Smart Home Is Handy But Not A Handless Concept

Having a beautiful home (other than a lovely wife) with pristine ambiance is what everyone on earth longs for, to secure that ultra-comfort for our loved ones. But now is the appropriate time to look for prime ways to turn our dwelling into smart residences, replete with new age sophistication and comfort. In this write-up, there is highlighted a handful of appropriate products to consider in such a domestic pursuit.

As a result of express wireless technology, we are now equipped to literally live with innovation by being able to command and control amenities, such as lights, heaters, TVs and sound systems, doors, CCTVs, intercommunication with other family members in other rooms and so forth.

Certainly, all such chores can be managed by using voice or through visual interface (don’t be surprised)and even with a smartphone based app.

Now for such a novel tech framework, there is a centralized command system to manage all of such crucial sub-systems and which runs on internet, Bluetooth, z-Wave or any such protocol. Not surprisingly, in search of tech-enabled serenity and to pull that sophisticated quietude, market sentiments are deeply tilted in favour of such premium home automation systems and then, any such device of any make is initially designed in perfect compatibility with other brand products in home automation category.

Interestingly, there has been addition (as relentless as ever) in the list of home automation items, such as:

• Doorbells based on video enabled face recognition,
• Smart lighting systems,
• Hi-tech security devices,
• Smart plugs and sockets,
• Smoke or water detection mechanisms,
• Locks have become deeply automated too,
• Smart TVs,
• Automated music systems,
• In entertainment, real life visuals and sound when filtered through digital technology,
• Robots to clean up, to serve soft drinks (including other hard drinks, lol), mopping floors, to mow loans and so forth,

Sans doubt, modern day dwelling are fast turning into smart homes. We highlight some of the major home automation systems, which have gathered a wide traction among households, popularly known as Home Hub, below:

1). Amazon Echo:

This is the prime home automation system where Alexa Voice circuit is precisely utilized. Alexa is again the proprietary of Amazon and Echo is designed as a unique device showing a great compatibility with cloud connection, simply to unleash music, call making, alerting, task scheduling, to seek answers to general queries and seeking weather or traffic status.

• The Echo design gives room to explicit microphones with powerful speakers, used to gather voice requests from anywhere in the specific premises and to react accordingly.
• There are available many product versions, as the original Echo is priced at $99, Amazon also innovated smaller type and named it as Echo DoT which, half price is asked for than for the former type but then, one should willing to enjoy limited functions.
• Extending further, they have Echo Spot smart alarm clock i.e. Echo Show which is handy portable TV small in shape and to help you take care of your cars, Echo Auto and Echo Plus are there, not to forget Fire TV cube media player.

Clearly, such is a host of striking features and serviceableness from Amazon Echo and company unrolls exclusive offers on special occasions in a calendar year. Amazon is hailed all across the horizon for riding high on its Alexa powered items, ensuring complete consumer satisfaction.

2). Google Home Hub:

Such is yet another home automation system popular among smart consumers where Google Assistant acts like our trusted digital manager and gets command through voice but is managed by a visual interface (or like a tablet that is fuelled by voice).

• We are empowered to view weather detail, major events and notifications, manage schedules everyday and can visit YouTube to watch videos in addition to other services.
• When idle, a clock occupies every pixel of screen or we can use it as a photo frame in digital mode, linked to our Photo account of Google.
• Such can be made to work like a central home automation hub and other devices can brought into its networked-ambit. Residents can easily manage lights, heat, tighter security and so forth.
• To brighten up life, other Google services can also be included as well as it is designed to be deeply compatible with devices of other make.

3). Wink Hub 2:

Counted among the prominent hubs made for home automation, such can be installed either through wireless or link can be made to the router by an Ethernet cable. Once done, Wink App can be downloaded on Android or iOS platform which can either be a smartphone or a smart watch. Now, we have everything under our control and we can highlight the devices, we wish to take control of.  Following are some select features of this home automation device:

• Commands can be transmitted by a visual interface, just like Google Hub, but beware, voice commands are not supported by Wink 2.
• For such a purpose, any of the prominent voice assistants can be configured to the main device, i.e. Google Assistant Siri or Alexa,
• Easily mingle with other smart products, Yes!, by default, by capitalising IFTTT programming loop based protocol, which is If-This-Then-That and we can make smart devices to accomplish specific tasks for us, depending upon a certain condition satisfied thereby, like switching on lights, ACs or heating devices at determined time or to set temperature or to activate cameras when the door sensor records some action and so forth,

4). Samsung Smart Things:

• Managed and controlled by a mobile based app, this hub is meant to collect home systems together on one page for efficient handling,
• Samsung offers scores of peripheral devices to function with this Hub, in tandem, such as sensors performing multiple functions, sensors detecting movement and other smart buttons,
• Samsung Smart Hub is fully designed to be compatible with smart gadgets of other make,
• For seamless connection, Hub mainly depends upon Z-Wave and Zigbee protocols and users are allowed to customized the IFTTT protocol as per preference,
• A built-in battery is here, as a potent source to deal strictly with power failure. Other hubs lack this facility,
• Voice commands can be established with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant but one can’t enjoy similar multi-media resolution offered by other brands,
• Finally, Smart Things hub is certainly one among many options meant for home automation but we have to integrate so many other hardware items and thus, experiencing excellence is a bit slower process,

5). Apple HomeKit:

This is especially meant for users with Apple devices where iOS or macOS app is central to ensure perfect command and control for numerous devices from far location. Following are some major aspects of this Hub:

• Touch screen or a voice command is used with the help of Siri,
• Consumers enjoy a wide spectrum of supreme hardware for audio-video, to control lights, sensors, thermostats and cameras,
• Siri voice controls are seasoned enough and are compatible to other voice assistants allowing users to speak in purely natural way,
• Ensuring proper coverage across rooms and premises, explicit configuration can be set-up, as preferred,
• HomeKit offers limited functionality because of selective hardware requirements but still, one can expect an elevated social status by virtue of supreme home automation marked by living sophistication,

Some Drawbacks:

• Issues in proper usability,
• Bring other gadgets into connection, is not so smooth. Such need to be linked when codes are scanned and for such a purpose, only an iPhone or iPad is needed,
• Smart devices are not easy to function along with this Hub,
• Apple Inc has been hard on the use of necessary gadgets from other brands. However, Apple HomeKit declares to have gone soft on this aspect but not so much word on this.

 

 

 

Tags: Alexa, Amazon Echo, Apple HomeKit, Google Home Hub, home automation, Samsung SmartThings, Siri, Smart Homes, Smart Watch, Wink Hub 2