Smart home technology is now a standard option for everyone, not just the wealthy and tech-savvy. The tech industry has responded by creating ever more sophisticated solutions. Many people believe that smart home technology is a result of gadgets such as Google’s Nest or Amazon’s Echo, but it encompasses many other options for your home. This covers everything from remote-controlled lighting and heating to CCTV, home safety systems doorbells, as well as smart locks. Some even let you keep track of children or elderly relatives as well as pets and monitor electricity or water usage, and much more.
Integration is the primary ingredient of a good smart home system. This is why the best products are those that integrate with other systems and devices to make your home more intelligent. A smart light bulb, for instance can communicate with an centralized hub to set your lights on a specific schedule or turn them off after leaving the house. A video doorbell can alert you of unexpected visitors and trigger your alarm system call the police or fire department. And, once you’ve mastered IFTTT (If This Then That), you can use services like Stringify to automate your devices in more complex ways.
Of course, bringing a wide range of new smart devices into your home has certain issues. That’s why CNET works to learn about the privacy policies of the companies, highlight issues, and address questions directly to the companies concerned.