Easily control your lights and other appliances with Elphi

Digital home control may be the way of the future, but much of the current technology is still out of reach for the average consumer. It’s expensive, complicated, and not very user-friendly. But there are companies looking to change that.

Take the Elphi, for example. This new “smart plug” is looking to change the way we look at home automation. Simply plug the Elphi into an AC outlet, plug in any AC-powered device to the Elphi, and open the accompanying iPhone app…

Elphi might look like other products, but it’s not. Its accompanying software is extremely powerful. Use it to set timers for your smart plugs, or share control of your devices with friends and family. It can even send alerts to your smartphone based on your location — i.e. ‘Your curling iron is on’ as you leave your house.

But there’s just one problem: Elphi isn’t available yet. It’s currently trying to raise money via a Kickstarter project to start mass production, and with just 12 days to go, it’s only at $31,000 of its $90,000 goal.

So if you’re interested in the project, you may want to head over to its Kickstarter page and contribute. A pledge of $69 or more will score you your very own Elphi smart plug, as soon as they become available later this year.

What do you think of Elphi? Good idea/bad idea?

[TUAW]