Lowe’s, Home Depot link shoppers to “Internet of Things”

WASHINGTON — Major retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot are offering customers more options to connect their devices and appliances at home with wireless technology, The Washington Post reports. Dubbed the “Internet of Things,” the new technologies include apps and sensors that homeowners can use to control anything from lightbulbs to burglar alarms. Home Depot is among the latest retailers to get on board with its Wink app. Developed by New York’s Quirky, the app coordinates some 60 Home Depot products, making houses into “smart homes” and is similar to the Iris platform Lowe’s has been perfecting for the past two years. Jeff Epstein, merchandising VP for Home Depot, remarked that the “piecemeal” nature of the system was its advantage, allowing customers to decide which functions they want to control from their wireless hubs.