INTRODUCTION

   Smart connected devices increase in number every day and although for most people these may not seem as something that could really improve their daily lives there are millions around the world who simply can't imagine how their lives would be without them. Personally i still recall the very first idea thrown in the beginning of the previous decade by one of the leading manufacturers of electrical appliances that one would soon be able to monitor and even control his refrigerator and air conditioning unit from a far using just his cellular phone (we didn't really have smartphones back then). Well fast forward just over a decade later and now there's a plethora of electrical appliances and electronic devices people can monitor and control via their smartphones so this really isn't something new. Security systems have also evolved to include smart functions so aside being able to monitor and control one such system from afar via your smartphone some manufacturers have taken things one step further by integrating everything into tiny packages that require zero installation and can be used by anyone. Today we will be testing one such system, the PIPER by iControl Networks.

   Icontrol Networks’ vision is to provide a connected home solution for every household, so people worldwide spend less time managing their lives and more time living them. Icontrol is making the connected home a reality through its software platforms, which are deployed by home security companies and service providers, and the all-­?in-­?one Piper Home Awareness device for consumers. Icontrol is further pioneering the next generation of connected living through its OpenHome™ Partner Program, the first community for application and device makers to partner on a common platform. Venture investors in Icontrol include Charles River Ventures, the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers iFund, and Intel Capital, with strategic investments from a variety of service providers including ADT, Comcast Ventures, Comporium and Rogers Communications.

   Security devices like the Piper are considered to be all-in-one since they combine a camera (usually with zoom/pan/tilt/night vision functionality), two way audio (microphone/speaker), integrated WiFi transmitter/receiver, micro SD card slot, and various environmental sensors. More specifically the Piper wears an 2MP (Megapixel) HD camera with zoom/pan/tilt functionality, 1080p Omnivision CMOS sensor, TI DaVinci ARM SoC with h.264 encoding, 128MB DDR2 RAM, 256MB flash memory, built-in microphone and speaker (two way audio), Marvell 802.11 b/g/n WiFi transmitter/receiver, Z-Wave wireless controller and 5 different environmental sensors (motion, temperature, humidity, passive infra-red motion sensor, 3-axis accelerometer). IControl Networks also manufactures several accessories for the Piper (controlled via the Z-Wave controller) such as a door/window sensor which notifies you whenever someone enters your home, micro smart switch which allows the Piper to control lights and appliances and finally power sockets which can also be used to turn on and off devices connected with them by the Piper wirelessly. So far the Piper sounds like the one device we all need but is that really so? Let's put it to the test and find out.