Smart Home Technologies

Smart home technology is no longer reserved for the wealthy or tech-savvy, and the tech industry has responded with ever sophisticated solutions. While many people associate this technology with gadgets such as Google’s Nest and Amazon’s Echo or Apple’s HomeKit the term is more expansive than that and encompasses an array of options for your home. They range from remote-controlled heating and lighting to CCTV, home security systems, doorbells and smart locks. Some allow you to monitor your elderly relatives, pets, children and even monitor your children.

Integration is the main ingredient in the success of a smart home system. This is why the best products are those that integrate with other devices and systems to make blog here your home more intelligent. For example the smart light bulb can communicate with a central hub to set your lights according to a set time or turn them off after you leave your home. A video doorbell can alert you of unexpected visitors and trigger your alarm system call the police or fire department. Once you’ve mastered the IFTTT (If this, then that) service and you’re ready to use other services such as Stringify to automate devices in more complicated ways.

Of course, bringing new smart devices to the home has certain issues. CNET strives to be aware of company policies, address privacy concerns, and even direct questions to companies.