There are numerous gadgets available in the market today to improve the quality of your life. But what is worth investing in always poses a question. Check our top pick of smart devices you need in your life.
The quarantine of 2020 had us all stuck at home and, therefore, more dependent on appliances like television, cooking gadgets, and everything little thing that would make the phase even faintly comfortable. The market is flooded with such devices, now more than ever, that could be connected to the internet and accessed with just a click, no matter where you are. These smart devices not just incorporate computers and mobile phones but almost everything from clocks, cameras, windows to even lights and doorbells. Furthermore, apart from taking commands, they also communicate with you, providing you with all the necessary information and stats.
If there’s one thing that we most definitely learned during the lockdown, it’s that taking care of one’s house and maintaining it is not easy, especially if it’s someone with a work-from-home schedule. We bring you a list of smart appliances that could help you manage the house like a pro without having to put in tons of effort –
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Smart Thermostat
Are you also tired of manually setting your old and bulky thermostat’s temperature, which often is not reliable? Or having to get up every time to use the setting dial bothers you? If so, it is time you switch to the convenience of a smart thermostat. Though they are pricier than your standard thermostat, it’s all value for money. It is easy to use, install, and also saves you on the electricity bill. If you’re still not convinced, we have loads of other benefits too –
- Less error – they hugely reduce the potential men-made errors. And, not only understand your habits, schedules, and heating preferences but also adjust the temperature according to the time of the day all by themselves. Due to this regulated shift in their temperature settings, there is little to no energy wastage.
- Convenience – you don’t have to manually adjust the temperature settings every time you feel a little too cold or hot; control every function with an app’s help on your smartphones or through the LED touch screen several smart thermostat features. It even lets you access the weather forecast and adjusts the settings while you’re away from home.
- Energy-saving and easy to use – smart monitoring systems of these devices take notes of your energy consumption and show you areas you can save energy in. Moreover, their self-adjusting temperature ability makes it so that no unnecessary energy is wasted. They also have a user-friendly interface with an easy step by step guide to save you the installation fee.
The Bottom line
The smart thermostat is a brilliant investment overall. They are also compatible with other devices and feature many other options for a perfect home.
Smart Speakers
Lockdown was hard for everyone, but even more so for someone who lives alone. One desires assistance, company, or just someone who would listen to us and maybe play us our favorite music when we feel alone. Thanks to the advancements in technology, we can get all that and more with a smart speaker.
This little voice-activated device features a virtual assistant, helping you out with multiple tasks like – setting reminders and alarms, answer to all your questions, helping you control other connected devices at home, letting you know the weather forecast, playing you your favorite playlist, or radio station as you cook, and much more.
This intelligent virtual assistant recognizes your voice, processes it, and responds to your commands. You must have heard of some of these popular voice recognition technologies, like Siri by Apple, Google assistant by Google, Alexa by Amazon, etc. All get activated when you say out their name, like ‘Hey Siri.’ They even learn your accents and vocabulary as you talk to give a better response each time. Smart speakers like ‘nest hub max’ moreover also provide you with a display screen to handle it all better, fantastic, right?
The Bottom line
These smart speakers assist you in almost every way, from daily chores to scheduling appointments. If you continuously feel like you need someone who can guide you through all these activities and ease the efforts you have to put in, this affordable smart gadget is the one.
Smart Light Bulbs
Perhaps the most convenient way to change how your house shines is to switch your regular LEDs with a smart bulb like Philips hue, etc. Control the lighting with an app’s help on your smartphone, adjust it when you work, and switch them off without compromising your comfort. These smart bulbs have multiple other benefits like –
- It can be controlled from anywhere – schedule the time they turn on even when you aren’t home, and never come home to a dark room.
- Dimming – you can dim the lights without having to install a dimmer switch.
- Color your life – light bulbs that can change colors, now that sounds fun. Many LED’s let you control the hue as per your mood, ranging from a few colors to even millions in some. Your home party night no longer has to be full of monochromatic tones, and neither do the colors of your walls.
- Sleep better – many bulbs are designed in a way that could directly improve the quality of your sleep.
The Bottom line
Several smart bulbs offer many more features than those mentioned above, as some even play music; okay, I need to buy one. On a serious note, these smart little bulbs are not just fancy but very much practical, seeing how advanced the world has become.
Smart Plugs
If you wish to keep things simple, try smart plugs. They let you turn an existing system of lighting into one that can be controlled from anywhere. And, some of these plugs even show you reports on energy consumption. They are equally easy to install and remove as well.
Smart Switches
Somewhere in the middle of a smart bulb and plugs comes in a smart switch. It is not a controllable app device but almost like your regular wall switch. The difference being the functions like dimming and remote-controlled switches, etc.
Smart Home Security Systems
There can be no compromises whatsoever when it comes to the security of one’s home. No matter where you are, home or not, the feeling of being safe and sound in the space is not something that can be overlooked or be carelessly handled. You can choose to invest in a complete home security system or even opt for individual devices like smart locks, etc., for the task.
There are multiple ranges of smart security devices like ‘Arlo pro’ available today to ensure your safety day in and out. Let’s have a look at some of these smart installation you must consider –
Video Doorbells
These smart doorbells help you know who is at the door without having to face the risk of opening it for a stranger. You do not even have to be close to the door; the wi-fi network makes it so that you get an alert every time someone approaches the doorway. They also record the video when someone presses the doorbell or even when it detects motion. Furthermore, its two-way communication lets you contact the visitor with your mobile phone’s help. These devices are easy to install and are often compatible with other devices at home.
Many smart doorbells also offer features like night vision, cloud storage, high resolution, etc., so make sure you pick the one that suits you and all your needs well.
Security Cameras
Both indoor and outdoor security cameras work efficiently in keeping tabs on what’s going on while you’re not around at an affordable cost. These smart security cameras connect to the wi-fi giving you access to live video on your tablets or smartphones. Their built-in sensors also send in notifications whenever their motion and sound sensors are triggered. You can also create a scheduled power on and tweak sensitivity to prevent false alarms just because of a pet. Many outdoor cameras have night vision, cloud storage, and weatherproof build for greater convenience.
The Bottom line
Security investments are always a smart choice. Though they are not 100% safe and like any other security system, these devices can be broken into or hacked. They are much more secure and convenient than the regular safety tools we use.
Conclusion
The surge in the smart appliance market can be seen as the beginning of the new era. From devices like smart lawnmowers to automatic pet feeders, almost every little thing we use daily is available in a better and automated format. You can also connect all these different devices using a system like ‘ apple homekit’ to handle them all better. These gadgets are no longer a luxury today but are required in every aspect of one’s life as they make it easy to manage everything and lets you focus on other important things in life.
