Ryobi’s modular garage door opener has more features than some smartphones

By Lulu Chang April 5, 2016

As your cars keep getting smarter, it’s only natural that their homes do as well. Soon enough, the 21st-century garage will be about as well-connected as our human residences, and leading the charge is none other than Ryobi. While the Japanese company may be known best for its power tools, its new state-of-the-art modular garage door opener may be the tech-forward device you want to own. With more features than some smartphones, you won’t know whether you’d rather manage your garage or your home with this device.

Sure, there are all the standard bells and whistles associated with any smart home device — there are several remote controls, control panels, obstacle detection capabilities, and the promise that this system is 20 percent quieter than the leading competitor. And of course, you can control it all from your smartphone. But then, things get really interesting.

The Ryobi garage door opener isn’t just for your garage — instead, you can add on a number of different modules, each of which serves a different purpose. There’s the adjustable fan and carbon monoxide detector, which will allow you to practically live in your garage (or at least not die in it), along with the attachable Bluetooth speaker that will turn your car’s home into even more of a party zone. And there’s also a 30-foot-long retractable cord reel that serves as the biggest extension cord you’ll ever need. But best of all, perhaps, is the Park Assist Module, a tool that employs a couple super bright lasers to tell you exactly where to park your car to maximize free space.

The whole system starts at $248, but if you want to add all the things that make the Ryobi garage door opener truly special, you’ll have to tack on a few more dollars for each feature (the modules start at $44). But for the chance to all but control your life from your garage, the ends just may justify the means.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Smart Home

Fitness deals: treadmills, ellipticals, weights on sale

nordictrack x32i treadmill review press lifestyle

Going on a fitness journey can be very tough, especially if you don't have a lot of motivation, which is why having home fitness equipment is important, especially if you don't want to drag yourself to a gym regularly. While that sort of equipment tends to be expensive, there are luckily quite a few home gym deals that you can take advantage of, whether it's things like dumbells or water bottles, which is why we've gone out and found our favorite deals and listed them below. You can also check out some other great brand-specific deals, such as these NordicTrack deals and Bowflex deals.
Adjustable Dumbbell 55-pound 5-In-1 Single — $156, was $190

One of the worst things about dumbbell training is having too many dumbbells. They can take over your whole gym. This deal (on a SINGLE dumbbell, so buy two!) can take the place of five dumbbells in your complete gym kit. Instead of one 55-pound dumbbell, you're getting an 11-pound dumbbell, a 22-pound dumbbell, and so on up until the 55 pounder. This is advantageous if you're just starting out with working out and don't know what weight you need to start with or if you want to do different exercises with different weights. Finally, note that the design of the adjustable dumbbell is quite safe as you can only adjust the weights (via a simple handle turning mechanism) while they are laid carefully on tray. Once they're off, the weight is "locked in" so to speak until you return them to the try. No lost toenails here!

Smart Home

Best Dyson deals: Cordless vacuums, purifying fans, and beauty

The Dyson V15 Detect cordless vacuum with its laser.

You're probably familiar with Dyson from it's bladeless fans, but its got its fingers in a lot of areas of the home, from hair dryers to vacuums, all working on the same or similar principle to it's original gan design. Unfortunately, it is considered a luxury brand, and buying it comes with quite a price, like a hair straightener that costs $400-$500 and is often outside what most people are willing to pay. Luckily, there are some great Dyson deals to take advantage of, and if you don't quite find what you want, you can always check out some other great deals, like these cordless vacuum deals and air purifier deals.
Best Dyson fan deals

Dyson's bladeless fans can do just about anything -- not only can they heat up or cool down a room, but they can also purify the air by trapping pollutants. Dyson's Air Multiplier technology amplifies surrounding air to create uninterrupted streams of air, while LED screens show the status of the devices. They're fairly expensive though, which is why Dyson fan deals are always in high demand.

Smart Home

Best Google Nest deals: Save on Nest Thermostat, Hubs, and Doorbell

Google Nest Home devices.

Google is a massive conglomerate, and it has a huge ecosystem for you to expand into to while also competing with some of the other big players like Amazon and Samsung. In fact, Google makes some of the best home security cameras, best thermostats, and even the best video doorbells, so regardless of how you want to upgrade your smart home, there's likely a Google device for you. Of course, making some of the best products does mean that they are expensive, which is why we've gone out searching for our favorite Google Nest deals, although it's worth noting that there aren't a ton of deals right now. So, if you're looking for some alternatives, be sure to check out these security camera deals and Ring doorbell deals.

Google Nest Hub Deals