This week’s Smart Living roundup features the hazards of having a smart home, a smart community on the rise, and a new home automation system debuting on a familiar crowdfunding site.

Smart homes at risk for cyber spies

Home automation products that allow occupants to remotely control lights, temperature settings and appliances may be convenient, but according to Gary Huestis, owner of cyber-security company E-Investigations, these connected devices make homes vulnerable to cyber spying.

Huestis explained that anything that allows for remote control means there is an opening that hackers can exploit. A malicious attack can take control of security cameras and see what people in and outside of the household are doing. Huestis demonstrated how the hack can be done from anywhere, and those using connected devices with default passwords and usernames are the most vulnerable.

This discovery is not entirely new, as a Russian website was discovered to be broadcasting feeds from webcams, baby monitors and CCTVs in more than 250 countries and other territories.

Implementing the ABCs of Smart-Technology

The community of Midtown Doral continues to shake up the scene in Miami, Florida, first with its innovative commercial and residential mixed-use concept, and now with the introduction of the ABCs of Smart-Technology: smart apartment, smart building and smart community.

Through this initiative, all residents of Midtown Doral will have access to a pre-programmed smart technology system known as Vertilinc, which is a system used in luxury condos worldwide. When residents receive the keys to their new home, they will be gifted with an iPad mini that comes pre-installed with a Midtown Doral Experience app. This app will allow residents to easily access their apartment, building and community. Retailers in Midtown Doral also benefit from this innovation, as residents with their location services enabled will receive special deal alerts when they walk by a storefront. This could help stores increase sales, as well as elevate their profiles.

Linkio debuts on Kickstarter

There’s no shortage of smart home devices thanks to crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter, Inc. Linkio, a home automation system that allows people to turn their existing dumb appliances smart, debuted on Kickstarter today, hoping to raise €50,000, or about $62,000, in a little over a month.

Linkio has three components: Le Plug, Le Switch, and Le Remote. Le Plug allows so-called dumb appliances to be controlled remotely by being plugged into it; Le Switch allows ceiling fans and lights to be controlled remotely; and Le Remote turns a consumer’s phone into a remote for their existing electronics, like A/C, televisions or DVD players, by syncing with an existing IR remote’s sequence and displaying the buttons in the app, thus allowing people to have control of everything remotely from their mobile device.

photo credit: Marika via photopin cc