Are you scratching your head trying to figure out what to get your nerdiest friends and family this Christmas? Maybe I should get them some smart home automation gifts? Here are seven home automation products we recommend.
The best part? Most of the items on this list won't break the bank.
The Amazon Echo is an interesting looking piece of kit. At first glance, it looks more like an accessory from the set from Star Trek:The Next Generation With something delivered in two days, you can have it delivered to your home. But beyond its form, its function is completely futuristic. How the Amazon Echo can make your home a smart home How the Amazon Echo can make your home a smart home Smart home technology is still in its infancy, but a new product from Amazon called the "Echo" can help bring it to life. mainstream. Read more.
Essentially, it's a computer you can talk to. Call Alexa.
Ask him to play some music, and he will. Alexa can tell you the latest soccer scores and order some noodles from the Amazon grocery store. She can tell you what's on her agenda and even give you instructions. But even more impressive, it can control a wide range of smart home automation equipment, including products from Samsung SmartThings, Belkin WeMo, Insteon, and Philips Hue.
Amazon Echo - Black (1st Generation) Amazon Echo - Black (1st Generation) Buy now on Amazon
Kannon Yamada reviewed it a few months ago. Amazon Echo Review and Giveaway Amazon Echo Review and Giveaway Amazon Echo offers unique integration between voice recognition, personal assistant, home automation controls, and audio playback features for $179.99. Does Echo break on new ground or can you do better somewhere else? Read More It costs less than you think, too. One unit will cost you $179.00 with free shipping.
We're Philips Hue fans here Light your home the smart way With Philips Hue Light your home the smart way With Philips Hue If you can afford the upfront expense, you won't find a better supported and more user-friendly Smart lighting system on the market. Read more . For those who don't already know, Philips Hue is essentially a range of LED bulbs connected to a central network. As well as being massively energy efficient (especially compared to the halogen bulbs of yesteryear), they can also change colors, and even be controlled remotely from a compatible Android and iOS smartphone.
The second generation of the Philips Hue Kit comes with some radically different changes. For starters, the brightness has been increased from 600 lumens to a retina-burning 800 lumens. It also includes support for Amazon Echo and Apple's HomeKit. Philips Hue works with HomeKit:how to get the most out of it Philips Hue works with HomeKit:how to get the most out of it Philips has finally succeeded in integrating HomeKit into its Hue lighting platform. and it's amazing. This is what you need to know. Read more . The latter means you can control your lighting from your iPhone or iPad (running iOS 9 or newer).
Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 2nd Generation Smart Light Bulb Starter Kit (Old Model 3 A19 Bulbs and 1 Hub Compatible with Apple Amazon Alexa HomeKit and Google Assistant) 1 Hub Compatible with Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant) Purchase now on Amazon
This basic starter kit comes with three bulbs and a bucket and can be purchased on Amazon for $199.00.
The Google-owned Nest churns out a lot of gear that makes us salivate. The latest generation of the Nest Learning Thermostat is no exception.
Essentially, it is a thermostat that can be controlled and controlled remotely. With a compatible smartphone, you can control the temperature in your home from anywhere in the world. Coming home from work? Nest lets you turn up the heat, so you come home to a warm, toasty home. Likewise, if you're going out for the day, you can turn off the heating, so you're not paying to heat an empty house. They're actually quite versatile. 13 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Nest Thermostat 13 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Nest Thermostat You may be surprised at how many little tricks you can pull off with your new Nest thermostat! Read more.
But what makes the Nest thermostat especially impressive is that it can learn from you . Eventually, it will start heating and cooling the house without even asking you. Pretty convenient, you have to admit.?
Installing a Nest Thermostat is Easy How to Install and Use the Nest Thermostat to Automate Energy Savings How to Install and Use the Nest Thermostat to Automate Energy Savings If you've ever thought about getting started with home automation, buying a Nest thermostat is the way to go. perfect solution. way to start In just one week of use, we cut our power consumption in half. Read more . If you get stuck, they have a 24/7 support line. Many plumbing and heating companies offer installation as a paid service, too.
Nest Learning Thermostat (T3007ES), Easy Temperature Control for Every Room in Your Home, Stainless Steel (3rd Generation), Works with Nest Learning Thermostat by Nest (T3007ES), Easy Temperature Control for Every Room in Your Home , stainless steel (3rd generation) , Works with Alexa Buy Now On Amazon $180.50
You can get a Nest Thermostat from Amazon for $249.00 with free shipping. However, other third-party vendors sell it for less.
If you want all the convenience of the Philips Hue system, but can't afford its high price, this is what you'll need to pay attention to.
The WeMo Light Switch integrates with your existing lighting system and allows you to control it remotely via your smartphone. It even has IFTTT support, meaning you can turn the lighting on and off when a condition is met, just like with Amazon Echo.
Wemo Light Switch, WiFi Enabled, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant Wemo Light Switch, WiFi Enabled, Works with Alexa and Google Assistant Buy Now on Amazon $37.99
For all of this, you can expect to pay $36.98. No, that's not a typo.
Also from the Belkin WeMo stable is the Insight Switch. This is very similar to the previous item on this list. It is WiFi enabled; can be controlled via smartphone, IFTTT and Amazon Echo; and it's on the cheaper end of the Smart Home spectrum.
But there is a difference. While the WeMo Light Switch was simply for home lighting, the Vision Switch is for anything which plugs Want to turn on your TV the moment you walk through the door? With this, and a little IFTTT creativity, you can. Do you want to schedule your child's night light to turn on at 8 pm? You can.
Wemo Light Switch, WiFi habilitado, Funciona con Alexa y Google Assistant Wemo Light Switch, WiFi habilitado, Funciona con Alexa y Google Assistant Compre ahora en Amazon $ 37.99
El costo de esto? Un miserable $ 50. Sin embargo, vale la pena señalar que hay una gran cantidad de productos de la competencia. 6 enchufes inteligentes que no son Belkin WeMo 6 enchufes inteligentes que no son Belkin WeMo Leer más, algunos de los cuales cuestan mucho menos.
Una de las mayores quejas que tengo cuando se trata de tecnología inteligente de automatización del hogar es la gran cantidad de estándares que compiten. Hay tanto equipo alrededor, y mucho de eso no es compatible entre sí.
El centro de Samsung Smart Things va de alguna manera para abordar esto. Puede conectarse con una amplia gama de productos Smart Home, incluidos los de Bose, Philips Hue, Sonos y más, y controlarlos a través de la aplicación complementaria..
También hay una gama de productos Samsung Smart Things que funcionan de forma nativa con el hub. El Smart Things Outlet es muy similar al WeMo Insight Switch, mientras que el sensor de movimiento y los sensores de llegada le dirán cuándo hay un intruso en su casa o si tiene invitados en la puerta principal..
Probablemente sea menos de lo que piensas, también. The Nest Protect te costará $ 99.00 en Amazon.
¿Le conseguirá a un ser querido algún equipo inteligente de automatización del hogar esta Navidad? ¿Tienes alguna recomendación? Cuéntamelo en la sección de comentarios a continuación..