Ebuzz: Outlet allows Wi-Fi to give you a smarter home

Editor's note: Story was updated to reflect new information.

When Naperville-based Grid Connect last year debuted a line of Wi-Fi sensors, consumers were able to control the temperature, humidity, security, motion and lights as well as detect water leaks around their house.

But with the move toward the smart house of the future, customers also told owner Mike Justice and his son, Adam Justice, both of Naperville, that they wanted devices to control more things.

So Grid Connect last month debuted the ConnectSense Smart Outlet that plugs into your wall outlet and has two Internet-connected electrical sockets. The sockets allow you to turn on or off your television, coffee maker, lamps, fans or other devices and appliances.

"Home automation offers a lot of cool things, and we wanted to move forward into the smart home of the future," said Adam Justice, vice president of Grid Connect.

The Smart Outlet is on pre-order and is $79.95. The device begins shipping to consumers early in the new year, he said.

Grid Connect, which has about 25 employees in offices in Naperville, does not have a retail store. Instead, consumers can purchase their products via the website or by phone. The company designs and develops the products in Naperville and outsources the manufacturing.

The Smart Outlet also will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas.

"This will certainly augment today's devices without consumers having to replace all of those things," Justice said.

Surfing: Itasca-based Gogo has introduced a list of useful apps and technologies that could assist passengers on their holiday travels, called Gogo's Holiday Season Travel Survival Guide or see concourse.gogoair.com/travel/holiday-season-travel-survival-guide. Gogo, which plans to move its headquarters to Chicago in May, offers in-flight Internet, entertainment, text messaging, voice and other communications-related services on many airlines.

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