Have you ever wondered how far are we from having a completely automated life?
This is closer than you think. In 2021, there were 258.54 million smart homes across the world. Having an automated home can bring a lot of benefits. Forgot to lock your door or to turn off the stove? You’re Smart Home has our back. The definition of a smart home consists of a group of devices and appliances that the homeowner can remotely control via smartphone, computer, tablet, etc., it doesn’t matter where you are.
Nevertheless, not many people know the important aspects of smart homes. That’s why in this article we gathered experts in automated homes and devices to give you the best insights to encourage yourself and others to transform your home.
Q: What are the most benefits of smart thermostats compared to a regular one?
Smart thermostats can bring much more comfort and energy savings than non-programmable and programmable thermostats. Smart thermostats give you the ability to get the right temperature at the right time without lifting a finger or heating at total capacity all the time. This is all thanks to many smart features like geofencing, automation, scenes, and compatibilities with voice assistants. Some apps will even provide charts to track your energy consumption and savings.
A smart thermostat pays for itself in only a couple of years. If you’re building a new home or condo, it’s definitely something you should look into, especially considering the price difference. And if you’re upgrading your home – it’s a nice addition that you will love.
Désirée Larocque | Sinopé
Q: What needs to be considered when buying a robot vacuum to ensure it is the right one for you?
Don’t get obsessed over suction power or battery life. What really matters is that the robot gets used frequently. Robot vacuums are like the tortoise (not the hare). They work best when they can be deployed every single day, slowly and consistently cleaning. Your robot vacuum should have an app that allows you to create a schedule for daily cleanings (mine does its job every night while I’m sleeping). In addition, a strong mapping system (VSLAM technology) with the ability to create no-go zones will keep it out of trouble. Once scheduling and mapping are in place, the only intervention needed from you is to empty the dustbin. Some models have auto-empty dustbins which allow your robot vacuum to operate for a month or more without any intervention from you.
Eric Blank | The Smart Cave
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to create a home assistant dashboard?
When creating a smart home dashboard, you first need to determine what you want to achieve with it. Because a truly smart home is (almost) fully automated, so the dashboard is only there to inform and help you. There is really no need to control each individual light bulb from your dashboard, instead, you want to see the status of your smart home at a glance and be able to select different scenes for your lighting. Keep in mind that less is more when creating a dashboard.
Rudy Mens | LazyAdmin
Q: How do smart indoor gardening units works?
An indoor smart garden kit is like what the name suggests, a tech gardening appliance that is controlled by a PC or App. Their size makes them ideal for indoor use. Essentially, the device provides self-watering, artificial light, and nutrients to the plant. Most are super easy to use and sport a small footprint. More importantly, there is no messy soil, the seeds are provided in biodegradable pods inserted into the wi-fi-electric powered unit, and the water reservoir is filled. That’s it.
Smart garden kits are very popular among apartment dwellers and busy people, as they take up little to no space and they are practically self-sufficient. And of course, if your thumb isn’t a bright green, these devices do all the gardening work for you.
David Novak | Gadgetgram
Q: What part does a router play in home automation?
A router can enable you to monitor and control your home from a computer, tablet, or phone anywhere in the world. It connects all of your devices to the internet. This allows you to monitor and control any device that is connected to your network from an app on your smartphone or from a website on your computer. Thus, for home automation to occur, you need the internet and the router is the unheralded device in the home automation process since it connects the home automation gadgets to the internet for ease in monitoring and control using either voice commands or through manual input.
Aloise | Technology Reviewer
Q: How do you keep track of all the logins for smart devices and keep them secure?
Smart devices are great, but they are a potential security risk, and keeping track of the login information for each one can be a hassle. Thankfully, there is a simple and safe solution – password managers.
A password manager stores your login information securely, encrypting the data so that only you and the people you share it with have access. Many are designed for individuals, while others make sharing passwords with friends, family, and coworkers a breeze. Good ones generate unique passwords that are nearly impossible to crack. For homes, a password manager that allows users to store private information and share joint logins work best. And those that can be accessed through a browser or mobile app are even better. That way, everyone in your smart home can get the access they need when they need it.
Tony Caccavo | TeamPassword
Q: How Smart Sprinklers works?
To replace your traditional irrigation system, you can now use Smart Sprinklers. These are smart irrigation controls with advanced sensors used to water your plant in the most efficient way. These systems use weather apps to get accurate information and to adjust accordingly. This will prevent the sprinklers from running when nature takes over the job of watering your garden. They also learn your watering patterns to provide the perfect amount of water needed by your plants.
It is often possible to install smart watering technology on your existing irrigation system, cutting your water usage by 20 to 40 percent!
Using your smartphone, laptop, or tablet, you will be able to give the system’s app inputs and manage your system remotely! This will work thanks to your data or your Wi-Fi network.
Simon Li | Wellbots
Q: What part does biometrics play in smart home technology?
Biometric technology is an integral part of any smart home system. Fingerprint recognition, face and iris scanning are extremely popular and very well integrated to allow only authorized users to enter homes.
Cameras installed in different homes constantly scan the faces of people in a room to ensure that there are no intruders in the home.
Voice Biometrics ensures that only a registered person’s voice can control different smart systems within the house.
Danny Thakkar | Bayometric
As you can see, transitioning your home to a smart one is not difficult if you have advice from experts, and if you are well informed, you can make better decisions about the best options for you. Maybe you can start step by step with little changes until you have your automated dream house.
