How Using Smart Items Help Improve Your Life

 

Some people are reluctant to use smart devices because they fear that these innovations might infringe on their private lives. Despite this, however, smart technology has been gaining traction at a fast rate that, most probably, almost every home will be run by these gadgets a few years from now.

Smart technology is quickly changing the business industry by automating countless processes, allowing owners to generate results within seconds or, sometimes, in a mere snap. These also encourage more and more people to adopt a more sustainable way of living, which significantly reduces pollution. 

Smart items are constantly improving the lives of a lot of people through various ways. These are the following:

1. Improve Your Home’s Security

Security is one of the primary concerns of many homeowners. Fortunately, having smart cameras installed around your property can help you monitor all activities within your property’s premises, especially during the night. Unlike the conventional types, smart cameras can be controlled using a smartphone. In the event of a security threat, you can quickly go to the camera feed and take a look at what could be happening without having to step out of bed.

Apart from such cameras, smart sensors and sound alarms also prove to be helpful as these make it easy for break-ins to be detected. In case of theft, culprits can be traced using biometric technology. Smart locks are also becoming popular among people who want to keep their homes safe because, just like security cameras, they can be controlled and accessed via smartphones.

2. Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals Faster

If you have set some fitness goals for yourself, smart fitness technology can help you achieve them faster. There are numerous smart fitness items available in the market today to help you make the most out of your fitness efforts. From calorie intake to hydration, these items can help you achieve that physique you’ve always wanted, as well as optimum health.

Some smart items that prove to be useful to anyone who is seeking to improve the fitness aspect of their lives include Ozmo Active Smart Cup that monitors hydration levels, and iFit Sleep HR that monitors the quality of rest. If you are looking for a gadget that can help you track your exercise goals, Fitbit Charge 3 would be an ideal pick. With this smart device, you can keep track of your heart rate and sleep quality

3. Reduce Energy Costs 

When you are away from home, still having to pay for electricity beats logic. Fortunately, smart items enable you to take charge of your energy consumption in various ways. For instance, your smart automation hub turns off appliances that are not in use. This eliminates energy drain resulting from idling appliances, which helps lower your energy costs. 

If you don’t have an automation hub, you can access your smart items, such as thermostats and lights, remotely through your smartphone and turn the idle appliances off. In addition, there are numerous smart items that help keep your energy costs low through the automatic power down mode feature. For instance, space heaters allow users to use scheduled timers to avoid power wastage. Timers and motion detectors also help reduce lighting costs by turning lights off when no one is using them. 

4. Improve Your Driving Experience

Driving in the future will be much more convenient and safer, making the person behind the wheel feel more comfortable. While the world is not 100% there, there is so much going on already in terms of improving transport systems, as well as people’s driving experience. New cars are now being built with tech features for enhanced safety. 

For instance, there are now cars with automatic headlights that make them more visible while on the road. Vehicles are also fitted with automatic emergency brakes that prevent collisions, and lane veering warnings that reduce chances of getting into accidents. Even though self-driving cars are not in the market yet, autonomous technology is already causing cars to do much of the hard work with features like self parking that are already being tested. 

Contactless technology is also changing the way people drive or hire transport services. Uber is a great example of how this technology is providing ways to pay for transport services without using cash machines. In new vehicle models, one-upping touch screen and voice technologies are giving people a better driving experience. 

5. Improve Home Entertainment

Smart technology is changing the way people enjoy home entertainment. With the advent of smart entertainment devices that offer better sound capabilities, high resolution picture quality, and superior connectivity, families are now able to bring a real cinema experience in their homes. 

Some smart items that are improving the way people experience home entertainment include smart TVs and laser projectors that offer full HD resolution, as well as TV streaming hubs that eliminate the need for physical cords in content streaming. Smart communication devices that come with voice-controlled capabilities also improve home entertainment by facilitating live broadcasting, wireless screen sharing, video conferencing, and security surveillance. 

6. Make It Easier To Care For Your Pets

Pets are great companions, especially if you are living alone. They can lift your spirits whenever you feel down and stressed out. But, caring for them entails responsibilities that can get a bit overwhelming at times. This is where you need to consider getting smart items to help take care of your pet.

There is so much you can do with smart gadgets when it comes to caring for your pet. For example, using Petsafe Smart Feed Automatic Feeder, you’re not only able to schedule your pet’s feeding time, but this gadget also allows you to determine the right amount of food to give them. This smart pet feeder enables you to schedule a maximum of twelve meals.

In addition, the IFetch Interactive Ball Launcher makes it possible for dogs to play by themselves, while Petsafe Elite Dog Training Collar allows furparents to much more conveniently train their canine companions.

