The Internet of Things has brought us closer to a Jetsons-type of future that we only used to dream of. Now, that future where you can purchase random things from the comfort of our own home without even touching or tapping a smartphone has come. Although, we have to admit that it's still pretty weird to some as it still hasn't gotten mainstream acceptance.
Here are a few tips on how to begin your smart home integration that isn’t too overwhelming.
Brains of Your Operation
Select Your Assistant
As someone looking at things on the consumer market, the brain of your operation is likely going to be either one of the three main players – Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant.
Each one has their own benefits and disadvantages but whatever you choose will likely be based on the predominant OS that you currently have in your pocket as that enables you to take full advantage of your smart home. If you have an Android phone like a OnePlus 6, for example, Google Assistant might be the best one for you. If you have an iPhone as a daily driver, on the other hand, you’re likely going to be most satisfied with Siri. Lastly, Alexa is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. It supports both iOS and Android apps but not as intuitive and perfectly designed. It functions nicely as a standalone device so this shouldn't be a problem.
Pick Your Device
Right now, you can access your assistant through smart speakers and your phone if you choose either Google Assistant or Siri. For Alexa, you can only access your smart home through an Echo device.
If you already decided on your assistant, then the only choice you'll have to make are the sizes of the smart speakers that you want to purchase. All of these brands offer small, medium, and large-sized speakers so you can choose according to your preference. Of course, you will have to consider the trade-offs of each form-factor so don’t expect magnificent sounds coming from the smallest speakers.
The Peripherals
This is where Alexa truly shines as the Amazon has formed an incredible selection of smart devices compatible with their voice-activated assistant. It has over 12,000 third-party devices that could be paired up and used with it while Google has only 5000. Siri, on the other hand, is finding it difficult to keep up with the sheer number of the other two that it’s competing with.
However, since this is a starter guide, we’re only interested in the basics. So, here is a list of the most useful and commonly paired hardware items in smart homes.
Smart lights
Lighting may seem like an odd inconsequential thing to want to connect with voice assistants, but come to think of it, that’s something that we’ve been trying to do for the longest time with the clap triggered lighting systems of old. Automating it is also something that’s not new to the smart home enthusiasts as photosensitive lights that automatically turn on during night time and turn off during daytime have been on the market for a long time now.
Modern smart lights can be controlled using either voice via smart speakers or remotely via smartphones. Through those mediums, you can manipulate the brightness and color and others even have strobe functionalities built in.
One of the best things about them is that you don't even have to pay a premium price for the added value. They cost just as much as modern LED light bulbs currently out on the market. Furthermore, you can automate these lights to turn themselves off when no one is in the room that it is installed in. This essentially gives users extra savings opportunities.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs are probably the most versatile out of all the smart home devices currently on offer. It basically controls when and how a particular electrical outlet gives energy to whatever is plugged in it. If, for example, you wish your coffee maker to turn itself on remotely, all you have to do is tap a button on your phone or send a voice command to your smart speaker. It can be used on any device so long as they’re not connected to the internet.
The use-case is endless which is why this device is one of the first to become available across all the voice assistants.
Climate Control
Another energy saving application of the Internet of Things is smart thermostats. It helps homeowners regulate temperature across all the rooms in the house. It enables your air-conditioning system to detect if anybody is home and turn itself off when no one is home.
It also enables homeowners to control the temperature from either voice control or through your smart speakers. It’s especially useful when you’re too tired to get up from the bed or the sofa just to adjust the thermostat.
Security Sensors
One of the most overlooked features in a home is security. It used to be so expensive that homeowners just forgo installing security systems. This is why manufacturers having such low-cost and varied security-oriented devices such a great IoT application.
From Internet-enabled cameras that detect movements to door-sensors that alert homeowners when their homes are being intruded, the devices related to home security are endless.
Automate Everything
While these devices are highly programmable to do things on their own without much input from a user, an added layer of automation can do a lot for a smart home. It adds so much convenience and ease to living in your own smart home.
