Smart amenities posed to revolutionize the way we live.
Imagine waking up, the lights flicker on and your home greets you, “Good Morning,” along with the day’s weather report and news headlines. No, this isn’t a scene from an episode of the Jetsons, but something that’s already playing out across several American homes today.
As featured in Time’s recent cover story, smart homes are on the rise and while the market is niche, companies are developing new products so that eventually everything from home electronics to appliances will be connected. The goal of this new conscious home is to have the dwelling automatically adapt to your every need and want. Your home becomes aware of what you are doing and takes action to help. While some may grow skeptical of handing over their home’s trust to technology, the following list provides amenities that will make our homes safer, richer and healthier:
• WiFi-enabled hub: SmartThings launched a hub device which allows you to connect products throughout the home and control them with a single app.
• Apple’s HomeKit: Debuting this fall in iOS 8, this technology will round out other companies’ smart gadgets and control connected devices in the home. Simply saying “bedtime” to Siri on your iPhone might dim your lights.
• Smart thermostat: Nest developed a thermostat that learns the habits of its user in order to save energy, for example, lowering the temperature when nobody is home. The company also created Nest Protect, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that provides voice alerts and can distinguish between burnt pizza and actual emergencies.
• Connected appliances: Companies such as LG, Samsung and Whirlpool are adding connectivity to their appliances to allow users to perform tasks such as preheating an oven from a phone.
What are your thoughts on transforming where you live from “home sweet home” to “home smart home?” Are there any amenities you want included in your home?
