Haven't jumped on the smart home bandwagon yet? I still don't understand why products like smart light bulbs and digital voice assistant speakers have grown in popularity?
There are many arguments for turning your home into a smart home. You can save on energy consumption, automate annoying daily tasks, and make life a little easier for everyone.
However, smart homes can go much further than the basics. With a little effort and creativity, and using the same common devices you already own, smart homes can also be innovative, interesting, and beautiful.
In this article, you'll learn more about the creative ways experienced smart home owners are using popular home products. These products include Amazon Alexa, Nanoleaf Aurora, Google Home, Philips Hue, and CleverPet.
First released in late 2014, the $180 Amazon Echo is a hands-free 9.25-inch wireless speaker that you control with your voice. Amazon Echo has a new Wake Word. Amazon Echo has an awesome new Wake Word. So far, the Amazon Echo has only had three. wake up words. They just added a room, which is a real treat for Star Trek fans. Here is how to start using it. Read more . Thanks to voice command technology called “Alexa,” what's inside the Amazon Echo is now also available on other devices, including the Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Echo Dot, and Amazon Tap.
With an Alexa-enabled device in your home, you can get a lot done. The following real-world examples show some original ways you can integrate Alexa into your lifestyle.
“Irish boy, video maker, baby maker and dog collector.” Jonathan Saccone and his wife have an Amazon Echo placed in the most important room in their home:the kitchen. With the speaker, they can order an Uber, buy a gift card for an arriving guest, and learn dinner time. And, the video below is evidence that they can do all this while carrying their two young children.
Yoan Andreev uses the Alexa home automation integration to control the lights around his house and the temperature of his spa heater. His video presentation gives you an idea of what Alexa can do and why buying smart lights might be a good option, depending on your situation.
Meanwhile, Instagram user Artnsole has plenty to say about food, today's political scene, and more. For a little one in the Artnsole family, though, it's all about listening to Christmas music on the Amazon Echo, regardless of the season.
Amazon Alexa seems to be getting smarter with every new software update Alexa can now order takeout Alexa Amazon can now order takeout from Amazon You can now order takeout from Amazon restaurants using nothing more than Alexa and your own voice . Which is perfect for those people who are too lazy to cook. Read more . Now you can answer thousands of questions and commands. 20 Echo Skills That Show Alexa Isn't Always That Smart. 20 Echo Skills That Show Alexa Isn't Always That Smart. Despite all the things you can do with Alexa out of the box, its extensibility through Skills is much more intriguing. Here are 20 echo skills that may surprise you! Read More YouTuber PhoneBuff shows off 50 random questions Alexa has answers for, including how many calories are in a pizza, are aliens real, and more.
The $200 Nanoleaf Aurora is one of those clever products that you have to see to believe. It's a modular LED panel lighting system that lets you experiment with light in fun and imaginative ways.
The Aurora Smarter Kit comes with nine triangular panels, which you can connect to form different designs on a wall or other surface in your home. You can connect up to 30 panels to the same power kit, as shown in the examples below.
From Switzerland comes this playful post by Dom ~ Domenico. As you can see, his Aurora is sophisticated and colorful, acting like an interactive art installation. Even his furry monochrome friend of his seems to love the new lighting artwork!
Santa is thanking for the new toy from Thea Shannon, who calls the Aurora the “Best Christmas Present! Still a lot of fun!” The design of it shows that there are unlimited opportunities to be creative with this smart home product!
Ready to see an aurora in action? Take a look at this video by J. Estrada and notice how the lights are constantly moving. They are controllable through the free Nanoleaf app. You can also control the lights using Apple HomeKit and Siri Alexa. How does Siri work? Voice control explained Alexa, how does Siri work? Voice Control Explained The world is moving towards voice commands for everything, but how exactly does voice control work? Why is it so glitchy and restricted? This is what you need to know as a lay user. Read More
Finally, if you like Aurora's style but prefer not to put it on your wall, consider this idea from Dong Wook. His lights sit on his living room coffee table for an interesting effect. This is also a great option for renters, who may be hesitant to leave marks on the walls of an apartment!
