A few years ago, a “smart” home was something of a concept that was more practical in sci fi movies and old cartoons than in real life. Over the past two or so years, a new wave of smart home devices have been flooding the market to great success. What’s awesome about this influx of smart home technology is that it can be applied at pretty much any budget or level of integration at this point.
On one end of the spectrum, we have whole home systems that can go so far as to light the pathway that you walk down at night, to the more budget- and apartment-friendly options that just turn your living room light on before you get home.
For consumer-level options, we have the Belkin’s Wemo home automation line which either automates a light switch or a wall outlet. These devices, and anything they are attached to, can be controlled from your phone or set on a timer. Another consumer-friendly product line is by a company called Nest that has created smart thermostats and fire alarms that integrate with your phone, giving appliances that have typically been ignored a makeover both conceptually and physically.
Making its debut at the 2014 CES trade show was the Canary, billed as “the world’s first smart home security device for everyone.” The Canary sits in an optimal position in your house or apartment and takes diagnostics which you can view from your phone. It tracks motion with an HD camera that can save or stream video to cloud storage.
It will notify you in the case of drastic change in temperature, humidity, and excessive movement or noise when you are not home. You can even track air quality trends or watch your pets at home. Advertised at $200, it is certainly one of the most affordable smart home security options available at this time.
Smart home devices are unquestionably one of the next big things for technology. Nest was originally crowdfunded and has been since purchased by Google for 3.2 billion dollars. Not only are the technology giants getting in on the trend, but average people are now invested in making their lives and homes more connected and efficient.
Join the movement — grab a WeMo on special this month and get automated!