DIY Smart Home: LittleBits' New Kit Connects Old Appliances to the Internet

The promise of future technology is that all your dumb household stuff will become smart. The lock on your front door, your smoke alarm, your thermostat will all “speak” to you through your phone, and vice versa. The problem with this domestic Internet of Things (IoT)—apart from the annoyance of receiving messages from your coffeemaker—is that it requires swapping perfectly serviceable gadgets in favor of ones that can connect to the cloud.

Now there’s another option. LittleBits, which makes brightly colored modules that snap together to create electronic circuits, is now selling a $249 DIY kit for those who want to turn their analog abodes into WiFi-enabled smart homes. The set extends the use of the recently launched cloudBit, giving users a menu of projects that include a remote pet feeder, a smart air-conditioner, and a garage door monitor. It essentially allows people to build their own IoT hardware without having to wait for companies like Nest, GE, or Apple to roll out another product.