Announcing the Winner of our 2016 Halloween Contest!

A few weeks ago we kicked off our first-ever Wink Halloween Contest by asking Wink users to share how they’re making home automation part of the Halloween fun this year. We’ve received a ton of spook-tactular submissions - from over-the-top lighting displays to elaborate yard decorations that come to life to spook trick-or-treaters.

With that in mind, we’re excited to announce that this year’s winner is Brett Marek!

Every night at sunset, Brett’s home comes to life thanks to Halloween Schedule he set up in the Wink app. The second dusk turns to night, Brett’s SYLVANIA Gardenspots turn a perfect combination of orange to give his yard a spooky feel while the patio glows with various string lights connected to an outdoor GE Plug in Module. He gives the spiders, skeletons, and other decorations  around the home and yard a ghostly aura with various spotlights plugged into GE switches.

Congratulations to Brett! If you want to check out some of the other great entries, follow us on Twitter, @TheWinkApp.

With the holidays just around the corner, we hope this inspires you to get creative with your smart products in the months to come!

In the meantime, Happy Halloween!

User Spotlight: How Wink Helped Steph Courdin regain independence

The beauty of the smart home is how customizable it can be. Some like it for the energy savings it affords. Others for the convenience of knowing they can monitor the status of their home at any time with a quick glance. 

For former software customer success manager Steph Courdin, the smart home has provided a new lease on the mobility that ALS - a terminal neuron disorder - has taken away from his daily life.

A resident of Lakewood, Colorado, Steph was diagnosed with ALS in 2013, joining a community of 30,000 Americans living with ALS/MND and a broader group of 3.3 million whose impaired movement requires a wheelchair.

In a large multi-story home with his wife and three children, living with this disorder makes many everyday activities difficult. Muscular degeneration prevents Steph from raising his hands high enough to reach a light switch or his thermostat, which is inaccessibly located on the second floor.

After trying a variety of different home automation systems, last Christmas Steph found an unlikely solution to regain some autonomy. By connecting various household products with Wink, he found he could easily access and control them just like the rest of his family.

Today, the Courdins have a Wink HUB, Honeywell thermostat, seven GE Link bulbs, six Cree Bulbs, Chamberlain’s MyQ garage door opener (his only wheelchair accessible entrance), a Ring video doorbell, and an Amazon Echo (which has quickly become one of Steph’s wife Stacey’s favorite products). He is able to easily adjust temperature, lighting, and more, all from the Wink app on his iPhone which is mounted to his wheelchair. With the assistive touch feature, the sky’s the limit as to what Steph can do with Wink. 

Steph has parlayed his own experience with Wink into speaking with ALS support groups so that others can understand how the smart home might make a difference in their daily lives:

“Wink has made home automation a simple & affordable option, accessible to everyone (compared to thousands of dollars remodeling) especially those of us battling ALS/MND and the limits the diseases impose on trying to live a normal life. I was an avid snowboarder, downhill mountain biker, and equestrian enthusiast. Now, just raising an arm for a light switch is a near impossible task.” 

Stories like Steph’s are what keep us going. Hearing that Wink can make a positive impact on someone’s daily life is proof that our mission to make the smart home accessible for everyone is one worth fighting for.

What To Do With Your Smart Products When Moving

Moving is stressful. Deciding what to do with your smart home products as you’re packing boxes doesn’t have to be. We’re often asked for input on the best way to relocate smart home products into a new environment, along with what to do for those you intend to leave behind. Luckily the steps are simple so we thought we’d outline them for the most common moving scenarios:

OPTION 1: LEAVE EVERYTHING FOR THE NEW RESIDENT TO ENJOY 

Studies show that homes with smart products tend to sell faster than homes without. If you’re a homeowner and have decided to leave your Wink HUB and compatible products, it’s easy to wipe the slate clean for the next resident:

If you’re the one moving away...

• Navigate to the Hub settings page within the app and remove the HUB from your account (no need to do anything with the other Wink-compatible products).

If you’re the one moving in and inheriting a Wink ecosystem...

