This tiny box gives your older tech smart home superpowers – and it’s only $69

ZDNET’s key takeaways

- The Home Assistant Connect AUX-2 is a new smart home multi-tool.

- It modernizes older devices and battles planned obsolescence.

- Priced at $69, the Connect AUX-2 is now available for purchase.

Home Assistant is perhaps the most versatile smart home automation system of them all, thanks to the extreme customization power it offers. Today, a tiny, new box-shaped device is giving Home Assistant users a way to make their existing electronics smarter, rather than replacing them to keep up with the times.

Also: Ring’s new drone patrols your home to keep an eye on things

The Home Assistant Connect AUX-2 is a multi-purpose piece of hardware made by Nabu Casa, the company behind official Home Assistant hardware. The device brings together several connectivity options, including RS-232 serial for older TVs and other equipment, and the ability to connect older stereo systems and amplifiers to modern multi-room audio setups.

More from ZDNET

“The most sustainable device is the one you already own,” said Paulus Schoutsen, founder of Home Assistant and Nabu Casa. “No device should be left behind because it doesn’t have smart capabilities, or worst of all, its cloud services get turned off.

Make dumb components smart

Modern smart home systems have a major drawback: they exclude working electronics simply because they weren’t designed to integrate with today’s smart home platforms. This is the problem that the AUX-2 addresses.

Instead of buying a new stereo system with smart features, consumers can use the $69 AUX-2 to make the devices they already own smarter, more connected, and easier to control.

A single AUX-2 can control multiple devices, depending on how they’re connected and the interfaces they use. The device’s limit has more to do with the number of physical connections required.

Also: How I open-sourced my smart home – and ditched Google for Siri

The AUX-2 lets you connect two serial-controlled devices directly through the RS-232 ports. The USB port can act as an expansion for compatible adapters. You can place one AUX-2 on an entertainment center and connect an older stereo and TV, then use another AUX-2 elsewhere in your house for additional equipment with physical serial connections.

According to Home Assistant, with an AUX-2, you can control an old AV receiver without the original app, have an older TV respond to commands without relying on its manufacturer’s cloud servers, or integrate existing audio equipment into modern multiroom sound systems.

This way, consumers won’t need to trash a functional piece of equipment simply because the manufacturer stops supporting it.

Aside from RS-232 serial, the AUX-2 also supports Bluetooth, Z-Wave, USB, PoE, and Wi-Fi for connectivity.

Also: 5 smart home gadgets I actually recommend, after years of testing