. As mentioned above this is also done via its proprietary mesh network, Nest Weave.

One obvious lacking feature is feeding back the heat temperature to Nest thermostat allowing it to know what temperature other rooms are and adjusting heating as needed.

Nest Protect also connects to IFTTT that is where the extra functionality is added, for example:

IF Nest detects smoke THEN change lights to red – however this of course requires Philips Hue.

They also have their own program ‘Works with Nest’ allowing other smart home tech to use their mesh network.   

Google Nest Protect 2nd Generation Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm

How much does it cost?

Google Nest Protect costs £99

It’s important to note despite these having added tech you still require more than one for most flats or houses.

What’s it like living with it?

Good – its great to have that piece of mind knowing its working, has been tested and god forbid if a fire broke out when we were not in we would know!

What are our final thoughts?

When it comes to important things like life saving tech we happily pay that little bit more, this is a perfect example. Google Nest Protect gives you regular reassurance it’s working and keeping an eye over you.

It is a shame it’s not connected to Nest Thermostat more and does seem odd – we’re guessing the feedback loop would be too much of a drain on the battery.

This is a We Own it review!

Sonos is an American company founded in 2012, all they do is audio equipment their mission is to: “Fill every home with music and make listening a valued experience again”

What does the Sonos Wireless Speaker do?

Sonos is a wireless speaker or multi room audio system to give it its full name.

Plug in the speakers, connect them to the internet then stream a vast selection of services including Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Apple Play, Google Play and sound cloud. Note you do need to pay for some accounts these are not included in a Sonos purchase.

Alternatively you can play your local music collection from a NAS, network attached storage.

You can have up to 32 speakers per setup, each with the ability to play the same music all in time seamlessly or all play different music.  This is pretty impressive, as it allows you to create music zones, brilliant for parties or just enough different music in different rooms.

The app has a feature called True Play that plays a sound whilst you walk around the room allowing Sonos to ‘listen’ to the room and balance the sound to make it perfect for every room its in.

Sonos fits into three categories

Upgrade

This range contains the Sonos Connect allowing you to connect non-Sonos equipment to Sonos. This is brilliant if you already have good speakers and don’t want to replace them.

As well as the Sonos Connect Connect AMP, this is the same as the Connect but has a built in Amp.

For your music

This is the main range for Sonos and comprises of 3 players:

Play:1 – This is the smallest speaker in the range, two can be paired to make left and right.
Play:3 – Medium speaker with stereo sound, again two can be paired
Play:5 – Most powerful of the range, boasting deep base as well as a line in.

One great feature of all the Plays is the physical controls on the top allowing you to easily control volume or pause the music.

For your TV

Sonos Sub – As the name suggest a powerful sub woofer

Sonos Play Bar – Connects to the TV via optical cable to create cinema sound

Sonos Playbase – The latest addition to the range, same as the Play Bar but designed for the TV to sit on it, supporting up to 35kg TV’s.

Addons

Sonos Boost – This is if you have issues with your wifi or want to not rely on your wifi signal.

Sonos One – Voice Controlled Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa Built In

How does it work and What is the tech?

A few years ago you needed to use a Sonos Bridge to add connectivity however they improved their software with its 5.1 release meaning you no longer need a Hub or a wired connection to the router.

If you choose to use the optional Sonos Boost the system works via its own mesh network SonosNet.

How easy is it to set up?

Very easy!

1. Plug in
2. Download App
3. Follow App instructions – it took us less than 3 minutes!!

What’s the connectivity?

This is one of the lacking features of Sonos. It is a closed network and they do not allow any 3rd Party Apps to communicate with it. That said some have managed to for example Sonos Voice however as these are unofficial integrations they could stop working at any point.

There is also no Bluetooth option so if your friend comes round a simply must play a something from their phone the only solution is a 3.5M Jack into a play 5. For this very reason we always have a jack plugged into our Play 5. If you do this you can also play in other rooms, you’re not limited to playing on the Sonos Play 5 your connected too.

How much does it cost?

Sonos is not cheap:

Play: 1 – £199
Play: 3 – £299
Play: 5 – £499

Playbase – £699
Playbar –  £699
Sub –  £699

Connect – £349
Connect Amp – £499

Boost – £99

What’s it like living with it?

Epic! Being able to listen to your music in every room, or different music in every room is amazing. Where the system really comes into its own is parties or BBQ’s where anyone can add a song to the play list like a JukeBox with an endless repertoire of songs. Perfect for that ‘oh I want THAT song’ moments.

We have had two problems with the system after moving house, one device kept dropping off. However Sonos support were brilliant and spent 2 hours talking us through how to fix it. The system can generate detailed logs to send to support in real time allowing them to help you fix anything.

What are our final thoughts?

This is a great bit of kit, it is expensive and without doubt competitors do offer similar setups cheaper however the Sonos App, functionality and range overcome that. One brilliant feature is that you can easily add to it so no need to kit out the entire house at once!!

This is a We Own it review!

WeMo is created by established manufacturer Belkin international. It was first launched in 2009.

The WeMo range includes quite a few different home automation gadgets, in this review we will specifically looking at the WeMo Switch.

What does it do?

This little gadget plugs into your existing wall plugs, allowing devices to be plugged into it to make them controllable via wifi or mobile.

This means everything from Christmas tree lights to fans can now be controlled remotely!  

The plug also has a manual switch on the top for when you don’t have your phone to hand, or just feel like pushing a button rather than an app!

How does it work and What is the tech?

The plugs need wifi and obviously power! There is no installation and you can plug and unplug them whenever you like. It’s as easy as unplugging anything from a wall plug with no skills required or change required to your existing wall plug.

Once setup the app then lets you control the plugs as well as setting rules, for example on at 3pm of at 8pm.

The tech is pretty simple.

The plug simply turns the power on or off to the device plugged into it. It does not give any functionality control for example you can’t control the speed of a fan or change mode on fairy lights plugged into it.

How easy is it to set up?

The devices are plug and play and should be pretty simple to install.

However that said we did have issues with the devices going offline and not being able to control them or see them in the app.

After much research we discovered this was caused by the Virgin Media Superhub once settings were tweaked the plugs work perfectly.

( If you are reading this to try and find a solution to your WeMo switch going offline when using Virgin Media Super hub 2, here is a link to a detailed guide. )

What’s the connectivity?

WeMo first came out before AppleHome as such it doesn’t meet their strict requirements (see here) so will never work with Apple Home.

They also only work on a 2.4 GHz wifi network.

That said they do work with an impressive list of integrations:

• IFTTT
• Amazon Echo (Alexa, Dot, Tap)
• Nest

They did use to have an SDK to allow anyone to develop an app that integrates with WeMo. Sadlyfor reasons we cannot understand this was discontinued (See their post here).

How much does it cost?

The plugs are very reasonable at £39.99!

WeMo Switch

What’s it like living with it?

Handy – where these are good are for hard to reach plugs, for example under the Christmas tree – allowing you to create a timer and easily control a plug that’s not within easy reach. Also they are great for use on the Iron plug – no more ‘did I leave the Iron on’ as you can quickly check or set a rule via IFTTT that if your not in then ensure it is off.

What are our final thoughts?

These are a simple yet effective way to automate a lot of your plugged in tech. However the big limitation is that they only control power so on or off.