The latest connected devices supercharge your home
The holidays are the perfect time to stock up and make your home “smarter” with a variety of devices that allow you to automate and remotely control door locks, lights, household systems and more.
Here are five gadgets that can make your life around the house easier — or at least more fun. Remember, the smart home experience is better with a high-speed broadband connection.
Smart Hub:
You can control many smart devices through individual phone apps, but to truly take advantage of a smart home setup, you need a hub. While some hubs run everything through an easy-to-use app — such as the Wink Hub, $69 — there’s something cool about controlling your devices with voice comands through an Apple HomePod, $349; Google Home, $129; or Amazon Echo, $99.99.
The hub you choose will determine the other smart gadgets you buy since there are competing communication standards.
Smart Thermostat:
A smart thermo- stat is not only handy — the devices are capable of learning your routine and effectively program themselves— but it can help you save money by heating and cooling your home more efficiently. One of the most popular options is the Nest thermostat, which starts at $169. With its new temperature sensors, which can be placed in different rooms, you can tell the thermostat a specific area of the home, such as the baby’s room or the kitchen, to maintain a specific temperature.
Smart Lights:
If you want remotely controlled outdoor Christ- mas lights, the easiest solution is to connect them to something like the iHome iSP100 Outdoor SmartPlug,$39.99. The plug connects through your Wi-Fi net- work, is compatible with all digital assistants and is resistant to dirt, dust and rain. If you have an Echo, the company Light Rhapsody makes indoor holiday lights, $59.99, that use Alexa to set different colors, add effects, change brightness, dance to music and turn the lights on or off.
Smart Toy:
Speaking of gifts, how about the DropMix Music Gaming System, $69.99, by Harmonix, the people who created “Rock Band.” The DropMix Music Gaming System is played by placing color-coded cards on the board and building musical tracks using elements from songs. The game comes with 60 cards with music by popular artists, and more packs are avail- able in different genres, including hip-hop and rock.
Smart Lock:
The many features that smart locks offer include unlocking with your phone, responding to voice commands and linking to other devices, such as unlocking the door if the smoke detector goes off. The new Kwikset Kevo, $314 for all features, also adds a neat new option. To open your door, you just need to touch the lock — even with the side of your finger or your elbow. It’s a lifesaver if you’re juggling kids or some last-minute gifts.