7. Allow You To Keep Better Track Of Children

Every parent is concerned about the safety of their children, especially when they are away. Although parents would like to keep track of their children at all times, it’s just not possible because there are far too many things that require their attention. Smart items are proving to be a great solution to this problem.

Whether one has a child attending preschool or middle school, using GPS trackers would enable them to monitor the welfare of their kids even from afar. Such gadgets are able to capture and submit data to show parents the time their children leave school and the time they get home. Parents can also keep track of what happens in between school activities.

Some interesting smart items that enable parents to keep track of their children include Gizmo Watch that enables kids to reach out to their parents while they are away and even send them their location after every 30 minutes. Another tool, Amber Alert GPS Locator, enables parents to identify where  their children are at any given time. 

8. Enable You To Manage Different Devices From A Single Point

One of the greatest benefits that smart technology can offer humanity is convenience. Through this, people can be able to connect all their devices from a single point, something that makes home management easy. In many occasions, a phone is sufficient to connect smart home devices, like lights, thermostats, locks, doorbells, and security cameras. However, people who use different products can use home automation hubs to make the devices interact and to be able to control them from a single point.  

The Insteon Hub is an example of a home automation hub that controls all Insteon devices. It can be integrated with products from Logitech, First Alert, and Sonos, and supports Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexa voice commands.

Another example of a home automation hub is Samsung’s SmartThings Hub. This hub controls smart devices with multiple protocols, and comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, and ZigBee and Z-Wave functionalities. Although it works with most Samsung products, it can also control the majority of the widely used smart items from leading companies, including Philips and Kwikset. The Samsung SmartThings Hub can be controlled using Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice commands.  

9. Allow You To Run Your Home Remotely

Smart devices can play a big role in empowering users to manage their homes remotely through their smartphones. A few years ago, this was just a dream for many, but smart devices are now making it happen. With smart technology, people are now able to run their vacuum cleaners, turn off lights, and even feed their pets without being physically present inside their homes. 

Today, there are numerous devices that enable home automation, including smart bulbs, thermostats, door bells, and complex security systems. Some smart items that people are using to run their homes remotely include Wemo Insight Smart Plug that enables users to control their electronics, synchronize home lights with the sunset so that lights go on when darkness sets in, and schedule AC units for efficient energy consumption remotely using their phones or tablets. 

Another smart item, Samsung Powerbot R7070, comes with WiFi connectivity that enables users to run it remotely through their smartphones to map and clean the house when the owner is away. With the Nest Learning Thermostat, people are able to lower their energy costs and manage the temperatures in their homes remotely via their phones. 

10. Increase Your Home’s Value

For most people, the motivation to carry out upgrades in their homes is for them to enjoy the comfort that those upgrades bring. But, there is usually another aspect that may not be obvious at the time of upgrading, and this has to do with how such upgrades could affect the resale value of such properties in the future. 

At a time when there are numerous smart items in the market, using them to implement high-end upgrades in your home can go a long way in boosting the value of your property. Installation of state-of-the-art equipment goes beyond kitchens and bathrooms to include every aspect of the home. Sound systems, thermostats, and window treatments are now being installed in homes to increase their resale value.

In the future, when you decide to sell the home off, some smart items that will make it more appealing to buyers include smart lighting, smart smoke detectors, automated curtains and blinds, smart lighting, smart locks, smart thermostats, and built-in speakers

11. Cut Down Insurance Costs

Home insurance is a critical cost that homeowners must take off. The cost of insurance premiums are determined by how likely a customer would make a claim. Often, this is reflected by risk– the higher the risk, the higher the premium. Installation of smart items in a home can lower the cost of insurance. This is because smart technology enables homeowners to provide better security, increase energy efficiency, minimize damage, and detect issues early. 

Estimates show that with smart technology, homeowners can reduce insurance premiums by up to 20%, depending on the number of smart devices they have. Some smart devices that have a significant impact on home insurance include wireless security systems, video doorbells, smart locks, and smoke detectors. For each smart item that you install in your home, you get to reduce your home insurance by 5%. 

Final Words

If you want to turn your abode into a smart home, there is an array of smart items in the market from which you could choose. But, before you go out shopping for smart items, decide whether you want to use wired devices that you have to connect to a power source or those with built-in rechargeable batteries. 

Installing wired devices could mean a heavy initial investment in a wiring system, but they prove to be more convenient in the long run. On the one hand, rechargeable devices are easy to install, but their batteries have to be recharged regularly to prevent power drain. 

Compatibility is an essential factor to consider when shopping for smart items. This means looking at the technology you are currently using and picking smart items that fit the tech lifestyle you already have in  your home. Also, pay attention to the cost of acquiring smart items for your home. To ensure that you get the best value for your money, opt for smart devices that you would need in the long term.