'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Aqara just launched a smart home presence sensor with fall detection
Smart home manufacturer Aqara just launched a new smart presence sensor to its portfolio called FP2. Though its focus is precise monitoring for essential home automations and home security, its features are anything but basic.
The FP2 smart sensor can simultaneously monitor up to 30 individual zones within a 430-square-feet room, giving consumers the ability to set different automations for different areas. Users can select up to five people to track at one time within these zones, making it possible to set up different automations for different zones to run at the same time.
Also: The best smart home devices (and how they can make your life easier)
This means the sensor can switch off the kitchen lights when you move to your favorite chair after doing the dishes, and turn on your side table lamp next to it so you can get some reading done. Or switch off all the lights and dim the living room lights when everyone cozies up for a movie on the couch.
The FP2 sensor is so precise that it features fall detection, and can trigger an audible alarm and real-time mobile notifications if it detects a person falling, no cameras or extra wearables needed.
Also: Your HomePod can now alert you if your smoke alarm is going off
This high-level precision also means it can detect movements as slight as a person's breathing, so it won't shut off the lights on you if you've been sitting still for awhile. Aqara hopes to have the sensor support more innovative features in the future, like posture detection for standing, sitting, or lying down, as well as sleep monitoring and respiratory rate detection.
Aqara announced the sensor is compatible with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Home Assistant, and other home automation systems, and will support Matter via a subsequent over-the-air update.