The best way to protect your home from intruders is a network of motion sensors monitoring every square inch of your abode. D-Link’s new Z-Wave Motion Sensor not only makes that possible, it makes it impossibly easy, since the wireless sensor features a built-in battery that’s good for up to two years of continuous operation. So you can mount it in obscure and hard-to-reach places, and not have to worry about running wires or constantly changing batteries.
When available sometime in the second quarter of 2015, the mydlink Z-Wave Motion Sensors will sell for just $US50 each, which makes them an even more enticing solution to home security. And in addition to detecting motion, the sensors also feature built-in temperature monitors so they can be configured to let you know when a space gets too hot or cold as well.
There is a catch, though. The sensor uses the low-power Z-Wave wireless protocol which can communicate with over devices up to 90m away — but it’s not Wi-Fi. So if you want it to be able to automatically trigger other accessories in your home, like sound an audible alarm when an intruder is detected, or automatically turn on a fan when a room gets too hot, you’ll need to pair it with D-Link’s $US80 Connected Home Hub which does talk to your home’s wireless network. On its own the Z-Wave Motion Sensor is kind of like a guard dog that can’t bark, but as part of a mydlink system it can even be configured to send alerts to your phone if someone has broken into your home, or more likely, when the cats are back on the couch again. [D-Link]