IFTTT is an absolute godsend for smart home enthusiasts. It’s an app on Android and iOS that has the ability to communicate with your smart devices so as to link their activities together like a chain of conditional commands that the application calls recipes.
Here are a few tips on how to begin your smart home integration that isn’t too overwhelming.
Brains of Your Operation
Select Your Assistant
As someone looking at things on the consumer market, the brain of your operation is likely going to be either one of the three main players – Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant.
Each one has their own benefits and disadvantages but whatever you choose will likely be based on the predominant OS that you currently have in your pocket as that enables you to take full advantage of your smart home. If you have an Android phone like a OnePlus 6, for example, Google Assistant might be the best one for you. If you have an iPhone as a daily driver, on the other hand, you’re likely going to be most satisfied with Siri. Lastly, Alexa is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. It supports both iOS and Android apps but not as intuitive and perfectly designed. It functions nicely as a standalone device so this shouldn't be a problem.
Pick Your Device
Right now, you can access your assistant through smart speakers and your phone if you choose either Google Assistant or Siri. For Alexa, you can only access your smart home through an Echo device.
If you already decided on your assistant, then the only choice you'll have to make are the sizes of the smart speakers that you want to purchase. All of these brands offer small, medium, and large-sized speakers so you can choose according to your preference. Of course, you will have to consider the trade-offs of each form-factor so don’t expect magnificent sounds coming from the smallest speakers.
The Peripherals
This is where Alexa truly shines as the Amazon has formed an incredible selection of smart devices compatible with their voice-activated assistant. It has over 12,000 third-party devices that could be paired up and used with it while Google has only 5000. Siri, on the other hand, is finding it difficult to keep up with the sheer number of the other two that it’s competing with.
However, since this is a starter guide, we’re only interested in the basics. So, here is a list of the most useful and commonly paired hardware items in smart homes.
Smart lights
Lighting may seem like an odd inconsequential thing to want to connect with voice assistants, but come to think of it, that’s something that we’ve been trying to do for the longest time with the clap triggered lighting systems of old. Automating it is also something that’s not new to the smart home enthusiasts as photosensitive lights that automatically turn on during night time and turn off during daytime have been on the market for a long time now.
Modern smart lights can be controlled using either voice via smart speakers or remotely via smartphones. Through those mediums, you can manipulate the brightness and color and others even have strobe functionalities built in.
One of the best things about them is that you don't even have to pay a premium price for the added value. They cost just as much as modern LED light bulbs currently out on the market. Furthermore, you can automate these lights to turn themselves off when no one is in the room that it is installed in. This essentially gives users extra savings opportunities.
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs are probably the most versatile out of all the smart home devices currently on offer. It basically controls when and how a particular electrical outlet gives energy to whatever is plugged in it. If, for example, you wish your coffee maker to turn itself on remotely, all you have to do is tap a button on your phone or send a voice command to your smart speaker. It can be used on any device so long as they’re not connected to the internet.
The use-case is endless which is why this device is one of the first to become available across all the voice assistants.
Climate Control
Another energy saving application of the Internet of Things is smart thermostats. It helps homeowners regulate temperature across all the rooms in the house. It enables your air-conditioning system to detect if anybody is home and turn itself off when no one is home.
It also enables homeowners to control the temperature from either voice control or through your smart speakers. It’s especially useful when you’re too tired to get up from the bed or the sofa just to adjust the thermostat.
Security Sensors
One of the most overlooked features in a home is security. It used to be so expensive that homeowners just forgo installing security systems. This is why manufacturers having such low-cost and varied security-oriented devices such a great IoT application.
From Internet-enabled cameras that detect movements to door-sensors that alert homeowners when their homes are being intruded, the devices related to home security are endless.
Automate Everything
While these devices are highly programmable to do things on their own without much input from a user, an added layer of automation can do a lot for a smart home. It adds so much convenience and ease to living in your own smart home.
IFTTT is an absolute godsend for smart home enthusiasts. It’s an app on Android and iOS that has the ability to communicate with your smart devices so as to link their activities together like a chain of conditional commands that the application calls recipes.