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Slide makes normal curtains smart and connected

Slide makes normal curtains smart and connected
Slide is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign
Slide is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign
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According to Slide's creator Innovation in Motion, the device is the world's first retrofit smart curtain system that works with existing curtains
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According to Slide's creator Innovation in Motion, the device is the world's first retrofit smart curtain system that works with existing curtains
Slide is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign
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Slide is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign
Setup is simple and you should be able to attach Slide to a curtain rail, track, or the curtain itself within a couple of minutes
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Setup is simple and you should be able to attach Slide to a curtain rail, track, or the curtain itself within a couple of minutes
Slide can also be configured so that once everyone leaves the house, the curtains will close automatically
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Slide can also be configured so that once everyone leaves the house, the curtains will close automatically
Slide can be controlled locally or from afar with an iOS or Android device
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Slide can be controlled locally or from afar with an iOS or Android device
Slide can also be configured with IFTTT (If This Then That) devices
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Slide can also be configured with IFTTT (If This Then That) devices
The optional SlideMote lets you open and close curtains with the push of a button
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The optional SlideMote lets you open and close curtains with the push of a button
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Those looking to automate their home already have plenty of choice when it comes to smart fridges, locks, lights and more, but now a new device called Slide can take over the dreary task of drawing curtains. Promoted as the world's first retrofit smart curtain system, Slide can be configured to open and close the curtains automatically and can also interface with other devices.

Motorized curtains have been around for a while now, but they tend to cost a lot and require custom rails and an involved installation by a specialist. Slide co-creator Thijs Olthof told us that the big idea behind his product is to make what's usually a luxury item a lot more affordable and easy to use.

You simply attach Slide to your curtain rail, track, or the curtain itself – Slide's creators promise it works with "virtually all" existing horizontal curtains – then use an iOS or Android device to control it. The curtains can be controlled either from within the home or from afar via Wi-Fi connection and the whole setup process should only take a couple of minutes.

Slide can be configured to open the curtains with the sunrise and close at sunset, or to close them once everyone leaves the house. A holiday mode can also keep the curtains moving to discourage a potential burglar casing an empty house.

Setup is simple and you should be able to attach Slide to a curtain rail, track, or the curtain itself within a couple of minutes
Setup is simple and you should be able to attach Slide to a curtain rail, track, or the curtain itself within a couple of minutes

Users can still open the curtains by hand and Slide can also open the curtains only part of the way if preferred. Up to 20 units can be controlled in the same house.

Thanks to its IFTTT (If This Then That) compatibility, using Slide with existing IFTTT devices should be simple. A few examples of what you can do include pressing a Flic button to control the curtains (the firm also offers a SlideMote add-on that does the same), talk to Amazon Echo's Alexa ("Alexa open the curtains") or Google Home, or have the system interface with a Fitbit to detect when the wearer wakes up.

Slide creator Innovation in Motion is running an Indiegogo campaign (it also recently completed a successful Kickstarter) to raise money to move Slide from prototype to product. Pledge for a single Slide unit, which will be good for controlling one pair of curtains, start at US$85. Assuming all goes to plan, delivery is promised for August, 2017.

Sources: Slide, Indiegogo

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5 comments
5 comments
sagebrush6
Because people are becoming too stupid to open and close curtains ?
Bob Flint
"Slide makes normal curtains smart and connected" by duping the buyer with a complex assembly fraught with problems...least of which allows would be thief's the ability to hack into your curtains controls, to open & actually see if anyone's home.
PAV
I can see a use for these in my home. I have a set of windows out of reach just below a vaulted ceiling. I could use these to finally have the ability to close off these windows at times of day when the sun is coming in and I don't want it to. Also I could use this to fool people into thinking I'm home. I would actually prefer some Horizontal or Vertical blinds however.
Joe Blough
Geeze, this certainly fixes my biggest NON PROBLEM. I know I'd like something that needs power from batteries to open a simple shower curtain. Something that can fail. This is much better than a hand swipe where nothing can go wrong, that costs nothing, needs no maintenance and that well, just plain works.
Mr. Hensley Garlington
PAV makes good points. Everyone else is overly critical of something that could eventually be connected something like Amazon's Alexa for the Jarvis experience. It doesn't look complicated or expensive like other options currently on the market and can solve problems for shorter people, the disabled, or people who have homes with high or tall windows.