At Key West Video we’re big fans of Smart Home systems. Our chief can basically control his entire house from the office! The Internet of Things has basically made it possible to remotely control your home. Everything from appliances and lighting to heating and security can operate in conjunction with each other and be manipulated through your phone and the internet. George Jetson would approve!
Open the Floodgates
Back in the late 90s, Bill Gates had the first smart home equipped with “invisible technology”. This home outside Seattle featured a lot of fiberoptic cables and a touchpad control in each room. Gates chose to control things like lighting, music, and room temperature from this centralized system. The idea was that the house would try to anticipate and meet your needs as an individual. A personalized pin clipped to your clothes would connect you to the electronic services of the house and sync your personal preferences.
The vision that Gates had of a remote-controlled, responsive house has come a long way. These days, any electrical device can be commanded by voice, remote control, tablet or smartphone.
Need Help with That?
Intelligent assistants are kind of like the brain of a smart home. Better known as Alexa, Siri and Google, we can ask these devices to turn up the heat, turn off the lights or book a dinner reservation. Amazon’s Echo was the original smart speaker, but now the market is flooded with the disembodied voices ready to do your bidding. Go here to see which smart speaker is your perfect match, based on needs and preferences. We were set up with Apple’s Siri 😍
Home Security
Home security is a natural point of introduction to the Smart Home market. If you want peace of mind while you’re at work or traveling, these systems are like guard dogs that never need to be walked. The basics include a hub, keypad, sensors, alarm monitoring, and sirens. Added features include cameras, doorbells, smart locks and more. You can choose to set up a system yourself or have one installed. The options and prices cover quite a range and you can start small and add on alarms, lights, and cameras.
Robot Cleaners
There are so many Smart Home options when it comes to keeping your place clean! Here are just a few examples:
- Vacuums
- Air purifiers
- Widow cleaners
- Dishwashers
Just Right
Tired of enduring a cold living room and hot bedroom? Smart vents control air flow to each room. The entire house is monitored so airflow can be tailored for an even temp throughout. Or you can set the temperature in each room to reflect your preferences. Sensors on each vent can track motion and temperature, triggering the vents to open and close. Bonus: smart vents mean lower heating and cooling costs.
Light Up Your Life
Lighting is an obvious choice for a smart home setup. You can easily turn on the lights for yourself when you arrive home late or make your house look occupied while you’re away. Advanced features will sync your lighting to your mood, time of day or even the movie you’re watching. Plus, converting existing lighting to smart lighting is a simple fix.
Ring the Dinner Bell
Our kitchens are getting smarter and smarter. Gatherings like the Smart Kitchen Summit prove that there’s a market for the gadgets that do the heavy lifting at mealtime. Here’s a short list of the appliances that answer What’s for dinner?
Smart oven June is a product linking Whole Foods and its parent company Amazon. June has pre-programmed recipes featuring Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value branded items. As a seven-in-one appliance—convection oven, air fryer, dehydrator, slow cooker, broiler, toaster, warming drawer—June can be controlled by a mobile app or Amazon Alexa. If you’re looking for a lower-priced commitment, check out June’s little sister.
I See You
Smart Home technology is a slippery slope. If you’re anything like us, connecting one part of your home to the internet will soon lead to more additions. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying all the smart home conveniences and living like the Jetsons.
