People with smart homes can control all their appliances using a mobile phone like a TV remote control. All they have to do is tap an app to unlock their door, turn on the lights and adjust their crockpot’s temperature while dinner is simmering inside.

    Today, few people actually live in this Jetsons-like reality. But many are open to the convenience it promises.

    Equipping a home with smart devices is expensive. Google’s Nest smart smoke detector – it alerts you when its battery is running low via an app – costs $100, for instance. Meanwhile, a connected crock-pot is $129 and an intelligent air conditioner is almost $300.

    Enter retrofitting, which involves cheaply retooling appliances so that they’re no longer dumb. In fact, it can be as easy as installing a new sci-fi battery in your thermostat. You won’t have to replace your “dumb” appliances with smart ones, so you can hold onto that favorite (and perfectly good) toaster you bought three years ago. Here are some options:

    拥有智能家居的人可以像使用电视遥控器一样，通过手机控制所有的家用电器。只需要点击应用，就能开门、开灯、调整正在煮晚餐的炖锅温度。

    尽管目前很少有人真正生活在这种类似动画片《杰森一家》(Jetsons)描绘的情境中，但许多人都乐于一试。

    在家里安装智能设备代价不菲。比如说，谷歌（Google）的Nest智能烟雾探测器——当它的电量不足时，它会通过应用提醒你——就价值100美元。与此同时，能够联网的慢炖锅定价为129美元，而智能空调要将近300美元。

    不过你也可以选择改装，就是给原有的电器加上低廉的配件，让它们不再“聋哑”。实际上，它可以简单地就像在恒温器中装一块新电池一样。你不必将“聋哑”电器换成智能款，所以你完全可以继续使用你三年前买的那款你非常喜欢，也非常好用的烤箱。以下是一些可供选择的产品：

    Garageio: $149

    Garageio lets you open and shut your garage door from your phone. Install Garageio’s black box in your garage, hook it up to your Wi-Fi network, and download the app. Presto, you can now open your garage door remotely and give temporary access to friends, family and babysitters. Garageio will also send an alert to your phone if your garage door is open and provide you with an activity log showing when your garage door was opened as well as who opened it. It's compatible with 96% of all garage door openers. For an additional $20, you can control two doors, and for another $20, you can connect three doors. Garageio’s site is set to pre-order because the demand is so great it can’t be kept in stock, but units ship every other day.

    Garageio：149美元

    Garageio可以让你用手机开关车库门。在你的车库中装上Garageio的黑盒子，再把它与你的无线网络连接并下载相关应用，你就能远程打开车库门了，还能让你的朋友、家人和保姆临时获得这个权限。当车库门打开时，Garageio会给你的手机发送提示，并提供活动日志，让你知道是谁在什么时候开的门。这款设备能够与96%的车库开门器兼容。添上20美元，你就能控制两扇车库门；再添20美元，就能控制三扇。Garageio建立了网站来接受预定，由于需求量太大，他们没有库存，但每隔一天会发一次货。

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    Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight: $99

    If you have a deep-seated devotion to your smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm, or frankly, just can’t face the thought of installing new ones, never fear. You don’t have to toss good old Smokey aside to get the programming Nest promises. The Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight is a round nightlight that plugs into a wall-socket. It can detect when your smoke detector or carbon monoxide alarms go off, and then send a notification to your phone. If you can’t respond, Leeo can send alerts to your emergency contacts. In addition, Leeo can let you know your home’s temperature and humidity levels. Still, it’s pricey at $99. Those willing to wait, should consider Roost's $25 nine-volt battery which slips into any smoke alarm and connects it to your phone. However, Roost ships in 2015.

    Leeo 智能小夜灯(Leeo Smart Alert Nightlight)：99美元

    如果你深爱你的烟雾探测器和一氧化碳报警器，或坦率地说，只是不想再装个新的，没关系。你没必要拆掉老的报警器，然后装个新的Nest探测器。Leeo智能小夜灯是一款可以插在墙壁插座上的圆形夜灯。它可以在没有烟雾探测器和一氧化碳报警器的房间里起到同样的作用，并给你的手机发送通知。如果你没有回应，Leeo还会通知你的紧急联系人。此外，Leeo可以显示家里的温度和湿度。不过它挺贵的，需要99美元。那些愿意观望的人，可以考虑售价25美元的9瓦Roost电池，它可以安装在任何烟雾探测器里，并能连上你的手机。然而，Roost电池要到2015年才能上市。

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    Evermind: ($199 for the system/$29 monthly service fee)

    Evermind markets itself as a monitoring system for the elderly. A package includes three sensors, which look like plugs. Connect any three appliances from curling irons to coffee makers to garage door openers in your parents or grandparents house. Evermind will let you know via an app when the appliances are being used. You’ll know if grandma doesn’t make her morning coffee which means it could be time for a check-in. One of the sensors comes loaded with it's own Verizon modem inside, so Evermind can work in homes that don't have internet (and thus the $29 monthly fee.)

    Evermind：系统售价199美元+每月服务费29美元

    Evermind是一款专门面向老年人的监控系统。套件中包含三个看起来像插头的感应器。你可以将它们与父母或祖父母家中的卷发棒、咖啡机、车库门开关等连接。Evermind会通过应用让你知道这些电器在什么时候被使用。如果你的祖母哪天早上没有做咖啡，你就知道该去看看她的情况了。其中一个感应器内部自带威瑞森（Verizon）调制解调器，所以Evermind可以在没有网络的家庭中使用（不过这样每月要交29美元的服务费）。

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    INSTEON On/Off Outlet: $60.00

    This outlet means you can turn two plug-in appliances into smart-devices. Screw it into the outlet socket in your wall and then plug in those appliances. You’ll be able to control them remotely, set schedules for your appliances to turn on and off automatically, receive alerts telling you when the appliances are on. Caveat emptor though. If you are plugging in non-INSTEON appliances, you’ll need to purchase an INSTEON hub - something similar to a router - to control your devices. It’ll run you an extra $129.

    INSTEON电源插座：60美元

    这个插座可以把两个插入的电器变成智能设备。将它插入墙上的插座中，然后再在上面插入那些电器，你就能远程控制它们了。你可以设置它们自动开关的时间，并在电器运行时收到通知。不过注意！如果你插入了非INSTEON生产的电器，就需要另外买一个INSTEON集线器——类似于路由器——来控制你的设备。你得为此多掏129美元。

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    WeMo Insight Switch: $60.00

    Turn anything with a plug into a smart-device with WeMo's Insight Switch. You'll be able to get an alert when your laundry machine turns off and when your TV switches on. You can also create schedules for turning your electronics on and monitor the amount of energy your devices are using. WeMo's insight switch resembles a plug that you can use to connect any device of your choice. Information shown in a phone app tells you much of what you need to know about when and how often you use your appliances.

    WeMo Insight Switch：60美元

    利用WeMo's Insight Switch，你可以把任何带插头的电器变成智能设备。当你的洗衣机关闭或电视机打开时，你都能收到信息。你还可以设定开启电器的时间并监控这些设备的耗电量。WeMo的检视开关类似于一个插头，可以用来连接任何你喜欢的电器。手机应用会告诉你许多需要知道的信息，比如使用电器的时间和频率。（财富中文网）

    译者：严匡正