Five Smart Home Technology Trends
“Smart Home” is one of those buzz phrases that can mean different things to different people, like “cloud computing” or “Internet 2.0”. Here are five useful trends in home technology that fall under the banner of the Smart Home.
1. The Hub Is in Your Hand
The idea of some centralized portal hub being needed to control all your home’s functions is now seen as being overkill. All you will need to wirelessly control everything in your house is your smartphone or tablet loaded with a specialized app. Music, HVAC, lighting, security and any other remote access home technology will be controlled from your own personal devices, plus of course wall touchpanels if you manage to drag yourself off the couch.
In fact, there are Wi-Fi control options available on many Mitsubishi Electric cooling and heating systems.
2. Home Zoning
Sometimes the phrase “smart home” seems too broad. How about smart rooms? Programmable or zone-based thermostats are here to stay. It doesn’t make any sense anymore to try to shoehorn the same climatic conditions into every room of your house.
Don’t spend money on heating rooms when there is nobody in them. Room-by-room comfort is the way to go. Turn the heat on or down from anywhere with your personal device and a programmable thermostat. Zone-based thermostats allow you to individually condition different areas of your home.
3. Low-Power Wi-Fi Conversion
Take a regular device and transform it into a controllable smart device. This is the idea behind the Roost, a connected battery that lasts for almost five years and can transform an existing smoke detector into a connected smoke detector. One caveat: the international standard for low-power Wi-Fi has not actually been released yet, so the early adopters may suffer some compatibility issues.
4. Security Systems Do More And More Things
One-touch monitoring of things inside and outside the house keeps expanding. Automated door locks are on the way, unlocking or even opening your front door if you are approaching with your hands full. Voice recognition is gaining traction as not only a way to communicate with people inside or outside the home, but also as a way to control your various security or personalized comfort components.
5. Décor-Friendly Gadgets
What good is smart home technology if it clashes with your home’s décor and ambience? Tech companies are making sure their home automation technologies look nice, and are able to blend into the room style. Smart thermostats need aesthetically-pleasing good design and smart door locks need to look sleek and modern.
