Smart home technology has become a mainstream option for everyone, not only the wealthy and technologically adept. The tech industry has responded with ever-more sophisticated solutions. Many people associate smart home technology with gadgets such as Google’s Nest or Amazon’s Echo however, it encompasses many other options for your home. This includes everything from remote-controlled heating and lighting to CCTV, home security systems, doorbells, and smart locks. Some allow you to keep track of your elderly relatives, pets, and children and even monitor your children.
Integration is the key to an effective smart home system. This is why the best products are those that work with other devices and systems to make your home smarter. A smart light bulb, for example can communicate with the central hub to schedule your lights to a set schedule or turn them off when leaving the home. A video doorbell could alert you to unexpected visitors and your alarm system can call the police or fire departments. Once you’ve mastered the IFTTT (If this then that) service, you can use services like Stringify to automate devices in more intricate ways.
Of course, bringing a whole range of new devices to your home comes with its own concerns. This is why CNET strives to know company policies, highlight privacy issues and take questions directly to the companies involved.
