The staple of a modern home, smart home technology is becoming an increasingly popular choice for homeowners. The ability to control speakers, lights, doorbells and even windows, through internet enabled devices has been a breath of fresh air for tech enthusiasts.
The convenience these tech devices bring to our lives cannot be understated. Technology has developed so much in the past decade that we are flirting on the edges of science fiction. You may be considering rejuvenating your living space and you may want your own Tony Stark style home. But where to start?
There is a lot to choose from when it comes to smart homes, and it can be cumbersome to get them all working together. From voice enabled devices, to apps on your phone, technology can be overwhelming at times. While we won’t be able to tell you how to develop your own AI assistant voiced by Morgan Freeman, here are 3 ways to integrate smart home technology in your home.
- Get a voice-controlled assistant
Devices with Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Google’s Assistant are slowly becoming a centre piece in every home. Equipped with the ability to answer queries, give news briefings, as well as controlling music, voice-controlled assistants are very attractive for homeowners.
The great thing about assistants is the pure convenience they offer. Want to know what the weather is like today? Ask Alexa. Want to know how your sports team fared in their latest game? Ask Siri. Want an alarm set for the morning? Ask Google. Each device is equipped with a list of commands, allowing all your queries to be answered in incredible time.
Voice-controlled assistants are essentially the hub of every smart home. They can work in tandem with other smart devices, meaning you can pretty much control your entire home with your voice. Pretty cool, right?
Knowing which assistant to go with though can be complicated. They are all effective, with prices the main difference. If you already own an iPhone or an Apple-device, then you already have Siri in your back pocket. As for the others, Amazon offers an incredibly cheap device called the Echo Dot at $50. The bottom line is you can’t go too wrong with your choice, and you should research your options to find what’s best for you.
- Buy a smart thermostat
We all want to save money and with Christmas coming up, this need for penny-pinching is even higher. Central heating can get expensive, and if you forget to turn it off when you leave home, it can eat a big hole in your finances.
Luckily, smart thermostats can help you control your heating to blend an excellent balance between comfort and cost. The devices can help you set up a heating and cooling schedule based on when you are home. But perhaps even more high-tech, some devices come with sensors to detect when you are home, so the heating systems only turns on when you are there to feel the benefit.
Certain devices like the Ecobee4 even come with an integrated Amazon Echo smart speaker. Just like the voice-controlled assistant, this requires further research to find what’s best for you. But very soon you can turn your house into a perfectly heated, energy-saving masterpiece.
- Install a smart smoke detector
So, we’ve established how using smart home technology can make your lives easier, and your homes more cost-friendly, but what about safer?
Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can help you completely transform the safety of your home. Traditional detectors are effective because of their deafeningly loud alarms, but what if no one is home? To avoid catastrophe, companies like Nest Labs make excellent detectors that will send an alert straight to your smartphone.
Another benefit is some devices are equipped with emergency lighting, allowing you to traverse your home when vision is impaired by smoke. It’s an incredibly cool and helpful detector that every home should have.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to smart home living, with plenty of smart devices to completely redefine your home life and make an ultra-modern home. If you are interested in modern homes, check out RWinvest.
