What if you could command an army of robots, what would you do? Contrary to popular belief that you’d use them to rule the world, you’d more likely just rule your home. Living comfortably and without stress, is an idea we all strive for. And yet, our lifestyles are dictated by the technology we have around us. Specifically, the home is where we eat, sleep, clean ourselves and relax. If you could live in a home of devices that tried their best to make your life simpler and more comfortable, wouldn’t you want them? Well, the future is here, it’s happening right in front of your eyes. In the previous decade, we saw the advent of smart assistants, that played music, kept you updated on the weather and reminded you of your schedule. In 2020, smart technology will leave no stone unturned in the home.
All show and plenty go
The very first voice-activated toy was released in 1911. We’ve come a long way from this great moment in history. In the previous decade, we had access to very good virtual assistants in the way of Amazon Echo, Google Home, Alexa, and Siri. However, these are the first generation and as with any other product, they are not quite the benchmark. For those of you that are new to this sort of technology, the abilities that the virtual assistant has will come as multiple pleasant surprises. For those of you that are, the second generation is all that you hoped for and more.
The Amazon Echo Show 2nd Gen is by far the leader in this field. It has a 5-megapixel camera that is used to make video calls, but it can also be turned off by using the mute button. It also has microphones all around the edges, so your voice will be picked up from any angle. It stands by itself thanks to the small housing box at the back of the screen. Speaking of which, you get a 10-inch HD screen which is fantastically agile and responsive. You can hook up the Echo Show anything that has smart technology, via Bluetooth. It can control your LED smart bulbs so you can turn the room lights off and on from one place. Create routines for the Echo Show to follow, such as alarm clocks, playing music when you get up, updating you with the weather at a certain time such as during breakfast and waiting for you when you get home to cook dinner and watch a show you like.
Sitting comfortably?
No area of the home will be left untouched by the amazing smart-tech revolution; not even your sofa. The first smart sofa in the world has been created by Miliboo. The sofa they have created is the home entertainment experience you’ve been waiting for. Inside the armrests, you have a smart computer that can be hooked straight to your Google Home assistant or Amazon Alexa. All you need to do is use your voice commands, just as you normally would, and the speakers on the sofa will pick up and recognize your voice. When you’re watching your favorite shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime, the sofa’s speakers will give you the first true sofa surround sound experience. The sofa will also vibrate during intense impactful moments in your shows. And before you ask, yes you can change the volume and vibration intensity, using the app.
The sofa allows you full lighting control of your room, so you can pause shows, light up the room and then go back to your shows in a darkened room, without having to get up. For gaming and YouTube, it’s right up there competing against the best smart gaming chairs. Here’s the best it; it can wirelessly charge your smartphone while resting on the armrest. This is truly a revolutionary step forward and setting the bar high for the contemporary lifestyle.
A smoother experience
Besides entertainment, smart-tech is useful for helping us with our need to heal, replenish and rejuvenate. The bathroom is one such area where we like to unwind and clean ourselves while aiding our aches and pains. If only you can get a smoother experience in the bathroom and not have to work everything by hand. That’s what U by Moen smart faucet does. It’s a voice-activated smart faucet, so you can change the temperate and intensity of the showerhead. Using the smart valve system, you can turn the showerhead on and off just by using your voice. This is excellent for when you’re shampooing and don’t want to have to sneak a peek at the taps to turn the water on; risking shampoo getting into your eyes.
This smart faucet is also essential for your kitchen. When you’re washing vegetables or dishes, you can change the water from hot or cold, without having to touch the taps. This keeps the kitchen so much cleaner and allows you to cut down seconds of your meal preparations, every day. Choose from a number of different finishes, such as stainless steel, matte black, brushed gold, oil rubbed bronze or polished nickel. Whether you use Amazon Echo or Google Home, this smart faucet is so helpful in all its applications.
No more pathetic graininess
It’s 2020 and still, there are plenty of rubbish CCTV cameras in place. It’s not uncommon to be watching a show about a crime that has taken place and the security camera footage is incredibly grainy. Some CCTV cameras are barely 20 frames per second and displaying 360p video. It’s quite embarrassing but it’s understandable as most CCTV cameras were built to last and survive abuse. However, these days if you place a home security camera strategically, there’s no way for them to be knocked off by a stone or sprayed with paint to block the lens.
The Arlo Ultra is incredibly small and can be stuck onto just about any surface. The rain and wind will not shift the camera so you can rest assured that a fixed position will stay fixed. The best part is, it shoots in full 4K or Ultra High Definition. This amazing home security camera brings an end to all grainy videos that would otherwise allow a burglar to be unrecognizable. It possesses a 180-degree field of view, has an in-built spotlight and audio siren and offers one-click 911 emergency contact via connectivity. It’s one of the more expensive models on the market sitting at $400, but what price safety of your home?
Securing your home
Smart locks were one of the first technologies created for the home. The latest and greatest model is the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect. This amazing piece of kit tracks when your doors open and close. It will give you a full report on the day, showing you the exact times when the door was opened and then closed. The door is locked and unlocked using voice-recognition commands. Alexa and Siri both work perfectly fine but you can use any other virtual assistant too, such as Samsung’s Bixby. There’s a small LED light that flashes when the door is locked, so you can just look and know if you can happily walk up the stairs to bed. It just takes your mind of the simple but very important things.
The home is set to become smarter by each passing year. This decade will show us just how far we’ve come by utilizing 5G networking to make the home smarter and faster than ever before.
Please note that some of the links above and below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
