Smart home

Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller connects to Wi-Fi so you can control your sprinkler system or use automatic weather software to set a schedule for you.

Today I consider all 3 pillars of smart home technology (security, convenience, & energy savings) with a view to helping you plan your own smart home.

Best Buy may be packed with the latest technology, gear and accessories from your favourite brands. But did you know it’s also the place to find some of the most innovative products launched on Kickstarter?

Want to try smart lighting but not sure you want to make the big up-front investment? Philips Hue Bluetooth lights could be the answer. Read the review:

There are a lot of uses for an indoor security camera. I used the Blink Mini to find a mouse coming into my house.

Are you tired of high household energy bills? Sure, you could cancel all your utilities and live like Henry David Thoreau in a log cabin by a pond somewhere, but then how would you keep up with what’s happening on Walking Dead or The Voice? No, today, thanks to some nifty gadgets, you can still live in a modern household and save power with smarthome technology, and we’re going to show you how.

Why just have white lighting when you could have any colour? The Cync A19 smart LED bulb provides multi-colour options to any room in your home.

Learn about new Swann security cameras recently reviewed on the blog and hew tech honoured with a CES 2024 innovation award.

Smart devices, connected homes, embedded connected sensors, mobile devices and computers are all coming together in the Internet of Things (IoT). This massive network is constantly connected, constantly exchanging information and if it isn’t already, your home will soon be part of it. Your PC is a part of the IoT—both as a connected device itself and as an interface to other devices—and your Wi-Fi router is a critical, but often overlooked component. In this part of our Internet of Things series, I take a look at the role your computer plays and especially the importance of that Wi-Fi router.

Continuing our look at the ‘connected home’ let’s take a look at the idea of keeping your home ‘lived in’ while you’re travelling. This is especially handy this time of year while the weather warms up and many of us start making plans to travel and get out a lot more. Whether you’ve got a road trip or a vacation coming up, home security can be a concern while you’re away. With all the smart home technology you can employ nowadays it’s easy to give your home the appearance of remaining occupied as usual even though you’re out and about. If your home will be unoccupied for an extended period of time this can be particularly useful.