Connected homes and devices to help automate things further within them are slowly becoming more and more available to consumers, and Netgear together with iControl has just come out with a dedicated solution to provide users with a way to manage and monitor their connected homes with security and home monitoring applications and software. The Netgear STS7000 Security touch screen is a robust and durable touch display that you can take with you around the house and freely control your automated home devices.
The STS7000 uses Android, so things like Google Maps for looking up directions and traffic alerts is a breeze around the home, and other personal use apps and features like photos, news and sports alerts, and weather information are available as well. The real functionality lies in the STS7000’s main purpose though, which is for monitoring your home security and managing your home automated devices like smart thermostats, lighting controls, door locks, security cameras, and energy monitoring. The STS7000 is meant for helping the user manage automation and security, but the personal uses are there too, even letting users access their iTunes playlists and libraries to stream music via Apple airplay technology. Personally we’d like to see some Google Play Music compatibility here, but it doesn’t look to have any of the core Google Apps besides Maps, so no Play Store means no Google Play Music or other services.
The STS7000 comes packing some underwhelming specs, but then again the device isn’t meant to be a full on tablet that provides you with full functionality like other tablets. It houses 2GB of internal memory, 512MB of RAM, is powered by an ARM Cortex A9 CPU, uses a 7-inch display, and has a removable 4,000 mAh battery that you can replace or swap out if one goes dead and needs recharging. It also comes with a charging cradle which acts as the dock/stand for the touchscreen, so it can always be in an angled upright position for easy use. It also comes with a failsafe mechanism to support over the air upgrades, adding security to even the software updates. At the moment the Netgear STS7000 seems to be available for service providers only, with no pricing listed for consumer purchase, so we take that to mean you might see these things available from home security service providers like ADT, Comcast and the like, but not necessarily straight from Netgear. Many of these features can be handled through the use of the right equipment and a rooted device that has Tasker installed, but this is certainly a cool solution.