The reach of the Internet of Things (IoT) is incredibly far and wide, as demonstrated by the increasing number of connected devices that are transforming the energy, agriculture, transportation, and healthcare industries. With over 34 billion devices expected to be connected to the internet by 2020, the IoT is being called the next Industrial Revolution, changing the way we interact with the physical world. Today, that revolution even enters our most private and cherished space by bringing a number of devices connected to the IoT into our homes.
If youre interested in connecting your devices in an effort to create a seemingly impossible smart home, here are the 5 best connected consumer devices for your home on the market today:
Nest
Hate the feeling of returning to a freezing home in the dead of winter or walking into a sweltering apartment in the middle of a heat wave? If your answer is yes, Nest offers a way for you to control your homes temperature with excellent precision right from your smartphone. The Nest family now includes a renowned thermostat, the Nest Protect, which includes a smoke detector, and the Nest Cam, a security a camera with high definition playback.
Nest works with an increasing number of other smart products, from Philips Hue lights (on this list) to the Whirlpool Washer to make all of your home automation devices work together most effectively. If your Nest Protect senses carbon monoxide, for instance, the thermostat will automatically turn off the furnace and signal to your smart lights that they should start sending off warning blinkers to get your attention. Your dryer can also learn from Nests data and automatically start its next cycle when energy demand is lowest, which can in turn help you save on your energy bill.
Philips Hue and Hue Tap
Philips Hue powers energy-efficient LED light bulbs with intuitive technology so that you can control all the lights in your home from an app on your phone, whether you are at home or miles away. You can set light activation schedules to help you wake up, to welcome you home after a long day, or to dim in the evening to help prepare for a healthy nights sleep. Hue also lets you make any environment reflect your desired mood, allowing you to create a comfortable ambiance with cool daylight, warm sunlight, or a natural twilight all with the touch of a button.
Related to Hue, Hue Tap is a new accessory that allows users to control the lighting of a room without using a smartphone. Powered by your touch, the small device can remember your favorite Hue scenes, allowing you to recreate them with the touch of a button. If you want your bedroom to be technology-free, the tap is a great add-on that lets you control all your lights from the comfort of your bed without having to turn to any screens for help.
NetAtMo Welcome Security Camera
The Welcome Security Camera uses revolutionary face recognition technology to keep your home safe. Welcome sends you a message with the names of people it sees entering your home and immediately alerts you whenever it sees a stranger. The app lets you check to see who is currently home, keep track of past ins and outs, and watch a live stream when youre not there. Whenever Welcome hears an alarm, be it a security alarm or a siren, it sends you a message and records an HD video. All videos and identification data are stored privately on a local SD card, and a screenshot of every event is also stored for free in the cloud.
Getting started with Welcome is very easy: simply place the stylish and unobtrusive camera in the entrance of your home, plug it in, and identify your family members with one tap on the app. NetAtMo also offers an outdoor security camera, named the Presence, and a weather station, which gives you real-time updates on the weather outside so you know what to expect when you head out. It also measures indoor air pollution to help you create a healthier home.
Belkin WeMo
WeMo offers a whole ecosystem of related home automation products, with the goal of putting the control of your entire home at your fingertips, by helping you control your power, water, Wi-Fi, and home electronics with your smartphone or tablet. WeMo even offers a Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker that is powered by the internet, so if youre running late to cook dinner, you can turn it on, set the temperature, set timers, and watch your cooking status all from the WeMo app.
The app also features the WeMo Insight Switch, which will send you notifications about your energy usage, letting you know where your water and electricity are being used (and overused or misused), and it lets you turn your electronics on and off from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi connection.
Sen.se Mother
Mother is a family of smart sensors that lets you monitor whatever you want to keep track of, whether it’s your sleeping habits, your steps per day, whether or not youve taken your medicine at the right time, or what time your kids get home from school. Because the sensors, called Motion Cookies, are so small and sleek, the list of possible uses for this product is really endless, making it easy to make any household product smart.
All you have to do is select your monitoring app, place a Motion Cookie on whatever it is youre choosing to monitor, and then check the app to see all the information collected. For example, if youve attached a Motion Cookie to a medicine bottle and missed your scheduled time to take your pills, youll be notified. If youve attached a Motion Cookie to your Keurig, you can monitor your coffee consumption or get an alert when youre about to run out of grinds or capsules.
The IoT is making our homes smarter, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. These connected devices allow you to create the optimal conditions for you and your loved ones with the touch of a button, making the home a place for relaxation and enjoyment, rather than a source of stress and constant upkeep.