New Tech For Your Home
May 10, 2018Are you ready to dive into the home of the future? Smart homes are no longer reserved for The Jetsons but are available for everyone! Discover how you can upgrade your home with new innovative gadgets.
VOICE-ENABLED ASSISTANT
Imagine walking into a room and dimming the lights, controlling the music, and turning on the air conditioner, all without touching a thing! With help from a voice-enabled speaker like Amazon Echo or Google Assistant, you can control your home with just a couple of words. Using a wake word (i.e., “Alexa” or “Hey Google”) you can deliver a command to your device. From building shopping lists to regulating the temperature, a voice assistant can transform your house into a smart home.
SMART BULBS
Unsure if a smart home is for you? Test the waters with a couple of smart bulbs. These handy devices offer you more than just light and can transform your home with only a couple twists to the right! With the help of an app—or a voice assistant—you can control a variety of settings including brightness, colour, and even music! Other smart bulbs are designed to double as WiFi repeaters and security cameras. If you are looking to bring your home into the 21st century; smart bulbs are the perfect place to start.
WIFI-ENABLED COFFEE
For those who are serious about their coffee, there’s an app for that! If you’re looking to upgrade your old coffee machine, it might be time to pick up a smart brewer. A perfect addition to your kitchen, a WiFi-enabled coffee machine allows you customize your caffeine schedule. Have your morning brew ready at 7 am on weekdays, but set it for 9 am on weekends. All you have to worry about is adding the beans and water!
SMART PLUGS
Why not upgrade your “dumb” appliances with smart plugs! Insert the smart plug into the socket and then add your device. Using the app, you will be able to control the power to the appliance from anywhere in the world! Here you can pre-heat you curling iron in the morning or set your Christmas tree on a scheduled timer! Smart plugs are a great way to have peace of mind while you’re on vacation. Just check the app and make sure everything is “off.”
UNIVERSAL REMOTE
Those who have a robust home theatre setup are no stranger to the sea of remotes that come with operating the system. Rather than constantly confusing controllers and button mashing in hopes of changing the channel, it’s time to downsize to a universal remote. In addition to controlling your TV and audio system, a universal remote can manage your other smart home devices. Some of the remotes even allow you to control Netflix with your voice!
ROBOTIC MOWER
We’ve all seen the robot vacuums but did you know there are robot lawn mowers? Forget about sweating it out in the sun; it’s time to automate your least favourite summer chore. You can program cutting height, manage a mowing schedule, or start and stop the device all from your mobile. Like it’s indoor counterpart a robot mower has a series of sensors that help the machine navigate obstacles, so your flowerbeds and lawn gnomes are safe. An automated lawnmower relies on a dock to charge and if it senses a low battery—or inclement weather—it returns home and will continue working later.
SMART FRIDGE
You stick everything from grocery lists to the family schedule on the fridge—it is the unofficial hub of your home. Don’t let your fridge be left behind! A smart fridge can create shopping lists, notify you of upcoming expiration dates, and with help from built-in cameras you can see inside it when your out shopping. Why not coordinate schedules, notify family members on their phones, or get recipe suggestions based on your preferences. A smart fridge really is the ultimate smart home upgrade!