Plenty of people want to spruce up their homes to add a personal touch, make it great for entertaining, or to keep up with the colors of the season. But what if you could make your home listen to you? Talk to you? Do what you ask? In today’s blog, we’re going to explore several home tech trends that are making homes smarter every day.
1. Integration
There are numerous platforms out there that will allow you to integrate your home with all of its various features. For example, you could control your home’s temperature, lighting, cameras, gate access, security, sprinklers, audio, and MORE all on one solid platform at your fingertips. We really like Nest products.
2. Amazon Echo & Google Home
Integration is obviously really cool, but now you can control it without any screens or touch-control. “Hey Alexa!” and “Okay Google!” are words slowly taking over our conversations. Want to check today’s weather in Fiji? Ask your Google Home device. Need to turn off your kitchen lights? Tell Alexa, your Amazon Echo. These small, interactive devices provide you with answers to questions, listen to you music requests, and can help you with commands around your home.
3. Virtual Doorbells
Have you heard of Ring? Ring and others like it are virtual doorbells. Whenever someone rings your home’s doorbell, it will ring directly to your cell phone with video so you can see who is at the door. It provides great security measures and convenience. You’re not home but your mother-in-law needs to drop something off? You can let her in even if you’re 100 miles away!
4. Solar Shutters
It’s all about sustainability. Solar shutters will block out the sun and gather energy all at the same time. The energy they collect can be fed into a smaller inverter plugging directly into an outlet powering your electric system. Just how much energy? About 500 watts per hour – powering TVs, computers and small appliances.
5. Laundry Tech
Yes, you read that right… LAUNDRY tech! Like the Foldimate that swears it will fold your clothes for you right fresh out of the dryer. Too high tech for you? Try out Samsung’s Flex Wash + Dry system allowing you to do two loads at once. Talk about convenience!
