Skip to main content

Don’t have a green thumb? That’s not a problem thanks to the SmartTerra

smartterra smart garden img 9093
Image used with permission by copyright holder
You may love the green Earth and all its plants, but when it comes to caring for said plants, let’s face it — you just don’t have the time. It’s not that you don’t have a green thumb; it’s just that you don’t have enough hours in the day to properly tend to your oxygen-producing friends. But with the SmartTerra, even the most high maintenance of plants will be able to survive in your home.

By stimulating sunrises, sunsets, rainstorms, and even lightning shows, the SmartTerra may convince your plants that they are amid Mother Nature, rather than in your apartment. Thanks to the companion smartphone app, you can easily control your miniature ecosystem, as well as receive real-time data on the SmartTerra’s status. Owners can learn about plants and their ideal environments, set a daily sunrise or sunset schedule, set the mood of the terrarium to a nighttime mode with soft accent lights. You can also schedule the sounds of nature to play at regular intervals. Soon, your plants may not be the only living organisms believing that you’re living in a rainforest.

Recommended Videos

“The SmartTerra experience is unique. We aren’t just selling a terrarium,” said SmartTerra creator Suri Mujjalinktrakool. “The moisture, temperature, and humidity sensors, along with the smart LED light system, make sure that environment is perfectly set to help plants thrive. You can enjoy watching rain fall with sound effects as SmartTerra waters your plants. Wake up with a SmartTerra sunrise and go to bed with a SmartTerra sunset. This terrarium truly does it all.”

The smart terrarium even comes with speakers that will let you listen to the natural sounds of your chosen plants’ natural environments (though you can also play the sounds of your natural environment using a Bluetooth connection). You won’t have to worry about adjusting the humidity, temperature, or light levels, as SmartTerra monitors all key aspects of an environment accordingly. All you’re responsible for is refilling the water tray when the SmartTerra app notifies you that it’s running low or empty.

In order to raise funds for its project, SmartTerra turned to Kickstarter, where it’s hoping to hit a $50,000 goal. Of course, you should always be wary when donating to these crowdfunding projects, but should you elect to back the SmartTerra, early bird discounts are being offered at $199.

Lulu Chang
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 devices shouldn’t have so many little annoyances in the setup process
Frustrated man hitting desk with his fist.

The smart home is meant to add new levels of convenience and utility to everyday life. Why, then, is the setup process so often the stuff of nightmares? Whether it's finicky processes, applications that feel more at home in 1990 than 2021, or the strange position of QR codes, smart home device setup needs to be streamlined and standardized.

Every company has its own process, but there should at least be a set of four to five basic steps each device follows. I've set up dozens of smart home devices. Sometimes it takes three steps, and other times it takes 10. The ease of setup has nothing to do with the price of the product, either -- budget devices have had the easiest setups I've ever seen, while luxury smart lights have been some of the worst offenders.
Wi-Fi names are easy to access, or so I thought
I recently set up and tested a set of smart lights for a review. In the process, I had to connect to my home's Wi-Fi network. That's not a problem; it's part of almost every device setup and helps ensure the firmware is up to date, that remote features are available for access, and more.

Read more
Alexa’s behind Verizon’s smart display, but please don’t sell me a Fios package
A Verizon smart display.

Amazon certainly loves saving the best for last. Alexa Live 2021 is in full swing, and while most of the stuff announced at the virtual event is primarily geared for developers, there was an unexpected nugget in the form of a product announcement. It looks like Verizon will soon be launching its own smart display complete with a brand new voice assistant that will channel all of Alexa’s abilities. But instead of saying “Alexa” to initiate a voice action, it’s going to be "hi Verizon."

Brands will soon be able to build their own custom voice assistants built on Alexa technology, which is pretty helpful when you think about all the money that would be poured into research and development from scratch. Amazon is helping out brands by giving them access to Alexa’s vast functionality with what Amazon calls the Alexa Custom Assistant Momentum. I’m very much intrigued by this prospect, but the last thing I want to have happen with this marriage is a new smart display that’s trying to sell me a FiOS package incessantly.
Advertisements are nothing new
This new program brings back memories of the Amazon Fire Phone, Fire Tablet, and just about any of the handful of ad-subsidized phones from Motorola. The latter is especially peculiar because the phones were sold at low prices because users would be exposed to various Amazon advertisements. Yes, it’s annoying, but the tradeoff here is the discount on the product.

Read more
Don’t sweat rising electric bills: Smart bed covers keep you cool and save money
smart bed covers keep you cool reduce your energy bill eight sleep pro cover feature lifestyle

Do you sleep well at night? According to a lot of studies, roughly half of all Americans feel sleepy during the day -- a firm indicator that their nightly sleep isn't quite as restorative as it should be. Whether it be stress (due to high electric bills, maybe?) or just a lack of comfort, poor sleep quality is nearing alarming levels.

Temperature plays a large role in that. In fact, reaching a proper room temperature is one of the most important factors for achieving high-quality, restful sleep. According to SleepFoundation.org, the ideal temperature for the bedroom is around 65 degrees.

Read more