Regardless if you are living in a comfy home in Columbus or a swanky furnished apartment in Los Angeles, we can all use some Smart Home tech to make our lives easier. With all other options out there, it’s hard to know what is a good purchase and what might be eye candy. Here’s a quick overview of what the Smart Tech is and how it has evolved and what could work for you.
It’s good to know what Smart Tech is. A smart tech device, as the name suggests, is an electronic gadget that can connect, share & interact with their users and other smart systems around them. Smart systems are interactive electronic gadgets that can understand simple commands given by users and help them in their activities. There are some most commonly used smart devices can be found in most households, such as smartphones, tablets, phablets, smartwatches, and other personal electronics. Due to the nature of the items, initial cost – and cost to repair, you should always have gadget insurance too.
We tend to think of smart devices as small, portable personal electronics. However, they are defined by their ability to connect to a network to share and interact remotely. Many TV sets and refrigerators are also, therefore, considered smart devices. And for some having a smart fridge might be taking things too far or to the extreme, it does give a good indication of the breadth of the topic though.
More efficient Smart Home technology provides homeowners with security, comfort, energy efficiency, and convenience. A Smart Home residence usually have lighting, home appliances, water heater, TV, AC, audio and video systems or home theatre, laptop and cameras also home security systems that can communicate with each other and be remotely controlled from any place in the home, as well as remotely from any location via smartphones or internet. And although most smart devices don’t need that much bandwidth, you will need a steady and reliable always-on internet connection and home network.
There is plenty about new Smart Home solutions that felt like Smart Tech for the sake of Smart Tech. At the start, most people would look at a Smart Tech or Internet of Things (IoT) device and think: “cool, but what is its use?” And they would be right, as with any new tech you will have to stretch the expectations a bit before getting to the good stuff. More recently, Smart Tech has indeed come into its own with more purposeful solutions. Before you start assembling your smart home, you should think about which smart home ecosystem you want to build off. Here are some famous home ecosystem Apple HomeKit, Google Home & Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, the Amazon Alexa platform, IFTTT, ZigBee, Z-Wave, and many more (and counting).
The choice might be simpler than that: you can also consider the ecosystem that you’re already plugged. Eg., avid Android owners might have good luck with Google Home rather than with an Amazon Echo/ Apple’s HomePod. On the contrary, those need quick and easy ways to order things online might prefer the Amazon Echo. Once you picked the right ecosystem, you can start building your new Smart Home. And this is where things start getting complex. Start your smart home journey, or ultimately create the home of the future; you will have to figure out what kind of Smart Homeowner you are.
You could go for the home stylist Smart Home, which means smart lights, smart blinds, stylish mirrors, smart speakers, anything that gives your house that futuristic look and feel. Usually, it comes with a minimalist design of your interior as well. All things will be electric, and a Tesla car won’t look out of place in the driveway.
Others opt for smart security tech. From smart locks to smart security cameras and doorbells, you can feel safer in your home. Also, smart smoke detectors are a good option for those who want to make the home safer.
You could also opt for the convenience of smart tech. It means smart appliances that can start your coffee, cooking, laundry remotely, even when you’re not at home. Washing machines that dose their detergent can be remotely controlled and will buzz you when the laundry is done? That’s convenience tech.
And finally, there is an eco-friendly smart tech. It is all about smart thermostats, power plugs, and learning systems. Having machine learning and intelligent devices manage your heating, and electric usage can be a significant cost saver in the long run, and it’s good for the environment too. It is when smart tech becomes a genius tech.
