10 Trends In Smart Home Technology You Should Know About (VIDEO)
Most people remember when the internet became available in the early 90s. No one knew how much technology would change after that. Smart home technology does not only make things easier but safer. Thanks to technology we’re able to see who is knocking on our front door without being home. Smart home technology helps us turn on the television, lights, and radio with a touch of a button on our cellphones. According to statistics, there are over 180 million smart homes, and that number is grown fast.
1. Smart Power Strips and Plugs
Smart power strips and plugs come in handy when being away from home. A smart plug can turn on a Christmas tree, outside lighting, and even a portable air conditioner. Smart power plugs can control the power going to and from your smartphone, wherever you are. A phone app lets you create a schedule to turn the plug on and off. Also has an “Away” mode to turn your devices on, making it look like you are home. This plug can also be linked to your other smart home devices, ie. Alexa and Google Home.
2. Smart Window Technology
Kinestral Technologies is beginning to offer a new line in their residential option of windows and skylights. Halio, the technology allows users to tint windows glazing up to 99.9% opacity electronically. It also eliminates the need for blinds, shades, and curtains. Windows come in a variety of colors and sizes, and contractors install the required voltage and a cable with a manual operating system. It can save up to 40% on your energy bill. And the initial cost is 5 to 6 times greater than similar low-E glass. Traditional window treatments are unnecessary, making the investment gap narrows.
3. Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat
Smart Wi-Fi- thermostat has come a long way from the standard thermostat. Ecobee4 has a slick touchscreen with a remote sensor that ensures all your rooms are getting heated and cooled properly. The newest version has Alexa built-in, now making Echo and Echo Dot control your other devices unnecessary.
4. Smart Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Detector
Nest Protect Smoke + CO2 alarm is a great 2-in-1 device that connects to smart home devices and has a Roost Smart Battery. This $35 convenient gadget plugs into any existing home smoke or CO2 detector and turns it into a smart device. When the alarm goes off, it will send an alert to your smartphone, from where you have the option to call 911 or silence the alarm, in case it is a burnt piece of toast to blame.
5. Smart Kitchen Appliances You Can Buy Online
Perfect Bake Pro and Perfect Drink Pro: are connected scales that work with your smartphone and tablet to ensure you use the right proportions. The scale also monitors your mixing bowl or shaker in real-time, telling how much you pour to make even adjustments on the fly when you accidentally dump too much of one thing. Weber Kitchen Thermometer is connected to blue-tooth and uses wired probes to measure the temperature of any 2 dishes for you as they are cooking.
Since this connects to an app on your mobile device once something rises to the desired temperature. You can even walk away while cooking. Sous Vide is an entirely new cooking technique and is becoming increasingly popular. It involves sealing your food in a vacuum sealing bag and is immersed in a water bath at a very precise temperature. Sealing ensures no moisture gets lost and the water temperature ensures that the food does not overcook. Resulting in tender, perfectly cooked food, and often is then quickly seared in a pan to provide a crispy texture.
June Intelligent Oven is a smart oven that uses a camera to watch your food bake or roast through an app and determines the best cook time and how to exactly cook it best. Gourmia’s connected air fryer: uses heated, circulating air to cook while producing an outer crispy texture that you get similar to frying and by using a fraction of the oil.
LG’s SmartThinq fridge: lets you check the status on your phone, and make sure things are working. As well as check to see if you have enough ice. Samsung’s Family Hub fridge has a touchscreen with a function as a communication center and has cameras inside so you can see what supplies you need while you are out shopping.
6. Smart Indoor Garden
Gardens have long been known as a place to tie spirituality and now choosing plant designs that have that physical tie is a natural next move. This new trend is mentioned in the Christian context to have “hardy, scented, edible and can withstand harsh climates and environments,” as a good choice says the Local Records Office.
Find some inspiration from a local garden that will provide you with examples of this trend.
7. Smart Home LED Lighting Kits
Smart home lighting kits can brighten up anyone’s day. Not only are LED lights brighter they also take up less energy. Philips Hue White starter kit includes 2 bulbs and a hub where you connect them to a large range of smart home systems, ie. Alexa, Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, Google Home, and Nest. You can adjust the level of brightness, (up to 800 lumens), and add up to 50 on a single hub.
8. Google Nest Compatible Smart Home Devices
Google is partnering with Lenovo to make the Lenovo smart display, it is like a Google Home with a video screen attached. It has far-field microphones and is able to hear you from anywhere. It will use the screen to illustrate answers and responds to your questions visually. So not only does it control your smart home devices, but it will also be a helpful guide for recipes, showing you the news for today. Showing you your calendar, and giving you all the information you need for that day or simply setting up a routine working with you. Saving energy – plugging in one smart tech at a time.
9. Smart Home Security Systems
Home security systems have been in high demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic according to reports. Airlocks increase security, incorporating two airtight doors to cut energy costs. This double barrier keeps outside air from entering the main portion of the house and a better seal. It also supports the new trend of shopping online, keeping packages safer than being outside left in full view. However, the homeowners do need a minimum of five feet squared area and are a very costly expense.
10. Smart Home Cleaning Gadgets
Robots can perform the assistance and provide multiple services. IRobot’s Braava robots mop and vacuum floors, Heykuri’s Kuri robot capture short videos of priceless life’s moments, and some even offer health benefits that mimic real pets. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they can lower blood pressure and cholesterol.