Amazon has Mini Plug four-packs for $19
(Check the discount box, and use coupon 5KASAPLUG)
The Kasa Smart Plug HS103P4 are $25 for a four-pack.
(Check the $2 discount box)
We have a bunch of both models. All have worked flawlessly for 4+ years.
Plug HS103P4, Smart Home Wi-Fi Outlet Compatible with Alexa, Echo, Google Home & IFTTT, No Hub Required, Remote Control, 15 Amp, UL Certified,4-Pack, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RCNB2L3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_V0G9RC4ATBNDZQF5D4V1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
This is the type plug you need...it will connect to your wi-fi through the SmartHome app, which you can use to turn them on/off. You can use your phone entirely (including the Amazon Alexa app) or you can get an Amazon Alexa/Google Home device and it will allow you to control things via voice. (So will the Alexa app on your phone, but not as easily/quickly as speaking directly to a voice-ready device.)
Happy to answer anything else if you need. Cheers. Let me know how it works for you!
These right here 12 of my cases have these, I highly recommend them. Mine work with Alexa using these here is a video showing them.
Yes, there are various home automation devices that can do it, depending on how you want to use it and how complex you want it to be. If you d”don’t want to go into the switch”, this is not an electrician question but a home automation question. You might ask in r/HomeAutomation or give more context to narrow down the many possibilities. There are light bulbs that can be controllled remotely, power strips, extension cords, or replacement sockets. You can control by voice or remote control, or more complex automation. There are many possibilities
For example, if you already use an Alexa voice assistant, look at Amazon for “works with Alexa”. Here’s one example of many:
Heres a blast from the past that would still work
Amazon is one of earth's largest corporations and gets scrutiny from name-brand newspapers -- if you embarrass Amazon, most newspapers will pick up the story. So Amazon spends money on security, and you're not likely to find something new. Also, lots of people are trying to hack Amazon's devices all the time, so they patch all the time. By the time you find a vuln it's likely to already be patched... and that's if you can keep it from patching itself during your R&D efforts!
Instead, find the cheapest knock-off IoT device you can, like a smart plug, and see if you can identify a failure mode like "I can make the lights flicker fast enough to short the bulb / blow the breaker". Then find a way to get control of the plug from within its own LAN.