This AI-powered smart outlet will recommend ways to save power

Currant, a startup dedicated to making smart home devices that reduce energy consumption, has announced its first AI-driven product, as spotted by VentureBeat. It’s called the Currant Smart Outlet, and it sports two individually controlled outlets and can be rotated when plugged in to keep cords tidy. The company says its outlet has the highest safety ratings of any smart outlet on the market.
 
The gadget works with a companion app that tracks real-time electricity usage and displays graphs to show where energy is being consumed and how much it’s costing you. Through the app, you can also remotely monitor and control each outlet and connect it to Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices to enable voice control. Outlet-specific rules can be set to follow your schedule or you can use the outlet normally for a week, and the app will suggest rules to set based on your behavior. For example, it might propose turning off a set-top box when the TV isn’t on.
 
Using the outlet is as simple as plugging it in and connecting to the app, which is available for both iOS and Android. Once that’s done, the app will detect the outlet and immediately display real-time information on the energy used. The Smart Outlet comes in two versions — Bluetooth and WiFi — and while both allow for energy monitoring and AI-recommended scheduling, only the WiFi version works with home assistants and lets you control the outlet from anywhere. Currant’s Bluetooth Smart Outlet costs $49.99, and its WiFi Smart Outlet is $59.99. They are available now at Amazon and Currant.com.

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