• Congrats - we hope you enjoy! Simply download the Wink app on your iOS or Android mobile device, create an account, and connect the HUB following the in-app instructions. 
• Once the HUB is connected, all of the previously connected products will become available (note - automations like Robots or Schedules that the previous resident created will not carry over).

OPTION 2: TAKE THE HUB, LEAVE THE PRODUCTS

Say you want to bring your HUB to your new home, but have products like door locks or thermostats that you’d rather not spend the time uninstalling. Decoupling your HUB from your current home while leaving your smart products behind is easy:

If you’re moving and taking your HUB with you...

• The first step is to restore the smart products you’re leaving behind to their factory default settings. The process is specific to each device, and you can visit our product page to find the manual for each Wink-compatible product.
• If you will be using the same router, SSID, and Wi-Fi password in your new home, simply plug in the HUB once you arrive and start connecting new products at will! 
• If you are using a new router or have a new SSID/Wi-Fi password, go to the Hub settings page in the Wink app and select ‘Update Wi-Fi’. 
• Once the new credentials have been entered, your HUB will successfully connect to your new network and you can begin pairing new products.

If you don’t have a HUB and are moving into a home with existing smart products...

First, download the Wink app on your iOS or Android device and create an account. 
Then, pick up a Wink HUB on our website, The Home Depot, or Amazon, and follow the in-app instructions to connect it with your Wink account.
From there, you can start connecting the smart home products the previous resident left behind in a pinch.

OPTION 3: TAKE THE HUB AND MOVEABLE PRODUCTS WITH YOU

If your smart home consists of products that are easily moveable - light bulbs, cameras, and plug-in modules - you’re in luck! Transitioning them to your new home, is almost effortless. 

• If you have the same router, SSID, and Wi-Fi password, simply plug the HUB in and start placing your smart products in their new locations. No need to reconnect them to Wink. 
• If you are using a new router or have a new SSID/Wi-Fi password, go to the Hub settings page in the Wink app and select ‘Update Wi-Fi.’ Once the new credentials have been entered, your HUB will successfully connect to your new network and you can begin pairing your products.

Have you recently moved in, or out or a smart home? Feel free to share your own tips in the comments below! 

5 TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED ON YOUR NEW SMART HOME.

Ready to take the smart home for a spin but not sure where to start? Many have the misconception that the smart home is complicated, inaccessible, or unaffordable. But that’s not the case! Anyone with a smartphone and access to the Internet can have a comprehensive smart home for very little money and effort. While it still may seem a little daunting, we’re here to make the journey as streamlined and smooth as possible. If you’re just starting out, here are five helpful tips to consider:

1. Understand why you want to have a smart home

Is it to save money on energy? To manage home security when you’re away? To keep tabs on your family from afar? Taking the time to answer this question for yourself will go a long way in helping you select which products to purchase.

2. Don’t buy into a closed platform

Before diving in, check to make sure the platform you’re looking at works with a wide variety of products (locks, lights, garage door openers, etc.) from leading, trusted brands. This will enable you to more easily determine what works best for you and your lifestyle, while giving you far more opportunities to add to your smart home ecosystem over the years. Wink connects with hundreds of devices from scores of leading brands including Cree, Nest and Chamberlain.

3. Start small

People think you have to invest thousands of dollars and purchase tons of devices to have a comprehensive smart home. We strongly believe that you should start out with a few connected devices (or even just one), and add more over time. For example, a few smart light bulbs can be turned on from your phone for added security if you’re having a late night at work, or be programmed to turn off automatically when you’re ready for bed.

4. Select products from the brands you trust

You’d be surprised by the number of recognizable brands that are making smart home devices. From GE to Schlage to Philips, leaders in product categories are working together to make the smart home a reality. When building your own smart home, stick with the companies you know. It’s always best to have a trusted partner in crime in case you ever need to troubleshoot or ask questions!

5. Utilize triggers and automation

Most smart home platforms let you group multiple products together so they perform at once with a tap on your phone. Use it! Automation is one of the best perks of having a smart home. For example, if you’re going to bed, you could trigger your lights to go off, blinds to lower, and thermostat to adjust—all from your smartphone. How’s that for convenience?