The tech in the home revolution
Before the smartphone was introduced to the world in 1992, there was no way of knowing that one day, its uses would range from causing food to magically appear at a few taps of a piece of glass, to providing solutions to problems we didn’t even know we had. Beyond allowing us to tailor some added wit into our replies in conversation, create custom calendars with designated “spontaneity” time and navigate the treacherous waters of the WhatsApp group chat, smartphones have now introduced an entirely new way of living. Step aside Jettsons family, you’ve been outdone.
It is thanks to the smartphone and the connectivity it allows that we can now, from the comfort of our couches, adjust the temperature of the house without having to fight over the thermostat, get a fresh coffee brewing as the room slowly changes from a soft blue hue to a warming orange, and order a copy of Tolstoy’s War and Peace that we are probably never going to finish.
That one friend showing up at all the parties
One of the most popular smart home devices in 2018 is the Amazon Echo, retailing from £89.99. Gently guiding our hands into the era of the smart home, Alexa allows you to order food, play music, simply ask a question out loud to look up interesting facts on the internet so that you don’t get stuck watching cat videos for 3 hours, and even lock the front door because your hands were too full from buying groceries instead of ordering them online. Talking to yourself was never as useful as it is now that we all have Alexa™ in our lives.
Starting off, setting the mood and skirting chores
The range of devices available today are enough to tempt even the fiercest luddite. Whether you’re just starting off with a Samsung ‘SmartThings Starter Kit’, or you’ve moved on to the top-rated Philips Hue colour changing bulbs, or you’ve purchased a new family pet in the form of the Irobot Roomba 980 you’ve named “Ronny”, there is still a large variety of tech in the home products left to explore.
For those who enjoy peace of mind
For security concerns, Yale have impressed with their ‘Conexis L1 Smart Door Lock’, which can fully negate your need for a key. The ‘NetGear Arlo Q’ offers 1080p HD video, night vision, 2-way audio and even access to free cloud storage. Between Ronny and the NetGear Arlo Q, your family Labrador Daisy, can get back to not chewing your most valuable pair of loafers.
Cutting costs and saving the planet
Of ever-increasing importance is the need for drastic changes in the face of rising climate-change. But despite us all knowing this, it can sometimes be difficult to see what more we can do as individuals. Luckily, products such as the ‘Nest Learning Thermostat’ and the ‘Netatmo Smart Home Weather Station’ allow us to not only save money, but to be a part of making our world more sustainable as the system learns our behaviour and patterns and adjusts accordingly, but even to measure the pollution levels of your home, both inside and out.
Make it count
The average smartphone user touches their phone 2,617 times a day. Why not use some of those to streamline your day to day living enough that you have time to actually make it all the way through your copy of War and Peace?
