“Hey Google, I’m Home” triggers a routine that switches on the lights, your favourite tunes, and starts the tea kettle. Who doesn’t love an intelligent assistant ready to spring into action at the utterance of a command?
Smart-home technology has come a long way from the clapper light and first-generation, self-propelled vacuum cleaners. Now, you can control hundreds of home devices through home automation hubs or apps on your smartphone.
Designed to make your life easier, smart devices will cost a few (or more) dollars upfront, but the savings and convenience may well be worth it. Which smart home devices are right for you? Consider your needs and priorities. And check out these examples of smart home products – at your service.
Smart Security at your Front Door
Feel safer and more secure with devices like the Ring Video Doorbell. This 180-degree, high-definition camera and powerful microphone feed live video to your phone or tablet, allowing you to communicate with your visitor – whether you are home or not. Even if someone isn’t at the door, the infrared motion sensors pick up activity around your property, allowing you to monitor what’s going on now – or in the past.
Pair a smart video doorbell with a smart lock that can make clunky keys unnecessary. With the popular August Lock, you can control door locking from an app on your phone. It also has a proximity sensor, locking as you gain distance away from your home and conveniently unlocking the door when you’re within about 20 feet of it.
Some smart locks have key pads. You customize a master four-digit code for yourself and members of your family. For visitors, such as dog-walkers, cleaners or tradespeople, who you may need to access to your home when you’re not there, you can customize a separate code, which can be deactivated once the job is done to avoid unauthorized re-entry. That way, your master code can remain unchanged.
For detailed security monitoring in and around your home, choose from an array of indoor and outdoor security cameras by Arlo, Nest and Hive. With most, via a subscription, you can live-stream video 24/7 with night vision – and you can retrieve historical video clips for ultimate home security and peace of mind.
Light, Heat & Cool while Home or Away
Whether summer or winter, it’s wise to have control over the lighting and temperature in your home. Smart thermostats by Nest or Honeywell allow you to adjust optimal temperatures using an app on your smartphone. Good for the environment and great for your wallet since you’ll see energy savings almost instantly. The Nest Learning Thermostat is so named as it literally learns your temperature preferences throughout the day and programs itself, so you don’t have to do it.
Invite or keep out natural light at the click of a button with smart blinds or shades. The clear benefit of motorized blinds is the convenience – control them remotely, whether or not you are home. Some motorized blinds are getting even smarter as they can respond not only to your inputs, but also to changes in weather and the amount of sun your home receives. If there’s direct sunlight, the blinds will automatically close, keeping your home cooler, giving you more energy savings – and a more comfortable home to return to.
Smart blinds also make your home safer by eliminating the need for long pull cords that can be a danger to pets and young children. What if you’d like automation, but you’re happy with the blinds or shades you already have? Simply automate them with a kit such as My Smart Blinds and you can have the best of both worlds.
You can also take control of artificial lighting in your home. To help you get a good night’s rest, try a self-dimming light bulb such as Drift. With two flicks of the switch, this light gradually dims like a sunset to create ideal lighting conditions to drift off to sleep. Then, wake up to a gentler alternative to a screaming alarm clock or radio. The Philips Wake Up light slowly brightens your room, offering a variety of pleasant accompanying sounds to gently wake you.
Keeping You & Your Home Safe
Smart cameras and doorbells may be the “eyes and ears” of your home, but the items that can keep you and your family safe inside are smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. And you guessed it – they’ve gotten a lot smarter, too. A popular one is the Nest Protect, which is a self-monitoring smoke and carbon monoxide detector and alarm. One of the best features is that when it detects some smoke from broiling, indoor grilling or burnt toast, it will not automatically sound that eardrum-piercing alarm. Instead, you will hear a voice alert and, if everything is okay, you can wave your hand at the alarm and it will shut off. However, if it detects carbon monoxide or thick smoke, the alarm will immediately sound, alerting you to imminent danger.
So, what about electrical devices that aren’t smart – can they be made safer and more convenient? Absolutely! You never have to wonder or worry about whether you turned off that flat iron again. Just use a smart plug like the Belkin Wemo Mini and you can turn small appliances on and off using an app on your tablet or phone. Plus, this ultra smart plug works with most automation hubs like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home kit. And if you’re a frequent traveller, most smart plugs have an “Away” mode that you can program to automatically turn lights and appliances on and off to mimic the look and feel of someone being home.
Smart technology can safeguard your health as well. If you or a loved one takes several medications, a smart medication dispenser can literally be a life saver. Theses devices dispense the exact prescribed dose on schedule. At the same time, it will provide an audio alert to prompt you to take the medication. The schedule and doses taken are monitored through an app on your smartphone. In addition to dispensing medication, The HelloIamSpencer device is also a hub, connecting pharmacist to caregiver and family members, creating an informative and supportive health network.
Better Together: Home Automation Hubs
Bridge all smart devices together into a central home automation system – for ultimate convenience. With so many options, selecting one system that works best for you is an important decision.
WinkHub 2 and Samsung SmartThings are hubs that manage multiple smart products with one app. Apple HomeKit connects your smart home devices and enables you to control them with commands to Siri or through the Home app on your iOS tablet or smartphone.
Smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home are popular hubs since they wake and activate on voice commands such as “Alexa” or “Hey Google.” In addition to controlling your devices, Amazon Alexa excels at helping you build shopping lists, and Google Home finds information instantly for you through Google Assistant. These are also wireless speakers that will stream music or podcasts on command.
Since smart speakers have a microphone, some people are concerned about privacy fearing that the device is “always listening.” However, the companies emphasize that the devices are designed to activate only when the wake commands are spoken. For added privacy, mute buttons are also available.
Since no system is perfect, choose based on ease of use and compatibility to smart devices you already have, or wish to integrate into your smart home.
For making your home smarter, there’s no shortage of choices. Smart products and systems are widely available in big box stores and online in various price ranges. Research your options and pick the devices that suit your needs and priorities. In the long run, you’ll save money and enjoy the convenience and peace of mind from monitoring your devices remotely. Best of all, wherever you are, your smart home will be ready to transform your wishes into its commands.
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