WeMo Mini Smart Plug

With everything going the way of remote-control, wiring up your house to make it “smarter” can get pretty expensive. Not only would you likely have to get a control device (like Amazon’s Echo), but then you also have to get compatible equipment. Thankfully there are still some folks out there making budget-friendly yet still smartly designed technology that can do much of the same stuff. Like the WeMo Mini Smart Plug.

As simple and small as this device may seem, what it can do is very neat. Just plug this device between your outlet and electronic appliances, hook it up to your Wi-Fi network, download the free app to your smartphone, and you’re done. Now, without having to traverse your home you can turn on or off anything plugged into a WeMo via your phone. You can even schedule lights to come on or turn off at predetermined times, freeing your time up for other matters. And, if you’re going to be away for an extended amount of time, the WeMo Mini can randomly turn lights on and off, fooling any potential thieves into thinking you’re still at home. Best of all, if you already have an Alexa or Nest compatible device, the WeMo plug can sync to it, as well. Each of these clever devices costs just $35. [Purchase]