29 May What are Smart Devices?
Technology is constantly evolving, creating amazing new innovations that have the ability to change our lifestyles in ways that were previously impossible. With the consumerisation of technology there is no surprise that smart tech has trickled down to our homes.
From being able to turn the lights on using your voice, to controlling the temperature of your lounge from your office at work, the rise of smart devices is simplifying and delivering control like no other time in our history.
What makes a Smart Device?
Almost anything from a clock to a doorbell or even your window blinds can be considered a smart device. As long as it can connect to the internet, send and receive information, it can be considered as a smart device.
Amazon smart speakers, affectionately known as “Alexa” (for some reason) are an example of a smart device. They can even interact with other smart devices or intelligent controls around your home. If you have not seen these yet, Mars must be a nice place to live! Smart Devices are now in a quarter of UK homes and forecast around 43.5% of homes will have a smart device by 2023 (Statista)
What are the best smart devices to upgrade your home with?
Below are some of the latest and greatest devices to shake up the way you run your life and home.
Imagine constantly being in the best temperature all the time at home and managing the perfect atmosphere at any given point in time. No wonder Nest thermostats are gaining popularity in 2019.
The Nest devices use a version of A.I that learns as you use it, which helps manage your heating an atmosphere at different times of the year to save you money. All of this through an App and internet connection. Nest have also branched out to include intelligent smoke alarms, doorbells and cameras.
Nest Thermostat
Wink Hub2
This smart Home hub manages all your devices and interconnects them within your house. From a smart speaker to lights to security locks it manages everything. Again, all connected through an app that takes care of everything.
Winkhub2
Amazon Echo
For many the queen of Smart devices is the Amazon Echo or “Alexa” which is one of the leading players in the realm of Smart Devices. Linking with a variety of Applications including Spotify, Hive and Phillips Hue the Echo range starts from as little as £29.99 and also has new models with integrated cameras for video calling, making these massively versatile.
The Amazon AI feels like it can do nearly anything you ask it to from playing music to finding out a fact even cooking instructions. It has it all.
Amazon echo
Phillips Hue
Add a little colour to your world with the Hue App and bulbs all controlled by your smart phone or devices. With a range of differing lights, you can create the lighting for the mood you’re in and even have disco patterns reacting to the music your playing. The apps also allow, geofencing turning your lights on or off when it detects your smartphone within range and also can regulate how light your room should be at different parts of the day depending on how you set it.
Phillips Hue
The Future and the IOT
You may have heard the expression The IoT (Internet of Things), this refers to devices connected to the internet and this moves at an incredible pace. Smart and Smarter devices will continue to connect and change the way we run and live our lives, even our Sky remotes now have voice activated search!
Whilst many of these seem like a luxury now it is estimated that by 2022 we will have around 29 billion connected devices. (IOT Report Ericson) With popularity and competition, these will continue to become an everyday part of our lives and the world envisioned in the Old Sci-Fi movies a step closer to reality.