These days we can permanently be online as more and more devices in our homes come with an internet connection. We are in the process of making our homes smarter. While we are yet a long way from having homes that will do our every bidding, we are getting closer to the point when even small, mundane objects will be working smarter to make our lives that little bit easier.
Whether you just want a home that knows when to make the temperature toasty but not waste fuel unnecessarily or you want a complete overhaul and really make your home work for you then here are some of the things you can currently try:
One big problem when making your home smarter is that often devices made by different manufacturers won’t talk to each other. You can now purchase a Samsung SmartThings hub that will attempt to solve the issue by connecting devices so they will all be singing from the same hymn sheet so to speak. The hub can become a control centre which will turn things on and off and work on combinations of actions including anything from lighting to coffee making.
You can also make your lighting work for you by replacing switches with smart plugs or by making the actual bulb smart. Smart bulbs can change colour, dim and react to certain events. As you approach the house, the lights can turn on or have them activate when you open the front door. All you need to do is replace your current bulb with a hue bulb and you can program it from your smartphone.
How about installing a thermostat that learns to recognise your daily routines? It will adjust to your patterns automatically and can be controlled with a phone or hooked up to other devices. Once set up, it is very independent and you won’t need much interaction with it as it’s a simple, easy replacement for a traditional thermostat. For a Home Automation System, visit http://digitalinteriors.co.uk/.
One of the most impressive futuristic devices that make our homes smarter is the Amazon Echo. This is a voice activated speaker that connects you to a virtual assistant who will help you with anything from timers, weather information, news headlines or playing your favourite music. All you need to do is speak her name and she will answer your commands. The Echo will also connect to other devices in your home such as the automatic thermostat so you can ask her to adjust the heating for you. Connect her to the smart lighting and she will also obey these commands. All of a sudden your home will feel really futuristic.
So if you think it’s about time that your home started to work a bit more efficiently and a lot smarter then maybe consider installing a variety of smart options. We all have a number of devices that have wifi or bluetooth but rarely do we know how to connect them all to get the best experience.
