Smart Homes for Newbies

“Hey Google, how do I turn my home into a smart home? Hey Google, search smart home ideas.”

Google Home doesn’t respond because you don’t have a Google Home

Do you feel lost when it comes to smart home and home automation technology?

Here’s an easy guide for newbies on some of the more popular smart home technologies.

Smart Speakers

Smart speakers provide sound and audio around the house, but they also come equipped with a digital assistant. Some of the most popular digital assistants include Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, JoshAI and Google’s Cortana.

This means that your smart speaker can serve as a central information source (weather, dictionary, traffic, directions, etc…), as well as serve as a ‘home assistant’ that can provide control of common household tasks, such as environmental control (thermostat), lighting, door locks, window shades, security monitoring, and more.

For example, Josh AI is a smart speaker that uses voice control to allow users to control their home’s devices and appliances. It can be used to turn lights on and off, adjust the thermostat, lock and unlock doors, and play music. Josh AI can also be used to control security cameras, garage doors, and other smart home devices.

Smart Bulbs

Smart lights are probably one of the easiest ways to smarten up your home. They are energy efficient which save you money in the long run.

Smart bulbs have lots of features, letting you do things like dim them and turn them on and off with your voice (when paired with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri).

You can group bulbs together to have your whole home under a single control. You can also set up routines. For example, announcing “movie time” will turn off the main lights and dim the others.

Another option with smart lighting is scheduling. You can have your bulbs turn on at set times, or when you’re not home. Some will even mimic your patterns using AI or flicker like someone’s watching TV, to give the impression someone’s in the home.

Smart Outlets

Smart plugs are extremely versatile and allow you to control almost any device with a phone or smart speaker.

A smart plug is like a power adapter – it fits between your power socket and the appliance you wish to plug in. At its most basic level, it simply turns things on and off. But, when connected to a smart home platform, it can take your smart home to a whole new level.

Set up properly, you can set schedules for your smart plugs so you can turn appliances on and off at set times and on specific days. Some smart plugs also go one step further and collect information about how much energy the appliance connected through it is using.

Smart Thermostats

A smart thermostat will make your house more comfortable, and will also save you money through long-term savings in energy costs. If you have children, you know that thermostats can end up costing us a fortune if it isn’t set right, or if someone messes with it.

Heating and cooling account for nearly half of your home’s energy costs. Smart thermostats offer more control over your home’s temperature and climate, therefore saving you more on your energy bill.

Smart Locks

Smart locks remove a mental burden you probably don’t even realize you have. Leave the house and forget your keys? You can get back in without them. Leave the house and forget to lock the door? It locked itself. Come home with an armload of groceries and can’t figure out which pocket your keys are in? It’s already unlocked.

Smart locks can also let you issue one time access codes to friends and family, automatically open for you if they detect your paired smartphone, and add an extra layer of security to your home.

Smart locks offer convenience and security that you can’t get from a regular door lock. They can make you feel like you live in the days when no one had to lock their doors without having to worry about coming home and being robbed.

Smart Security Cameras

Smart security cameras allow you to check on your house, pet, or family members from any location. Today’s cameras are equipped with smart and proactive security features to make home surveillance stress-free and simple.

You can use both indoor and outdoor security cameras to give you peace of mind.

Are you looking to smarten up your home? Contact us and we can help you get started.