Making the Leap: Best Smart Gadgets for Your Smart Home Life
Smart Gadgets for Smart Homes
Have you been afraid to update your home with the latest technology? Have you been loyal to your iMac G3, Sega Genesis, and flip phone? That’s okay, because technology is making your transition to the modern era easier than ever. The best news is that there are a slew of new smart gadgets to begin or complete your smart home, from front door to bedroom, and to keep you close to your house even when you’re away.
Already have a smart home? We’re always looking to find ways to help you make your smart home even smarter, and we’ve dug up some of the latest devices that really boost the home IQ!
Smart Home Lock: Kwikset Kevo powered by UniKey [link: http://www.unikey.com/ ]
Don’t let the averageness of this lock fool you. While it looks like a nifty throwback to the ‘90s and novelty neon cd towers [link: https://d2dtkscsf8rn3e.cloudfront.net/items/o2763179_44354_medium.jpg ], the design is actually a deterrent feature. The door bolt can be locked or unlocked with the touch of your finger, and includes the options of monitoring ins and outs remotely while receiving activity alerts through the Kevo app. Other features: assign virtual keys permanently or temporarily, and in case of a glitch, the Kevo lock can also be opened with a regular key.
Smart Home Controlling System: NuBryte [link: http://www.nubryte.com/ ]
Say goodbye to your wall switches? The touch-screen panel uses a small built-in camera will automatically turn on the lights when you enter a room, and can serve as a security camera. Link two or more units to establish a network for your entire home. Even more impressive? Send a message from your smartphone to your home’s console to let your family know you’re on your way home. And you thought The Clapper [link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny8-G8EoWOw ] was a great invention.
Smart Home System: Home Depot’s Wink Smart Home Hub
As far as smart home systems go, Wink Smart Home Hub [link: http://www.wink.com/products/ ] has got you covered, supplying nearly every smart home wireless connection standard, from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth to ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Lutron’s Clear Connect. Dozens of Wink smart home devices can operate from this. And many of Wink’s smart home ecosystem devices don’t need the hub, which might be the biggest enticement.
Smart Garage Door Opener: Chamberlain MyQ Garage [link: http://www.chamberlain.com/smartphone-control-products/myq-garage/model-myq-g0201 ]
Remember when you no longer had to get out of your car to open your garage and that was a big deal? Okay, probably not. But advances in automated garage doors have just made another quantum leap [link?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Leap#/media/File:Quantum_Leap_%28TV_series%29_titlecard.jpg] into the future, especially with models such as the Chamberlain MyQ Garage. You can tap the device’s screen to open or close your garage from any place (or time?), and soon the company even plans to add geofencing capabilities to sense when you pull near the driveway to automatically open. Even better? MyQ can control nearly every model of opener manufactured after 1993. That sure makes things easier for Scott Bakula.
Smart Home Thermostat: Ecobee3 [link: https://www.ecobee.com/] with touchscreen interface. The design is sleek, and it actually gets all the rooms of your house properly cooled or heated, via the magic of its small wireless sensor, which will read the temperature of the room and continue to work until it reaches the right amount of toasty or refreshing. The wireless home thermostat is smartphone compatible with Android, iOS, self-installation, motion activation, works offline, and integrates with your smart home, and is now compatible with Apple’s HomeKit. The thermostat also works effortlessly with its mobile app.
Water Monitor: WallyHome [link: http://www.wallyhome.com/ ]
While a leak detector may not be the sexiest feature for your home, it’s far better than mold or structural damage caused by a hard-to-discover leak in your plumbing, which could cost you tens of thousands of dollars to repair. WallyHome can detect any leaks before they cause you serious damage, sending an alert to the WallyHome hub so you can address the problem right away. The app lets you monitor your home around the clock, and you can see the locations of the sensors, the temperature and humidity in those areas, and can set your own alerts.
Most of these products are relatively easy to install, but others may require some professional assistance. If you’re ready to make that first leap into the future or make your home as smart as you are, then please visit us at https://modernhomesys.wpengine.com or give us a call at (858) 554-0404.