(Photo by Rasy Ran)
Tech keeps the Jekaucs’ lives simple
Nearly everything in Igor Jekauc’s Windsor Park home is controlled by the touch of a button or the sound of his voice.
The self-proclaimed tech geek built a playground to test the latest smart home devices on the market. He devotes hours to researching each gadget, many of which connect to his iPhone.
“I’ve always loved stuff that’s efficient, whether it’s technology or not,” Jekauc says. “I love recycling and having a small footprint.”
Besides purchasing several of the increasingly popular Amazon Alexa speakers, Jekauc owns contraptions that do everything from monitor his family’s electrical usage to turn on the sprinkler systems. Most of these trinkets are practical and cost effective, Jekauc says, while others are simply fun.
“My friends are like, ‘You have so much technology that it’s going to take over your house,’” laughs Kelly, his wife, a typical fear for anyone who watched HAL 9000 take over the ship in “2001: A Space Odyessy.”
The web-based service IFTTT integration, which activates the devices under certain conditions, is one of Jekauc’s favorites. If someone rings his doorbell, the TV automatically pauses and switches to security footage. If his Fitbit detects he didn’t get enough sleep, his wife receives an email that says, “Grumpy husband alert.”
At first, Kelly thought her husband was going a bit overboard and worried everything would malfunction. But the juggle of raising their energetic 1-year-old daughter with their chaotic schedule helped change her mind.
“It makes it a little bit easier, especially with a baby,” she says.
Sprinklers turn on at the touch of a botton. (Photo by Rasy Ran)
Amazon Alexa rules the Jekauc’s home. (Photo by Rasy Ran)
