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Oakter is a company in the IOT (Internet Of Things) space. Nothing great about it, but the sentence gets a special ring when we realise it is an Indian company that has ventured into a space where just a few have dared.
IOT itself is a comparatively new phenomenon and not many Indian companies have really attempted anything big.
Oakter doesn’t try to stretch itself too much and its product is extremely simple. The kit comes with a WiFi hub, four plugs (what Oakter calls ‘Leaves’) a Touch Leaf and a controller that can be used indoors.
We can control the plugs through the Oakter App (available on Android and iOS).
The plugs looks neat, but don’t fit in snugly in the sockets. We had to shove it into the power socket with some pressure.
The hub has to be connected to the app through WiFi. Though it sounds easy, we got error messages several times before successfully pairing the app to the hub. A few times, it got disconnected from the network and we had to spend a few minutes connecting it again.
Once paired to the hub, the ‘Leaves’ show up in the app as you plug them. The app also sends notifications when a Leaf is plugged, switched off or switched on.
Once configured, the plugs can be switched on or off from anywhere. You can plug in any appliance. Water heaters are good examples. You can switch on the water heater just before you reach home, so that when you get in, hot water is ready. Same with airconditioners.
What makes the product click is the timer function, which lets you set the plugs to switch on and off at specific timings.
You can also use the Touch Leaf to control three devices.
There were a few small issues we faced — there is a small lag while switching off and on. Also, sometimes, though the plug was off, the app told us that it was on.
What makes the product more interesting is that while ordering, we can even choose the plugs we want and make our own kit.
Price: ₹10,000
Love: Simple and cheap. Easy to operate once configured
Hate: Plugs (Leaves) don’t fit in snugly; WiFi configuration not easy
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