Advancements in digital technology since the start of the 21st century have had a significant impact on the way people live their daily lives.
Improved Wi-Fi connectivity has been a game-changer, allowing households worldwide to completely transform the way they operate.
For example, if you had suggested during the 1990s that online gaming would become a mainstream entertainment activity, most people would have given you a strange look.
Fast forward to today and playing casino games online in the UK is a go-to daily pastime for millions of people across the country.
Smart devices have also become commonplace in recent years. They have helped to make households run far more efficiently than was previously the case.
However, if you have yet to jump on the smart device bandwagon, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. With that in mind, here is a beginner’s guide which will get you started.
Voice Assistants
Voice assistants are the easiest way to make your home smarter. From managing the lights to controlling the heating and more, they help to make households run more efficiently.
Smart speakers are the most common way to get voice control in your home. These provide easy access to voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Apple Siri.
Amazon’s wide range of Echo speakers are a hugely popular choice for many people. It is estimated that 130 million will be sold this year, highlighting their global influence.
Echo devices allow users to play music, conduct online searches, set alarms and control other smart devices located around your home.
You can also shop online at Amazon or other retailers, get weather information, check the latest traffic reports, keep up to date with sports news or listen to online books.
Home Security
Smart locks allow you to control access to your home remotely, thus negating the need to hand out keys to family or friends if you are away.
Smart doorbells are another great way to easily improve your home security, allowing you to see and communicate with visitors via video link.
Many smart doorbells pair with other cameras, which gives you the option to create a network that can detect motion, sends alerts and save video footage.
One of the most popular devices is the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus, which features 1536p high-definition Live View and Head-To-Toe View.
You can speak to whoever is at your door, from wherever you are, with Two-Way Talk. Customisable privacy settings ensure that what should be private, stays private.
Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats allow you to control your heating system and air conditioning from your smartphone, which can make a massive difference to your annual energy costs.
The Nest thermostat is the most commonly-used device and undoubtedly deserves the title ‘smart’ when delving deeper into its array of features.
Users do not even have to programme a Nest thermostat. Simply change the temperature whenever you like during the first few days after it has been installed.
The device will get to know the temperatures you like and when you want them. It then programmes itself and creates a weekly temperature schedule.
It also considers the outside weather conditions and can work out how early it needs to turn your heating on to get your home to the target temperature on time.
