Super Smart Home

You know about Amazon Echo, the Roomba, and you may have even heard of the Nest - but did you know there's a robot to mow your lawn and a way to measure the amount of energy you use in your home?

There's seemingly endless opportunities today to make your house a smart home, and there's technology available for practically every room in the house. In fact, Amazon recently announced their plans to create an entire smart community in Cumming with homes that allow owners to be completely hands-free and live more conveniently.

Using smart-home products allows homeowners to not only use their utilities more easily and comfortably, but they can also be major money savers. Most smart technology aims at being more efficient at managing a home's utilities, optimizing their use. Home automation can also improve the safety of a home with improved video surveillance,

As these smart-home products become more commonplace, their costs have come down to be more convenient and available to everyone. If you're thinking about making your home more connected, here are a few products to consider.


Lighting 

To set the connected mood throughout your house, consider smart lighting, starting with the Phillips Hue light bulbs. These LED bulbs save money and energy and can easily be dimmed or brightened using the Phillips app for iPhone or Android. The app also has pre-programmed settings to create an "energized" or "calm" room, and colors can also be set to create a fun atmosphere.
You can also easily install smart plugs that communicate with your Amazon Alexa or other home hub controller, allowing you to turn a light on or off simply by touching a button on an app or using verbal commands.

Security and Surveillance 

There are a number of smart security and surveillance systems available that connect with home controllers. PC Mag recommends the Smart Lock Pro from August Home, a door locking system that includes WiFi connectivity, a door sensor that alerts you if the door is open or left ajar, and even a timer that allows you to set a time for the door to be automatically locked or unlocked.
For video surveillance, the Arlo Pro 2 is an outdoor surveillance system that has excellent video quality and is compatible with other smart home products. The weatherproof camera has a 130 degree view and can be accessed through an app or online browser. You can also use geofencing to set a perimeter around your home that will be armed when you are away, and disarmed when you are home.
PC Mag's list of the Best Smart Home Products of 2018 recommends several other safety and surveillance alternatives, which you can check out here.

Thermostats 

The Nest Learning Thermostat is no stranger to popularity, but for good reason. In the first week of use, it learns your heating and cooling habits, then sets a schedule for your home based on your preferences. The Nest can also detect your presence and will go into ECO (energy conservation) mode when it thinks you are not home, saving you money on your heating and air conditioning bill.
The Ecobee is also another option for controlling the temperature in your home. It includes WiFi connectivity and room control sensors to ensure that the temperature is consistent throughout the room where it is placed. Comfort Settings can also be set on the device to set temperatures for when you are sleeping, at home, or on vacation.

In addition to the utilities in your home, there are also a number of other smart gadgets to help with some of the smaller things in life, such as your sprinkler system, or a control panel to help you manage all of your new smart home devices.

Whether you go big and decide to automate your entire home, or start small with just a few smart plugs, you can expect to see these products gain popularity in homes as they make our lives more convenient and connected.