First introduced in late 2016, the $129 Google Home is Alphabet Inc.'s answer to the Amazon Echo Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs Apple HomePod Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple HomePod In this article, you will learn the differences between the Amazon Echo and Google Home. We'll also take a look at what features an Apple speaker can include. Read more . The oddly shaped device looks a lot like a two-tone air freshener. Like Alexa, Google Home offers a voice assistant to answer your questions. Aptly named Google Assistant, the speaker uses natural language processing, intended to improve reliability.
Google Home is certainly chatty, and it likes to play music, too, as it's compatible with Google Music, YouTube Red, Spotify, Pandora, and TuneIn. Here are some interesting ways others are using the device.
On the integration side, Google Home loves to play with Samsung's SmartThings and other smart products. In the video below, Keith Credendino demonstrates how his Google Homepage works with SmartThings, IFTTT, and Harmony Hub.
One of the benefits of using Google Home is its ability to play music, podcasts, or radio on multiple devices. By doing so, you can enjoy the same content in every room of your home, as this quick video by Ken Karpenter shows:
Lastly, are you looking for Google Home commands? Be sure to visit HomeAutomationX on YouTube, or watch this video for five useful commands you can use right now:
Philips Hue is the leader in smart lighting technology. 4 ways Philips Hue can take your lighting to the next level. 4 ways Philips Hue can take your lighting to the next level. Without Philips Hue, however, the smart home concept might never have gotten off the ground. . Here are some cool ways to make use of them. Read more . Its line of smart light bulbs (prices vary) and other light fixtures can change the look of a room with the press of your iPhone or by using your voice with Apple HomeKit or Amazon Alexa.
What I have always liked about Philip Hue is its ease of use. Simply connect the hub to your home Wi-Fi connection, start adding lights, and you're ready to go. Here are some examples of how others use this technology.
One of the benefits of using Philips Hue is its ability to sync with your songs. YouTuber Big Wax makes the most of his lighting system in the video below.
In the Axley T image below, you can't even see the Philip Hue bulbs. Instead, this image shows how adding a few well-placed lights can add color to a statement piece in your home. In this case, they certainly add new dimensions to a presented work of art.
Finally, Adrian Black 8 Great Apps for Philips Hue Lights 8 Great Apps for Philips Hue Lights The Philips Hue system has its own app, but why settle for the default when there are so many great options? These 8 apps give you fabulous options for some really cool effects. Read More explains how easy it is to combine Philips Hue with third-party apps 8 Great Apps for Philips Hue Lights 8 Great Apps for Philips Hue Lights The Philips Hue system has its own app, but why settle for the default when there are so many great ones? ? options out there? These 8 apps give you fabulous options for some really cool effects. Read More This video is a great example of how experienced smart home owners individualize their lighting settings to best suit their personal needs.
Finally, we'll complete your smart home tour with a smart home device that will keep your pets happy and you smiling. It's the CleverPet, an automatic dog feeder that doubles as a toy. To get started, all you have to do is connect the CleverPet hub to your home network, fill the bowl with your pup's favorite food, then kick back and enjoy.
Here are two fun examples of how your smart home can be set up to not only benefit its human occupants, but your pets as well.
First up is Devo and Lucy, from Athena Angelic, who started using CleverPet in February 2017. As you can see, both dogs are having a blast:
Unlike Devo and Lucy, Ripley has already become an expert at CleverPet. The dog is also a ham for the cameras, right?
There are many smart home devices on the market, but the way you use them can vary greatly. Think of devices as building blocks:they have great potential, but what the final product looks like is completely up to you. In this article, you've learned a little more about five of those products from people who use them every day in different ways.
Which of these smart home devices do you hope to use soon? Have you found any innovative ways to use the products on this list? Let us know using the comments below.
