Explore easy DIY projects, home makeover ideas, decorating tips, and more with a .Scroll down the page to the bottom and click the “subscribe now” link. Sign up on the next page and check off the box under “Print Publications” to receive your free subscription.  Access our huge coupon database (updated daily) for free!Get 14-days free access to see our powerful money-earning and saving eCourseVIP-level savingsget alerts on all the best dealsyouthe moment Couponers savehundreds of dollars every month at the grocery store. However, manycouponerscan end up living very extreme lifestyles to get those savings. has equalized the playing field ““ giving extreme savings to busy families who don’t have the time or ability to be an extremecouponer. ’steam of angelscombine over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with an enormous database ofover 5000 different manufacturer coupons.These combinations result inour Enlightened Shopping membersgetting access toover 300 products each week for 50% off or better.

Simply log in, choose the deals you want, print or clip only the coupons you need, and save hundreds of dollars a month at regional and national stores. Our angels will work with you to craft a plan that will help you buy healthier food at lower prices ““ helping youkeep $200 to $400 in savings each month. Lowe’s may well be the first retailer to succeed with home automation. That’s my verdict after visiting with the home improvement store at CES 2013 and revisiting the Iris solution that didn’t impress me a year ago. What started as a modest solution based on the AlertMe ZigBee-enabled home control system from UK is now full-fledged platform compatible with ZigBee and Z-Wave. At $9.99 per month, the system blows away what Verizon gives you for the same price. The Iris hub features ZigBee, Z-Wave and WiFi, and also boasts a slot for a $50 cellular module from Verizon. Using the cell service as a “back-up” for Internet-based access costs $5 per month. If you want cellular as your main access to Iris, it’ll cost $10 per month (but the cell service doesn’t support video).

Iris kits start at $179 for the basics, depending on the package. The security-focused kit gives you the hub, and a couple of sensors, a keypad and a window decal (!). A comfort kit gives you a thermostat and “smart plug” instead – pretty much the same stuff we saw last year (and the year before … and the year before from AlertMe). and other mass-market providers. RELATED UPDATE: Staples Launches Connect Home Automation; Teams with Lutron for Lighting, Shades The fact that Iris offers three options for automation – ZigBee, Z-Wave and WiFi/IP – opens up some possibilities competitors don’t give you. Most Z-Wave devices should work off-the-shelf if there’s an Iris interface for it (lighting, thermostats and door locks, for example). IP- and ZigBee-controllable devices will require some effort on the part of Lowe’s. The company wants to make sure consumers don’t have to worry about protocols, just that a product “works with Iris.” You’ll see that mantra throughout the stores, as you’ll see at the Lowe’s booth at CES, in the Venetian.

The Iris user interface is nice – about what the others give you. The fact that Iris supports all the important control protocols also is nice, but what Lowe’s really brings to the table is its sway with home-improvement vendors.car air conditioner leak dye At CES 2013, Lowe’s is showing some interesting products – still under development – from some of its existing vendors. weiss air handling unitFor example, there’s a WiFi-enabled water heater from Whirlpool that has energy-saving features, remote diagnostics and leak detection.yanmar gas powered air conditioning units Lowe’s is also showing - by way of signage - other forthcoming products that it intends to integrate into the Iris ecosystem: When you take all of these traditional home-improvement products, add some intelligence and make them work in the Iris ecosystem, it becomes quite a retail story.

You can imagine signage – like those shown in our photo gallery – sprinkled in various departments throughout the store wherever Iris-compatible products can be found. “We’re trying to tie everything together with ‘Works with Iris,” says Kevin Meagher, Lowe’s vice president of Smart Home. Originally, Lowe’s stated that a big motivation for launching Iris was to promote sales of some of the retailer’s staple home improvement products, alerting homeowners to change their filters, replace their tired old air conditioners, and the like. Eventually, the Iris play will merge with “My Lowe’s,” the company’s initiative for helping customer manage all of their home improvement purchases and needs. UPDATE 12/27/14: Lowe’s to Launch First Ever UL-Compliant Z-Wave Garage Door Controller Currently, Iris is deployed in 500 stores, with more roll-outs coming. There is only a small section with a 22-inch touchscreen to educate customers and there are no dedicated Iris staffers manning the kiosks;

however, Meagher notes that Lowe’s offers “associate training” on the product and “we are working on a dedicated department.”It’s a good product and affordably priced. Home Depot, Lowe’s and virtually every other home improvement store has tried umpteen times to sell home security and automation but none has succeeded. Maybe Lowe’s can pull it off. A couple more notable things about Iris. First, you can purchase an Iris Care application for $5 per month for monitoring the activity of elderly loved ones or others who require surveillance. The system lets you monitor sensor activity, and will alert you of non-activity per the parameters you set. The one thing missing from the system is the ability to integrate with a professionally monitored security system. , Honeywell Total Connect or a number of other providers. Finally, Lowe’s takes great pains to insist the system is DIY-friendly and can be installed within an hour. People can’t even get their own networks to work, much less install a light switch.