Nowadays it seems like everything we do can be controlled remotely so it’s no surprise there has been an influx of new devices that enable us to control our homes. With the help of a smartphone, homes become welcoming and truly “smart,” as they can adapt to different variables and are monitored from afar.
From lights, to speakers, to baby monitors, to sprinklers, you can control it all from the coffee shop down the street, the school pick up line, or baggage claim. Your otherwise normal home now welcomes you with open arms, with everything just as you’d like it.
Basecamp
Before setting up a smart home, begin with a control room. Using your smartphone and control systems such as the Yonomi app and the Logitech Harmony Hub you can manage all your devices from one console. “With so many devices, the home becomes more connected but more complicated where it can feel like a full-time job taking care of your things,” states Yonomi co-founder and CEO Kent Dickson. “Yonomi gets all of your home devices to work together in one simple app. You can quickly and easily set up automated ‘routines’ to make your life easier and more comfortable.”
Think of Yonomi as an IFTTT recipe for your smart home. This free app easily connects and schedules sequences of routines to make your home operate as if you were there.
Vacation peace of mind
When you’re away, ease your mind by monitoring the smoke detectors with the Nest Protect Smoke Detector and make sure things are as secure as you left them with the Quirky Tripper Door and Window Sensors. You can look in on your pets with the Belkin WeMo Netcam and even monitor how much water your lawn is getting with the Quirky Overflow Water Sensor.
Easy access
Don’t fumble with your keys in the rain or easily let the dog walker in everyday at 2. With the August Smart Lock, your doors unlock at the push of a button. You never have to worry about getting a key made again, as access can be granted and revoked easily, and visits can be tracked, all on your smart phone.
Ambiance
Never come home to a cold dark, quiet home, again. With Cree, GE Link, or Phillips HUE lights your lamps become automated and your home warms up in time for your return with the help of the Nest Thermostat. Schedule your music to play or the TV to be on and tuned to your favorite show with tools like the Sonos Play and the Belkin WeMo Switch.
Monitor Your everyday
Even the smallest of tasks become automated and monitored with smart devices. Know when to water your house plants with the Parrot Flower Power, check in on your baby when out on date night with the Mimo baby monitor, and make sure dinner is ready on time with Belkin Wemo enabled Crock-Pot.
#SmartDevices
Megan Noel, a veteran ex-educator with a PhD in Early Childhood Education, enjoys researching life through the eyes of her two young children, while writing about her family’s adventures on IndywithKids.com. With a nearly a decade in small business and marketing, this freelance writer spends most evenings pouring over new ideas and writing articles, while indulging in good food and better wine.
