There’s no denying home automation is convenient, comfortable, and secure. Unfortunately, many people don’t take advantage of this emerging technology because they believe it’s either too expensive or their home is too old — but that is definitely not the case.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at Aaron Dignan’s 200-year-old farmhouse in Westchester, New York. He’s a tech entrepreneur who refuses to let his old home dictate how he lives. Instead, he’s outfitted his antique living quarters with the latest smart home technology and enjoys a futuristic lifestyle at a fraction of what it would cost only a few years ago.
“Old houses and new technology have different kinds of potential energy — old buildings, old documents, old books, they’re irreplaceable. At the same time, new technology is new experiences and new controls and new powers that we haven’t had before….It used to be that smart houses were expensive and sophisticated, tens of thousands of dollars that would require an engineer to set them up.”
— Aaron Dignan
Aaron uses an app called Wink to set certain moods with lighting, open and close the garage door, and even to warm up his theremin so it’s ready to play when he gets home from work. And thanks to the Internet of Things, there’s many different ways you can do the same thing without having to dip into your mortgage money.
Here are some must-have items that will enable any old house for the future:
Lighting
WeMo LED Lighting Starter Set ($99.99)
The first step in creating a smart home is to control the lighting automatically. There is no need to fuss with light switches when your phone can do it all for you. The WeMo Lighting Starter Set makes it easy to enjoy warm and bright lighting while helping you conserve energy at the same time. And by creating schedules, you’ll be able to match the lighting for whatever mood you’re in throughout the day.
Indoor Surveillance
mydlink Wi-Fi Motion Sensor ($39.99) and Camera ($169.99)
Just because you’re not home doesn’t mean you can’t know what’s going on. The mydlink Wi-Fi Motion Sensor and Camera will alert you any time there is movement inside your home and allows you to see for yourself what’s going on. The camera can also be panned and zoomed from wherever you are and records audio and video. This is also a great tool to monitor what matters most — your children and pets.
Outdoor Surveillance
Samsung SmartCam HD Pro Outdoor Camera ($229.99)
Outdoor security systems are expensive, but the Samsung SmartCam HD Pro Outdoor Camera lets you do it all yourself. Featuring an ultra-wide angle lens, 1080p Full HD video quality, and night vision up to 50 feet; this one device will let you see exactly what’s going on outside. This makes it simple to keep track of package deliveries, make sure your kids don’t play on the street, or to finally find out whose dog is digging up your garden.
Keys
Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock ($199.00)
Fumbling around, looking for your house keys is never fun. Thankfully, the Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock makes sure you never have to do that again. All you need to do is tap the lock with your finger whenever your iPhone is in Bluetooth range and Kevo will open the door for you. And just in case you don’t have an iPhone, you can use the Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock Key Fob to do the same thing.
Temperature
Honeywell Lyric Smart Thermostat ($218.42)
Smart thermostats not only help you stay warm or cold, they actually save you money. And the Honeywell Lyric Smart Thermostat is an expert at optimizing these savings by using geofencing technology to regulate the temperature inside your home. So while most people have their homes set at one temperature, your house will change degrees whenever it needs to. The end result is more comfort and less spending.
Build the Smart Home of the Future, Today!
All the items listed above will make you feel like you’re living inside a Jetsons cartoon but the fun doesn’t end there. Home automation is a rapidly growing industry and it seems like every couple of months there is a new device being announced. So if what you’re looking for doesn’t exist yet, just wait. Eventually, everything we own will be connected in one way or another thanks to the Internet.
What do you think? What’s your favorite home automation product? Do you live in a smart home? How will the Internet of Things shape our future? Let us know in the comments below!
