Lowe’s Iris Line Goes Under
Many consumers are seeing red with the recent news that big-box retailer Lowe’s is shutting down service to its Iris smart home platform.
Lowe’s launched its Iris cloud service in 2012 so it could sell its own smart home products to the public. Customers with an Iris smart hub, the heart of the network, could keep in touch with the connected devices in their home via the free Iris app. Smart home products ran the gamut from thermostat controllers to lights and sensors.
Why This Is Bad News for DIYers
Iris was originally intended to be a hub for everything in the home, as this TechHive review describes, but it turned into primarily a security offering for DIYers who wanted security on a budget. Once the hub was hooked up by a hardwired ethernet line to a router, consumers could add other sensors to the network like motion sensors and keypads. While it was cheap, the set-up process was arduous based on numerous poor reviews, and false alarms were far too easy to trip.
It’s part of the risk that comes with new technology, and it indeed isn’t the first or last time this will happen. Other extinct hubs include Revolv, and it’s predicted in tech circles that other smart home offerings will likely fall since smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home can serve similar purposes to hubs and are more straightforward to use.
Iris users are now left to pick up the pieces. Customers with eligible products that work only on the Iris platform will be able to redeem them for a prepaid VISA gift card, according to Lowe’s FAQs. Iris devices that are compatible with other hubs will not be eligible for any refunds. The only way to redeem anything, however, is online. Connected Iris items cannot be returned to Lowe’s stores.
To ensure that you have a system that will always have your back, it’s essential to go with a company with a proven track record. Our team at FSS Technologies can work with you to build the best system for your home. You will always get the best products with the best monitoring and regular upgrades as technology continues to move forward. Guaranteed. Give our friendly pros a call to get started today!
Explore Our Other Blogs
Fire Safety for Multistory Buildings
While it can seem similar to homes or businesses, multistory properties have unique demands for fire safety. Whether your property includes a mid-rise condo and business building or multiple low-rise apartment locations, it requires additional care and consideration when evaluating the protection of inhabitants from fire hazards. If a fire breaks out in one…
How Commercial Security Monitoring Benefits Your Business During Quarantine
Instating work from home policies to protect your employees and help to stop the potential spread of COVID-19 is one step that organizations are taking to keep their company safe. But, with all your employees at home, how can you protect the other assets that make up your business? Regardless of the type of company…
What is the Lifespan of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors?
As with pretty much everything, your smoke alarm eventually expires. Sensors can become less sensitive over time, making them less adept at doing their job: detecting smoke, carbon monoxide, or potential fires. Replacing the equipment in your fire safety system is important both at home and in your business. We have developed a quick guide…
Fire Safety for Kids
Setting up fire alarm systems and fire monitoring are fundamental elements in your home’s fire safety plan. However, that is only the beginning. Educating your children on fire prevention, fire safety, and how to manage an emergency are vital in keeping your family safe. According to the American Red Cross, not only are children under five…
What Is a Central Station Alarm?
A central station alarm system is one that feeds directly into a central monitoring station. If a sensor on the central station alarm system is triggered, such as fire, smoke, C02, or burglar, the system does much more than just set off a loud siren or send an email alert telling you to log into…
How Do Fire Sprinkler Systems Work?
Fire sprinkler systems work by detecting heat from fires and releasing water to extinguish them. Different components work together in various configurations to boost a structure’s fire and life safety measures. Learn how a fire sprinkler system works, what your options are, and why it’s a necessary investment for your business. What are the main…
The Top 5 Reasons Why Your Smoke Alarm Is Beeping
Do you hear a faint chirping noise coming from the back hallway or the basement? Don’t ignore it. It might be your smoke detector. Smoke detectors are designed to chirp or beep when they need servicing. Common Reasons for Smoke Alarm to Beep When the battery in your smoke alarm is starting to get weak,…
What is a Manual Pull Station?
A manual pull station is a wall-mounted fire safety device that triggers an alarm in the event of an emergency. Pull stations are commonly found in many public buildings across the United States and Canada. Most people have seen them, and some have possibly even pulled one before, whether for a real emergency or a…
Are You a Spectrum Customer Losing Service?
When Spectrum closed the doors on its home security system business in February 2020, many customers were left high and dry. The Spectrum Backstory Spectrum is a subsidiary of Charter Communications, the second-largest cable provider in the country offering service in 42 states. Charter inherited Spectrum in a 2016 merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright House…
The Risky Business of Ring’s Vulnerable Security
If you are like the rest of Americans, you have noticed that the Ring Security company has been in the news lately— and not for anything useful. Between security hacks and lawsuits, the company has landed itself in hot water. Surveillance Camera Hacks Homeowners have security cameras installed in their homes to give them peace…