5 Smart Home Items That Can Make Your Life Easier

The “smart home” or “home automation” concept has been around since the early sixties. Remember the popular retro-futuristic cartoon The Jetsons? That started back in 1962, and even back then people knew that future households would integrate seamlessly with technology. Now, that future is becoming a reality as tech companies come up with innovative ideas to help people. These smart home devices help make people’s lives easier and safer. Whether it’s through improving on simple household chores through automation or allowing peace of mind through 24h surveillance from anywhere. Check out these five amazing smart home items that bring the future home.

1 Ring WiFi Enabled Video Doorbell

This brilliant video doorbell can connect to any mobile, tablet, PC, or Amazon Echo device. Homeowners can speak to and see anyone who’s in front of their door. It will also send an alert when motion is detected and is equipped with an infrared camera as well.

2 Furbo Dog Camera

This is any pet owner’s dream come true – being able to see and interact with their pets from anywhere. It features a 1080p Full HD Camera with night vision, the ability to toss treats, and a barking alert. With the Furbo Dog Camera, pet owners can check in on, play with, and soothe their pets at any time.

3 Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller

Never mess around with a frustratingly complicated sprinkler schedule system again. This device makes it easy to set up a schedule that can be divided into different zones. It can also set up an automatic schedule based on plant types and weather patterns. Plus it saves water through leak detection.

4 Philips Hue White Smart Bulb Starter Kit

Control the lights in every room from anywhere with a simple command. This starter kit includes four bulbs and a hub that can be connected to a virtual assistant.

5 GE Café Double Oven

This oven can be remotely controlled via a smartphone app. Control the temperature or turn it on and off with the click of a button or a voice command.

Smart Devises Will Affect Household Safety

All of these devices offer a promising look into what people’s everyday lives will look like soon. Smart devices like robotic vacuum cleaners and voice assistants are already common features in households, globally. Other smart devices are also picking up in popularity, and a typical household will have at least one smart home device by 2020. All smart home devices form part of a connected network of items called the Internet of Things (IoT). This connection is important for the functionality of most of these devices. For instance, a smart door lock with a camera can’t stream live video to a mobile phone without being connected to the internet. They can also connect. A smart home assistant can turn on a smart TV or tell a smart lock to unlock the front door. What this means is that the households of the next decade will have a big collection of end devices speaking to each other and the internet through one network. Which, as many cybersecurity experts have pointed out, could have dire consequences.

Smart devices like baby monitors are already being exploited by hackers. Malicious internet trolls who search for open connections or security flaws that will let them into the privacy of someone’s home. Now, imagine a household full of devices that could let them in. This isn’t fear mongering, but rather an earnest request for individuals to look at how secure these devices they let into their lives are. Household security isn’t just limited to locking doors and windows anymore. Everyone will have to focus on their digital safety as well.

A few general things smart device owners can do:

• If the device comes with a pre-set password, change it.
• Always keep devices updated. Updates contain patches that fix newly-identified security flaws.
• Get a VPN – play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nordvpn.android. This technology acts as a lock and key for a network connection. Installing a VPN on a home’s router will protect all connected devices through encryption.
• Set up two-factor authentication on accounts where it’s available.

Conclusion

Smart home devices are hitting consumers like an unstoppable wave. The smart home market is expected to reach nearly $53.6 billion by 2022. These devices add heaps of new possibilities and necessary improvements to people’s lives, but they also open up new dangers. It’s important to remember that and take the required precautions to avoid becoming a victim of cybercriminals.