A plug that reassures you a loved one is all right
Remember the days when you’d let your mum know you were OK by phoning and hanging up after three rings? If you do, your mum may be getting on a bit now, and you’d like to be sure she's OK. So tech entrepreneur Steve Purdham has invented a modern equivalent.
A free app for Apple or Android walks you through the 3rings Plug’s setup. At your elderly relative’s house (or yours, if you are the elderly relative in this equation), you connect the sturdy unit between a mains socket and an appliance that’s used daily, such as the kettle. The plug makes contact with the internet using a built-in mobile phone SIM - you don’t need an internet connection or Wi-Fi network in the house.
In the app, you set up one or more times of the day when you’d expect the appliance to be used, such as breakfast time. At the end of each period, the plug sends you a message saying the appliance was turned on, meaning your relative is fine and dandy. Or if the appliance hasn’t been used, the app demands you ‘take responsibility'’ for checking on them.
The idea is that you invite family and friends to monitor along with you. But the app hasn’t quite been thought through properly. What isn’t made clear is that part of the setup has to be carried out via 3rings’ website. The marketing blurb, which bangs on condescendingly about your ‘ageing loved ones’ pottering around making tea and watching telly, hardly helps. Some of us are over 75 and capable of reading up on technology for ourselves, Steve.
The point of three rings was to save on the cost of a call. But with 3rings, you pay £79 for the plug then £12 a month. It’s cheaper if you pay for a year up front or sign up for 3rings’ crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter (www.snipca.com/17081, until 13 July). While many monitoring services cost more, this still seems a little expensive for just messages. And with no wired base unit, your peace of mind depends on mobile reception, which isn’t always reliable indoors -although it’s good that it can use any available network.
VERDICT
Despite the clunky aspects and ongoing expense, this simple and unobtrusive monitor could work well for some people.
SPECIFICATIONS
Smart plug with roaming SIM • Supports up to 13 amps • Monthly, annual or 2-year subscription