Aiming to appeal to smart-home simplicity, Shortcut Labs is growing its Flic line of Bluetooth smart buttons.
The company revealed the second iteration of its Bluetooth smart buttons this week, slated to become available at retail in early November.
Whereas the first Flic line could be programmed to complete multiple tasks, the newest versions have been simplified to complete just a single task, such as sounding an alarm on a lost phone (FlicFind), triggering a camera to snap a photo (FlicSelfie), turning on third-party smart lighting (FlicLights), or controlling a music playlist (FlicMusic). The FlicLocation button, meanwhile, can send a notification to a list of contacts to notify them the user has arrived safely.
The Single buttons feature a three-year battery life, according to the company. Batteries are not replaceable.
Each button carries a $20 suggested retail. They will become available through Best Buy early next month, where they will be showcased in the wearables department, a Flic spokesperson said. They come in white.
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The Flic multi-purposes buttons, which were shown at CES 2016 in January, can be programmed to complete a variety of tasks, including ordering pizza, operating third-party smart lighting systems, and controlling music playlists. One task is completed with a click, a second with a double click, and a third by holding down the button.
These buttons are IFTTT compatible, and the company has an open API for both iOS and Android developers to implement support for Flic in an app and create new functions. The multi-purpose buttons carry a $35 price tag, with a four-pack retailing for a suggested $100. Batteries are said to last 18 months, but these are replaceable.
Four colors are offered: black, teal, white and blue. These multi-purpose Flic buttons were spotlighted in Target’s new Connected Living shops in the spring.
