A combination of internet technology and smartphones has resulted in phenomenon called Internet of Things or IoT. These devices are capable of interacting with each other using wireless technology and promise more intuitive surroundings. Some office spaces already make use of smart motion-sensin lights and air conditioners, but can you do the same when it comes to your personal spaces? Read on to find out some ways you can transform your home into a smart home at the cost of an iPhone!
1. Lights
One of the most terrifying components of monthly bills is the one telling you how many times you forgot to turn off that light and fan when you left home. Smart lights have been designed to help you both control and change lights as per your requirements. While these smart light bulbs do cost more than traditional bulbs, but they help in taming the surging power costs and also help add to the house’s existing decor, all with a single tap on your smartphone. Philips has a range of smart lighting solutions including the Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting Starter Kit which comes with three wireless bulbs and a hue bridge at Rs 12,000. It lets you play with the tone, colour, and brightness of the bulbs with a compatible app.
2. Security Camera
With the coming of technology, home surveillance is easier than before. Add to it the power of the internet and wireless connectivity and you have all the power stored right into your very personal smartphone. Smart surveillance cameras allow you to monitor your home remotely through an app and also allow one to send audio commands. With the option of storing video footages over the cloud, there are lesser chances of you running out of storage. These compact cameras can also double as baby monitors. These home monitoring systems are available for as low as Rs 4,985 for the Motorola Focus 66 WiFi home video camera and go up to Rs 18,000 for the Samsung Smartcam HD Pro and Rs 25,599 for the Nest Cam.
3. Smart Locks
If you don’t intend to make your house look like a fortress with security cameras installed everywhere, you can have smart locks for equal security. The smart locks can be either remotely controlled with an app or unlock using e-keys. These smart locks are available at a price starting Rs 5,499 for the traditional-looking Noke padlock and can go up to Rs 22,000 for the Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock which works with Bluetooth.
4. Home Hub
Heart of a smart home - the smart hub functions like a bridge between smart home devices and instead of separately monitoring the light or locks or camera, it lets one monitor all of them with a single app. From door sensors to activity trackers, a smart hub can connect wirelessly with hundreds of compatible devices and let you control wirelessly from anywhere. The WiFi controlled Nimblehouse home automation kit costs around Rs 3,000 while the Samsung SmartThings Hub is priced close to Rs 19,000.
5. Smart Entertainment
A house is incomplete without an entertainment system. To turn your regular television into a smart television, all you need is a media streaming stick. These compact devices use your smartphone to cast your favourite online series, programmes, shows, on the television. Add to it the audio streaming devices, you will never need a separate home theatre system. One can opt for either compact wireless speakers like the JBL Go, priced at close to Rs 1,900 or the WiFi-based Chromecast Audio, priced at Rs 3,399 that needs to be attached to a speaker for music streaming.
Alternatively, you can also opt for the voice-controlled and artificially intelligent hands-free speaker like the Amazon Echo or Google Home which can stream music, manage everyday tasks, remind you about medicines, and also control other smart devices like the light or air conditioning. However, these two devices are yet to debut in India.
Based on requirement, one can easily invest in all of these smart home products or opt for select few and it is likely to cost less than Rs 50,000 – lesser than what an iPhone 6S costs.
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