With comfy sofas, big-screen TVs and coffee tables for kicking your feet up, living rooms are made for leisure. But there are high-tech ways to make your lounge time even better.
Streaming movie and music services is just the beginning. “People are becoming more comfortable allowing their smartphones or tablets to control their home settings,” says Sarah Brown, home automation and security expert for SafeWise, a smart home safety site.
A few taps of the screen can adjust lighting, room temperature, sound quality and security. And the popularity of personal digital assistants has made everything from checking the weather to paying your insurance bill easier, too.
Here’s how to plug in.
Personal Assistant
“You don’t have to automate your home all at once,” says Brown. “Start with something simple, like the Amazon Echo. You can use a set of given commands to get the weather forecast, order products off their site and ask simple questions. This will give you a taste of home automation without spending too much.”
Also, more companies are making services available this way—including GEICO, which now offers an Alexa Skill and a Google Action. Use them to do things like request roadside assistance and ask questions. (“Is the Gecko British?” is one we get a lot.)
Viewing & Listening
If music is your home entertainment jam, you may want to add a wireless speaker. Google Home, Amazon Tap, Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Show are options that will play all your digital tunes.
Temperature
Wi-Fi–enabled options with geofencing technology, like the Honeywell Lyric Round, have the added benefit of reducing your energy usage by shutting off when you’re away and starting up again as you approach the house. Don’t have central air? Consider smart ceiling fans that you can operate with a tap of your smartphone or tablet to help beat the heat.
Lighting
You can also create “movie-theater darkness” with Philips Hue, a connected wireless lighting system that automates, dims and creates lighting scenes—all via your phone, a smart switch or voice control. “Customize a dark setting for horror flicks, something dim for romances or a brighter option for comedies,” Brown says, “right down to a sun-salutation setting for a yoga DVD.”
Protect your upgrades with a home security system and you could score a discount on your homeowners insurance.
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By Danielle Blundell
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