Almond Routers

Most home automation systems follow a certain formula: You have smaller devices that do things, and they are all controlled via a hub that plugs into your router. The hub is your gateway to your devices through your phone, tablet, what have you. That formula is starting to change, however. A company called Almond has released two wireless routers that are home automation hubs.

On the router side, these are fairly standard, top of the line wireless access points. They broadcast the latest spec of Wi-Fi, 802.11ac, which is blazingly fast if your devices support it.
On the home automation side, they're a bit more interesting. The lower end model supports the ZigBee home automation protocol, which quite a few devices are starting to support. The higher end model adds support for Z-Wave, an older, but much more common way to communicate with smart devices.
To program the automation, you can either use the Almond app for your phone or tablet, or use the built in touch screens on the routers themselves. They can control sprinklers, lights, climate systems, even security cameras.
Considering that most home automation hubs are at least $100, the pricing for these routers is actually fairly competitive: $100 for the low end model, $200 for the high end model with Z-Wave. Remember that if you get these hubs, you also get a router, so you're effectively getting two devices for the price of one.