Are you ready to trick out your dorm room or college apartment for the new school year? We've got you covered. From speakers to lights, here are some of the best smart devices for your home away from home.
First introduced in late 2014, the Amazon Echo (UK) remains the must-have product for college students. The Bluetooth speaker offers 360-degree omnidirectional audio, allowing you to stream songs from Spotify or iTunes on your iPhone using the free app. It has Pandora and Audible built-in. And yes, you can use it to stream music from Amazon's Prime Music service.
But the Amazon Echo is much more than a speaker. 7 Creative Uses for Amazon Echo and Alexa. 7 Creative Uses for Amazon Echo and Alexa. You've seen the ads starring Alec Baldwin, but you're still not sure what the Amazon Echo does or if you need it. one in your house. We're about to find out. Read more . It also houses an intelligent personal assistant called Alexa. Use the service to get answers to your questions, hear the latest news and weather, or learn more about local businesses. You can also use Alexa to search for sports scores and schedules, and current traffic reports. Need a midnight pizza fix? Yes, Alexa can also order food.
One of the best things about the Amazon Echo is that it's fully integrated How to Try the Amazon Echo in a Browser How to Try the Amazon Echo in a Browser Want to buy an Amazon Echo but not sure if it's worth it? Now you can test Alexa skills online. Read More As such, you can control your lights, switches, or temperature with ease. Of course, in a dorm room you'll only need to install temporary devices like Philips Hue smart lights or WeMo smart plugs.
Looking for something less expensive?? Consider the Amazon Tap. The $99 device is similar to the Amazon Echo, except to ask Alexa a question, you need to press a button. As a bonus, the Amazon Tap offers dual speakers and doesn't require a power cord. The device provides up to 9 hours of playback between charges.
Amazon Echo keeps getting better thanks to monthly software updates. There's no telling what you could do to impress your friends next.
When your parents were in college, the lights had two settings, on and off. Today, you can adjust the mood and appearance of your bedroom or apartment with a simple tap on your smartphone.
With LIFX smart bulbs, you can choose from millions of colors or 1,000 shades of white. Best of all, setting up LIFX doesn't require a hub, bridge, or additional hardware. Simply replace your existing bulbs and download the free LIFX app to get started.
LIFX bulbs are available at various price points.
Philips Hue requires you to purchase a separate bridge for your smart lights. For this, however, you have more shopping options 6 ways to make Philips Hue Lights more useful 6 ways to make Philips Hue Lights more useful Read more. In addition to white, colored and ambient lights, Philips Hue also offers string lights, a perfect addition to any college party.
You can buy a Philips Starter Pack (CA/UK) for around $70.
Looking for more? Take a look at Philips Hue Bloom (CA, UK), which is designed to create indirect ambient lighting wherever an electrical outlet is available. You can also use Philips Hue Bloom to sync movies and music.
Philips also offers the non-tone wake-up light (CA, UK). This product helps you start your day better by providing a colored sunrise simulation. The wake-up light also comes with five natural sounds for a more restful sleep, FM radio and reading lamp.
For those looking for a less expensive smart lighting solution, consider the Bluetooth-enabled Flux Bluetooth Smart LED (AC) Light Bulb. Being energy efficient, Flux supports one color palette How to set up smart lights so they don't disturb everyone How to set smart lights so they don't disturb everyone Sometimes all you want is a smart light bulb that does what it's supposed to what to do - turn on or turn off Sometimes it can be very difficult to get your smart light to work properly! Read more than 16 million colors and also different shades of white light.
Smart lighting continues to get better, and don't be surprised to see newer products heading to stores in the months and years to come. Many of these are likely to come at prices even lower than those already available.
Thanks to falling prices and improving technology, security cameras aren't just for homeowners. Some of the most popular cameras are ideal for a college dorm or apartment.
Nest Cam (CA, UK) by Google features a modern design that's subtle enough to blend in with the rest of your environment. Offering 1080p HD video, Nest works when you're away automatically using your phone's location. With 24/7 live streaming, advanced night vision, and motion and sound alerts, Nest Cam offers home security. Practical uses for your home. Surveillance cameras. Practical uses for your home. Surveillance cameras. and prices go down. Here are some practical uses for home security cameras, some of which may surprise you. Read More
Products like Withings Home (CA, UK) take this a step further by offering two-way audio. Use it to communicate with your roommates or let them know you'll be running a little late for class.
Canary (CA, UK) all-in-one home security device includes an alarm. If you receive a motion alert and notice there is a problem, Canary offers two solutions to resolve the issue. You can remotely ring the alarm or press the emergency call button on the app. If someone breaks into your bedroom, it won't be long before the whole floor finds out.
Piper nv (CA, UK) is perhaps the geekiest camera on our list, and we mean that in a good way. Another all-in-one solution, the Piper nv is considered the first 180 degree night vision HD camera. Piper nv is a great option with live and recorded video, instant mobile alerts, Z-Wave home automation, and an extensive list of environmental sensors. For those who don't need night vision, Piper Classic (CA / UK) is more affordable.
For your peace of mind, webcams are a practical solution for college life. They help keep your home safe, even when you're not around. A good rule of thumb:make sure your roommates are on board when adding a camera.
Belkin offers two low-cost smart products 6 Non-Belkin WeMo Smart Plugs 6 Non-Belkin WeMo Smart Plugs Read More worth considering. The WeMo Insight Switch (UK) connects your home appliances and electronic devices to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to remotely turn devices on or off. With the free WeMo app for iOS or Android, you can create custom rules and schedules, so devices only run when you want them to run. In contrast, the WeMo Switch (CA/UK) works over Wi-Fi and over a cellular connection.
Wemo Insight Smart Plug with energy monitoring, WiFi enabled, control your devices and manage energy costs from anywhere, works with Alexa and the Google Assistant Wemo Insight Smart Plug with energy monitoring, WiFi enabled, control your devices and manage energy costs from anywhere, works with Alexa and the Google Assistant Buy Now On Amazon $32.98
Setting up a Belkin device is relatively painless. Download the WeMo app, then plug the switch into a power outlet. Connect the switch to your Wi-Fi network and follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. Now you can turn your electronics/appliances on or off from anywhere.
Finally, there are two additional smart home products your dorm room or apartment shouldn't have, Google Chromecast and the Mr. Coffee Smart coffee maker.
Google Chromecast is a media streaming device that plugs into your TV's HDMI port. You can use it to stream video content 7 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Chromecast 7 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With a Chromecast You've finally taken the plunge and bought yourself a shiny new Chromecast, but what? happens later? Here are seven things you didn't know you could do with one of Google's dongles... Read More Chromecast works with iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and Chromebook.
The Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker (CA) allows you to make a cup of coffee from anywhere with your smart device. With the WeMo app, you can schedule or adjust brew time and set reminders so your coffee is fresh and hot when you want it.
From lighting to speakers, there are plenty of smart home solutions available for a dorm room or college apartment. Each is easy to set up, and most are inexpensive.
What kind of smart home solution have you prepared to start the school year?
