Smart Devices: Working towards a ‘Smarter’ tomorrow
Gone are the days of the clap activated lights were the smartest things in the house. Now, you have your own voice activated assistants that change the song, tell you the temperature, add juice to the shopping list and even switch off the lights. Lights with voice activation, virtual assistants and artificial intelligence for everyday life was still a household dream a few year back, but the strong lunge by tech giants Google and Amazon has thrusted the race to offer the best Smart Home Device.
In the simplest of terms, devices that enable you to turn your home into a voice-activated or app-controlled automated hub are categorized under Smart Home Devices. If you want to keep an eye on your pets with a remote camera, set an alarm with your voice or even control the air conditioner with an application, then these devices are made just for you. Whilst 2017 saw the rise of Google’s ‘Home’ and Amazon’s ‘Echo’ smart speaker, a new flurry of devices are being offered to users in 2018. Below are some of the appliances which are seeing the most development in this arena.
# Smart Doorbells
If you wish to take your home security to a next level, a smart doorbell is a perfect gadget for you. That is because smart doorbells offered today are equipped with features such as live video streaming, Wi-Fi enabled application support, two-way communication, HD video storage and many others. Many new Smart Doorbells also have the option to be integrated with Amazon’s smart assistant Alexa and Google’s Nest. Like other smart devices, smart doorbells come with an application through which the device can be integrated into your home. The applications are loaded with features you can use and you can choose them as per your requirement and desire.
SkyBell HD Smart Doorbell- Image Source: CNET
Skybell HD Smart Doorbell is one of the most popular product among its kinds. The SkyBell HD Wi-Fi enabled Video Doorbell comes forward with motion sensors and 1080p video display and recording, through which users can re-watch previous videos. The Vivint Doorbell Camera allows the user to have a two way communication with the visitor, and you don’t have to worry about storage space as it is equipped with cloud storage. On the other hand, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro has enhanced motion detection and a small device size. It also enables users to share high definition videos, making it one of the most innovative doorbells out there.
Smart Doorbells are an answer to the question ‘What can I do to make my home extra secure?’ In this age of technology, there are a lot of options available in multiple shapes and sizes and prices and a Smart Doorbell will surely make your home more secure.
# Smart Thermostats
Thermostats are widely used around the world for both residential and commercial consumptions. It was not long before the ‘Smart’ market hit thermostats as well. When the smart thermostat ‘first-gen Nest Learning Thermostat’ was unveiled in 2011, it ignited the world’s interest in a market that was previously overlooked. All of a sudden, thermostats were not just simple devices to change the temperature, they were a smart device that could be integrated with a mobile application. Although there are a lot of smart thermostats available in the market, all with their own innovative features, they all have focused on the energy efficient and customizable theme as the core idea.
Ecobee 4- Image Source: Ecobee
Emerson Sensi is one of the most basic smart thermostats available. It can be integrated with Amazon Alexa and controls your room temperature efficiently. On the other hand, the Ecobee 4 Smart Thermostat comes with a proximity sensor and native mobile and web applications. It can also be integrated with Apple Home kit, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT. It can also be incorporated into Amazon Alexa, but instead of just an integration, the Ecobee 4 itself is an Amazon Speaker. The Google Nest E is Google’s entry level thermostat that uses plastic components rather than metal to provide all the features to the users at a lower price.
These smart thermostats are the perfect upgrade for your home and can help you begin your journey on converting your home into a smart one.
# Smart Lights
Lights Bulbs have come a long way from just being a simple source of light. Smart light bulbs have seen exponential growth in the past few years and as time goes, it is expected to increase even more. Now you can control the lights of your house with just a tap of a button. Too bright, too dim, too blue, too white, all things can be changed with the tap on your smartphone or tablet and you are all set.
There are smart bulbs which stay just white but provide you the ability to increase or decrease their intensity. One such product is Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit. It is the beginning of what smart looks like. Armed with a pair of soft and simple looking white light monochrome bulbs, the Starter Kit still has a lot to offer. A Hue Bridge, the heart of the smart system of Philips Smart lighting is also included in the kit. You can control these lights with a smartphone and they can be integrated with a number of third-party services as the more expensive models of the Hue line-up. These include Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, Nest Learning Thermostat, Amazon’s Alexa and many more.
Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit- Image Source: JohnLewis
There are multiple other Smart Lights which not only change intensity, but can also give you the control of changing their colors.
# Google Home
The Smart Roommate from Google, Google Assistant is surely one roommate that you will not resent. It will not only help you in your tasks but will not leave the dishes in the sink like other roommates. Google Home, the home of Smart Speakers developed by Google comes along with the Google Assistant. The first device was released in May 2016 and it has been on a roll ever since. These speakers allow users to use voice commands to connect with Google Assistant and go through services it has to offer. Google Home speakers offer multiple services, both in-house and third-party, which enable the users to listen to their favourite songs, go through news updates and play old photos and videos through multiple voice commands. Google Home devices extend support to other devices to create a Smart Home ecosystem, allowing users to control other smart appliances with their voice. Ever since its release, Google Home has been receiving a flurry of updates catering to the ever growing needs of the users.
Image Source: CNET
While it cannot be considered the best in its category, Google Home is still an amazing buy. It can help you set up your whole day by giving you a weather forecast, traffic, your reminders, events and even upcoming flight status. Also, it has Bluetooth and Cast support to play any audio of your choice. Google Home is not only a speaker but it can also control your television. If you have a chromecast, you can just use voice commands to seamlessly control your TV. Always remember, ‘OK Google’ are the magic words to use.
# Amazon Echo
When Amazon introduced its first smart speaker in 2014, the world accepted it with open arms. A futuristic speaker sitting right there on your bookshelf and can be activated with your voice. Since then, both Amazon and Echo have come a long way and but have not left the original idea that they started wit. The new updates also have Alexa, the virtual assistant from Amazon, which can do much more than just playing your favourite songs. Developers can develop the so called ‘Alexa skills’ to make their websites/apps accessible on Echo. SquareBoat is one of the companies which has been at the forefront of this technology. A recent example of this is ‘Virtual Coins’, powered by SquareBoat, this Alexa skill lets users ask Alexa for the latest Bitcoin price with just a voice command. The same expertise was reciprocated for LBB’s Alexa skill, which let’s users use some of LBB’s website’s features on Alexa. Now one can simply ask Alexa to check LBB for things like “What’s new in Delhi” and “What it recommends”.
Image Source: PC Mag
Amazon even introduced a feature which lets you call and message other Alexa users, along with Alexa being able to control select smart televisions. Echo allows you to stream music and podcasts from multiple applications and allow you to tailor your news sources for a better experience. Most importantly, Echo and Alexa can be used to control compatible Smart Home appliances to create a Smart Home environment. These appliances can include lights, door locks and thermostats.
Amazon Echo is a futuristic device which has made its way into this decade. A state of the art Smart Device, Amazon Echo equipped with Alexa is the only thing you will need for a lot of tasks. It is perfect at what it does and the updates are making it even better. It may look a bit expensive but it will be a worthy futuristic upgrade for your Smart Home.
