Terri Ramsey Beavers The world has changed. Society is evolving, the way we live our lives is slowly but surely including more and more technology. Actually, when you think about it, the change hasn’t been that slow at all. Indeed, it’s been a rather rapid evolution. Did you know that nearly a third of the world is on Facebook? It’s true, and that’s only one of the social networks. Today, we imagine there are very few people who aren’t online socially. Every part of our lives is typically integrated with technology except…our home.
This isn’t because the possibilities don’t exist on the market. They definitely do with everything from smart tech to new models of current technology available. Why then is your home not already a modern dream? It’s possible that you’re unaware of the tech that’s available. Or, more likely, you’re unaware of just how affordable it’s become. There’s also the chance that you don’t think the technology or changes you can bring to your home this year will change your property that much. But you couldn’t be more wrong. The tech we’re about the explore will make your home easier to maintain, cheaper, ensure easy living and make your whole family a lot happier. As well as looking at the type of tech on the market, we’ll also explore what you need to introduce this type of change into your home. We’ll be covering everything here from entertainment to comfort and general living. Let’s start by thinking about intelligence.
Get Smart
There is a ton of smart tech available on the market today beyond your smart cell phone. ‘Smart’ is a marketing term to describe a piece of tech that can do more than people are used to. Or, that involves some form of data intelligence. It’s an interesting concept that has grown into all sorts of home areas.
For instance, we can start by thinking about home security. We bet you didn’t think that tech could make your home safer, but of course, it can with smart locking systems. Smart locking systems are far more difficult to break through compared to your typical metal lock and key. Usually, they are digital, and this means that they require a code or ID scan to open. You might have heard about how fast you can trick the ID scanner on an iPhone, but these aren’t the same systems. These are far more advanced and really could keep your home far more secure.
However, that’s not the best part of this tech. The best part is that you can use it to monitor when people are entering your home even when you’re out. Are you worried that your kids are taking too long to get home from school? With a smart locking system, you can check when they entered your home using your phone.
Or, how about a smart bed? You have probably heard about memory foam beds and the benefits that they can bring to your sleeping patterns. But what about a bed that changes based on your sleeping behavior. That’s exactly the concept behind a smart bed. With a smart bed, your sleeping patterns will be recorded, and the bed can adjust regarding firmness and position to best suit you. So if you favor sleeping on one side, the bed will change to make this the most comfortable position.
You can get more basic smart tech too like a smart kettle. With a smart kettle, if you fancy a cup of tea, there’s no need to get up off the sofa. Use your phone to connect to the device and switch it on from wherever you are. You can even wake up in the morning and boil the kettle before you need to get up.
Now, the tech we’re talking about here does usually require you to have a certain type of device to control it. That means if you’ve fallen a few generations behind with phones or tablets, you might need to upgrade. As well as this prices will vary. You can get smart locks for a few hundred dollars, a smart kettle for around twenty-five, and a smart bed for a few thousand. While the tech varies in cost, they could all be worthy additions to your home.
Complete Control
Or, perhaps you want more control over your home and how it operates. If that’s the case, then you need to think about looking into voice control systems. There are various possibilities here to consider with the simplest being a basic home control system. These systems are sold by everyone from Amazon to Apple, and they can be very useful. However, you do need to make sure that you have the devices that are compatible. Unfortunately, not all devices are compatible. However, you can use these devices to create customized commands. All you really need for that is devices that are connected online and more are these days. That means you can set your home control to turn your TV on and off, turn up the volume or play Netflix. It does take some time to get this type of personal setup. But it can be very cool indeed.
Or, if you want to change the lighting, you might want to consider purchasing smart bulbs. These can be turned on and off with voice control and may even change to different colors. Cool right?
Obviously, one of the biggest requirements for this type of setup is a high-speed internet connection because everything is going to be online. Some internet providers can offer you close to unlimited speeds. This is the best option unless you want responses to be staggered in your home.
Beyond the basic smart system, if you have up to ten thousand to spare you can completely renovate your home for smart control. That means that everything in your house will be integrated into one wireless system and set up. Everything from the heating to the lighting or the music playing in the room will all be controllable. But that’s not all. These systems can learn your preferences and set a room to be exactly the way you want it. It’s the next level of modern living, and it brings us to the next exciting option.
Home Automation
There are a few different types of home automation available on the market. Our favorite though is definitely the home cleaning possibilities. Did you know that you can get an automated vacuum for your home? You can! These friendly little robots will wander around your home picking up crumbs dirt and muck from your carpets, and when they are finished, they’ll return to their home point. There are a few things these robots aren’t capable of yet. They can’t open doors, and they can’t climb upstairs. As such, you’ll still need to vacuum the stairs yourself. But they are still going to be able to complete most of one of the annoying household chores that you hate.
A home automation system can do more than clean your property though. There’s also tech available for your protection. What is one of your biggest home nightmares? Do you ever panic that one day you’ll wake up and the house will be on fire? Well, with automated technology you can have software that will check for signs of danger, and we’re talking before the smoke sets off the alarm. That way you can make sure that a hazard is fixed before it causes an issue in your home. It’s great if you want peace of mind that your family is indeed safe.
Going Green
What About tech that will make your home greener? Well, you should look into solar panel systems. Granted this isn’t new tech, but it is only just starting to be embraced by the general homeowner. That’s a shame because this tech is actually very useful. In the summer it could bring your electric bill down to zero depending on your environment and where your home is situated.
When you do start thinking about introducing a renewable energy source into your property, you might be put off by the cost. However, there are ways to reduce this issue. You can think about looking into a government subsidy. If you’re lucky, the government might pay for some of the costs to upgrade your home. And, if they don’t, you can always contact environmental agencies to see if they will. This is worth doing as the typical cost can be as high as ten thousand.
Awesome Entertainment
Finally, you might want to think about adding entertainment options to your home with new technology. One possibility would be a new 4K TV. Waiting for the 8K? Don’t bother because it’s unlikely to ever happen. Or at least, not for a few more years. If you do get 4K TV, you need at least a couple thousand for a decent model. However, it will be worth it. Most people do notice the incredible vibrancy of the picture and the deeper colors.
Or, alternatively, you could invest in a VR system. But these are still currently in their infancy stages. Still, your kids are sure to love the games and features that are available.