5 Smart Home Appliances You Should Be Buying
Smart Home Appliances: What Are They?
Don’t know what a “smart” appliance is? Rest assured, you probably already do.
Back when the iPhone first came out, people began to recognize a new category of phone: the smart phone. What was the differentiating factor? There aren’t any hard rules, but having advanced processing capabilities and Internet connectivity is crucial.
When smart TVs hit the market, the same held true. These TVs could do more than just watch an incoming television feed. They could hook into a home network, connect to devices over Bluetooth, download and run apps, and some of the newer models even have built-in webcams.
See the pattern? Smart appliances are cutting edge models that can connect to the Internet and perform more advanced tasks than traditional appliances. Whatexactly can they do? Well, that depends on the particular model at hand. Let’s take a look at some of the more useful smart appliances currently available.
Nest Thermostat ($250)
The Nest Thermostat is one of the best smart home products for saving electricity. It’s amazing how much money and energy we leak on a daily basis, but the Nest Thermostat can take care of that for you. But that’s not all because it also learns your personal preferences for temperature and adjusts accordingly. A truly smart appliance!
For something so useful, it’s also quite simple. There are only two functions – turn temperature up, turn temperature down – and based on when you make those changes, Nest will record and remember what you like. It’s all automatic and after a while you won’t even remember you have a thermostat. How awesome is that?
SONTE Smart Film (N/A)
On the topic of heating and cooling, there’s one more recent invention that you ought to get: Smart Film by SONTE. Also known as digital shade, this amazing product sits on your windows and automatically adjusts between transparent and non-transparent according to the amount of light passing through.
When it’s sunny, it grows dark and blocks out light, which also mitigates excess from entering your home and keeps your temperature down. Then again, using an Android or iOS app, you can manually override the shading levels. It even blocks UV rays, protecting your inner home from UV damage.
The best part is that Smart Film doesn’t require any special windows or frames. It works on any glass surface, so it doesn’t even have to be used for windows. Unfortunately, Smart Film isn’t ready for sale yet. Sign up on their newsletter to know more about its release.
SkyBell Video Doorbell ($200)
The SkyBell isn’t a particularly new concept in itself, but the execution of it is borderline flawless. What is it? A compact doorbell with a built-in camera feed that you can tap into with your smartphone. For all intents and purposes, it allows you to see through the eyes of your doorbell.
No matter where you are – at home, at work, or out in the wilderness – SkyBell will instantly notify your smartphone whenever anybody rings your doorbell. You can see who they are through the camera, but even more than that, you can speak directly with them!
The SkyBell can trigger based on motion alone and the camera has night vision capabilities, so it can even act as an impromptu security camera. Lastly, its robust build can withstand temperatures from -40F to 150F, which pretty much covers most livable conditions. If you aren’t using a SkyBell yet, what are you waiting for?
August Smart Lock ($200)
Encrypted keys are integral for digital security, but with the August Smart Lock you can use the power of encryption to lock your front door. The Smart Lock is more flexible than a traditional lock and gives you complete control over who has access.
At will, you can create additional keys. These keys can be valid forever or they can be timed, allowing you to grant someone access to your house for just a few hours. The built-in logging function tracks all access attempts and these logs are viewable remotely.
It’s not out yet, but the Smart Lock will be available later this year for a modest price. You can pre-order at their website and reserve one from their second production batch. Get them while you can! In the meantime, check out more smart locks to replace your regular dumb locks at home.
Whirlpool Smart Washer and Dryer ($1400)
What possible benefit could there be to a smart washer-and-dryer combo? You load in your clothes, toss in a bit of detergent, and let it go. When it’s done, you switch it over to the dryer. Save for the possibility of self-loading washers and auto-transferring dryers, is there room for “smartness” here?
A bit, yeah. Whirlpool has a washer-and-dryer combo that incorporates their 6th Sense Live technology that allows you to stay updated on progress even when you’re away from home. You can start loads remotely, get alerted when cycles complete, and even be reminded for optimal maintenance.
On top of that, the Smart Energy feature can track and display how much energy is being used so you know the best way to conserve electricity and money. At $1400 each, it’s a steep price to pay for extra convenience, but that convenience adds up in the long run.
All of this is just scratching the surface. Check out these awesome smart home products on Kickstarter and back the ones that you find most compelling. If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, consider taking on one of thesesmart home DIY projects for the weekend.
Do you believe in smart home products? Will you be trying any of these in your own home? If you’ve already used one before, please share your experience with us in the comments! We’d love to hear about it. Source: www.makeuseof.com
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