Smart home technology is no longer only available to the wealthy or tech-savvy, and the industry has responded with ever more sophisticated solutions. While many associate this technology with gadgets such as Google’s Nest, Amazon’s Echo or Apple’s HomeKit the term is more expansive than that, and covers many different options for your home. These range from remote-controlled heating and lighting to CCTV, doorbells, home security systems and smart locks. Some let you monitor elderly a knockout post family members, pets, children and even monitor your children.
The most important aspect of any smart home system is integration. This is why the best products on the market are those that work with other systems and devices to make your property smarter. For example smart lighting can communicate with an centralized hub to set your lights to a specific schedule or to shut them off when you leave the house. A video doorbell can notify you of visitors who aren’t expected and trigger your alarm system call the police or fire department. Once you’ve got the hang of IFTTT (If This Then That) You can make use of services such as Stringify to automate your devices in more intricate ways.
Of course, bringing in a range of new smart devices into your home comes with its own set of concerns. That’s why CNET strives to know the privacy policies of the companies, highlight issues and respond directly to the businesses concerned.
