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The latest innovations to make your property a smart home

How smart is your home? Do you embrace new technology and take pride in the way it makes your home a more comfortable place in which to live?

Even if that already plays a large part in your outlook and lifestyle, you might be surprised by just how far it is possible to go these days to make your home an even smarter place to live.

As PC Magazine put it in an article recently, it’s no longer simply a question of synchronising your computer with your smartphone, but connecting practically every gadget and device throughout your home – everything from clocks, to sound systems, lights to doorbells, security cameras to windows, curtains and their blinds, kitchen utensils to practically every other home appliance.

In the interconnectivity of the Internet of Things – the network that links your appliances and devices together to receive your instructions and to send you information – your home grows more automated and smarter.

Smart devices

So, what are some of these devices and gadgets that make your home smarter? Let’s take a brief look at how you can expand your connection to the Internet of Things:

Smart speakers

  • perhaps one of the simplest and most straight forward of smart devices is the smart speaker, which started out as just that – a wireless Bluetooth connection to your computer, tablet, or smartphone;
  • with the advent of services such as Alexa, Google Home, and Homekit, your smart speaker also becomes a virtual assistant, which you can command by voice alone;
  • typically, they are currently used to answer your questions by searching the internet, playing music, doing your online shopping, and setting audible reminders, explained The Smart Homer on the 19th of May 2020;
  • with just a little bit of work and technical know-how, however, you could use your virtual assistant smart speaker to control practically any device or appliance in your home – from simple things like turning the lights on or off to more sophisticated tuning of your home security system;

Video doorbells

  • a popular addition to your home security devices is the doorbell capable of capturing videos of your callers, sending the videos to your smartphone or remote computer, and allowing you to interact with whoever is at the door;
  • current models – such as the Ring Video Doorbell 2 – have enhanced video recording, alerts to your mobile phone, and the ability to see, hear and speak to visitors at your door in real-time;

Home security cameras

  • a notch up from the simple video doorbell and a tad more sophisticated is a home security outdoor camera – such as that offered by Arlo Ultra;
  • although the camera is relatively expensive, it gives you especially high-resolution video recording, intelligent motion detection and tracking, auto-zoom, colour night vision, 180º panoramic field of vision, and 6-month battery life (avoiding the hassle of cables and fixed wiring);

Smart lighting

  • you can turn your lights on and off, adjust their intensity and even change their colour tone with smart lighting systems – often connected to your voice commands through your Alexa, Google Home, or Homekit virtual assistant.

This is a bare handful of the most popular devices and appliances you might find in today’s smart home. There are many more. Indeed, the greater the interconnectivity of your gadgets through the Internet of Things, the more devices and appliances fall under your remote control, and the smarter your home.

Please note that these are examples of the types of smart devices that are available and are not recommendations.

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