[ad_1]
The first gadgets for smart home dating from a few years ago were not really smart, but times have changed and there are now many good reasons to upgrade your vacuum cleaner, your microwave and even your audio system, with a bit of artificial intelligence. – improved intelligences.
The best wifi solution for the whole house
Who are you?
Your gadget-crammed home is desperately dependent on a solid wifi network, but with multiple floors and countless rooms, your home is simply too big for a single wireless router to provide adequate coverage for each last device.
Our choice: Eero ($ 279 – $ 699)
The second-generation Eero Mesh Network System has managed to be even more impressive than the first, and not just when covering a large indoor space with a foolproof wireless network. Do you know that you must always turn your wifi router on and off to make it work properly from time to time? You will not have to worry about it with Eero, which spreads the traffic load across multiple hubs and beacons so easily that you will encounter very few connectivity issues. The installation and installation is a kid 's game, and the rugged mobile application gives you complete control of your network and its security. You'll pay extra for this reliability, but even the $ 399 hub + beacon starter kit will revolutionize your wifi experience.
Consider also:
If your home is in desperate need of a full wifi system, but you do not want to lose a half-cent in swapping, Linksys' Velop offers a cheaper mesh network solution, allowing you to get started with its $ 200 AC2600 pack . You'll be limited to a dual-band network instead of Eero's tri-band band, which could limit your maximum performance and reach, but it's an affordable way to check if a mesh network system will solve your problems wifi. If this is the case, you can continue to add nodes if necessary.
The best robotic vacuum cleaner
Who are you?
You like to keep your house neat and tidy, but you do not always have time to go over all your floors with a manual vacuum. You also do not want to pay for a housekeeper, but you can break out a bit to eliminate a weekly chore from your to-do list.
Our choice: Neato Botvac D7 Connected ($ 800)
Neato may not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking about robotic vacuums, but the company's Botvac D7 contains the most advanced navigation technology of any standalone cleaner on the market. Using lasers, it creates a detailed map of every room in your home and allows you to draw virtual "no-go" lines to prevent the application of the vacuum cleaner from entering areas that are not yet ready to be cleaned. . (Think of a messy room.) You can also name specific rooms and areas of your home. Neato once promised smart assistant features, allowing you to simply tell the vacuum cleaner to clean the kitchen.
Consider also:
If you're particularly lazy, the iRobot Roomba i7 + is the first robotic vacuum that can be completely empty, which is useful given the small size of the garbage bins in these self-contained cleaners. At $ 950, you'll pay a bit more for this convenience, which requires an elaborate dock that sucks up dirt and debris from the Robovac when it's parked, but you also get the smartest robot from iRobot. to date, with mapping rooms, planning and the ability to limit vacuum cleaner cleaning routines to a specific area with the help of a mobile application.
The best smart home hub
Who are you?
You are desperately addicted to asking your smart assistant about the weather, movie times, and even how long you cook, but sometimes you'll find voice commands and spoken responses as a limited way to control the entire your smart home. It's time to add a touch screen to the mix.
Our choice: Google Home Hub ($ 150)
Despite a few years ahead, Alexa has been overtaken by Google Assistant with regards to both its capabilities and the sale of Google's smart speakers, artificial intelligence. At $ 150, the new Google Home Hub is the least expensive hub with touchscreens and just $ 20 more than a Google Home speaker. It's not necessarily the best device to use music or videos, but it's a great way to link all your smart devices to the home with a unified, customizable seven-inch interface. He's particularly good at finding and reformatting recipes so they're easy to follow as you juggle ingredients.
Consider also:
Since Alexa was the first intelligent assistant on the market, your privacy may already be completely rooted in all things Amazon. In this case, you'll want to opt for the second-generation Echo show, which includes a larger 10.1-inch touch screen, a front camera for video calling, better speakers, and even native support for Wireless protocols for smart connection. bulbs like the Philips Hue system, which makes them easier to control. But at $ 230, you pay a premium for all these upgrades.
The best smart plug
Who are you?
If you have already held your remote and you are wondering why every device in your home can not be controlled remotely, a smart plug is for you. Or if you're wondering what all about the smart home is, a smart plug is a simple and economical way to start.
Our choice: Belkin Wemo Mini Smart Plug ($ 30)
Introduced for the first time over six years ago, Belkin's Wemo was one of the first robust smart home systems to come on the market. It has since been perfected to the point of becoming one of the simplest and cheapest ways to make your home smart. The $ 30 Wemo mini-plug is located between a socket in your home (without blocking others) and almost any device or device that plugs into the mains. It connects to your home's wifi network (without the need for a separate hub) and via an iOS or Android app allows you to remotely control or schedule the activation or deactivation of something. It is also compatible with all popular smart home assistants, allowing you to make lights, fans or random devices compatible with voice control.
Consider also
If you're already an Alexa user, Amazon's new Smart Plug is an even less expensive solution at $ 25. It can render any smart intelligent device, without the need of an additional concentrator or a complex installation process. Everything is managed via the Alexa app on your mobile device, so you can finally start the coffee maker in the morning by shouting on it rather than having to get out of your bed very hot.
The best intelligent lighting
Who are you?
You are often away from home, but you do not want your house to look empty. And when you are not traveling, you want your home to be an oasis of relaxation with a soft mood lighting that can be adjusted to infinity without ever having to leave your couch.
Our choice: Philips Hue ($ 70 – $ 350)
First product for the smart home that has been more useful than the hassle, the Philips Hue lighting system has existed since 2012 and has expanded over the years to include almost all types of light bulbs and fixtures that any modern decor might need. Using a mobile app, the bulbs can be remotely activated, dimmed, programmed, motion-triggered, tinted, and even connected to a voice-activated intelligent assistant, such as Alexa or Google Assistant from Amazon. However, they are not natively Wi-Fi, so you will need a hub if you want to give all the lighting in your home a smart upgrade. We recommend that you start with the $ 70 E26 Hue White starter kit, including the hub and two white bulbs only, and then extend from there.
Consider also:
If you want a simpler, cheaper, hubless lighting solution, you'll want to choose the Sylvania Smart + LED A19 white bulbs, available for $ 17 each. They rely on Bluetooth to connect directly to your smartphone. They are therefore extremely easy to configure and control. But there is a problem: they are currently only compatible with Apple HomeKit, Siri and iOS mobile devices.
The best intelligent security camera
Who are you?
You are a little uncomfortable at work every morning, considering your collection of sprawling gadgets, and you wish to be able to monitor your home while you are away. You may also have a new addition to your family, but you can not afford to spend hundreds of dollars for a dedicated baby camera that looks like a baby toy.
Our choice: Logitech Circle 2 ($ 180 – $ 200)
What distinguishes most smart home security cameras is not the broad field of view of their lenses, nor the resolution of their sensors; it's the software they rely on to monitor your home. The Logitech Circle 2 is one of the easiest to configure. Thanks to the mobile application and the online service, all you need is a simple press to get a condensed summary of everything the camera has seen for 24 hours, with no monthly fee. . It is also waterproof, runs in the dark, starts at 180 USD if you agree to plug it into a power cord and offers basic image sensing features such as recognition of human beings (but no individual faces) or the focus of its motion detection on a specific point. area of his 180 degree expansive view of a room.
Consider also:
If you're looking for a little more intelligence in a security camera, which will help reduce the number of alerts to watch and false positives, the Lighthouse knows the difference between children and adults and between men and animals. You can also configure custom alerts. So, if the camera recognizes the face of your children when they go home, but not their new friend marked, you will be invited. However, at $ 299 plus monthly fees to get all the features of the lighthouse running on AI, it's a bit more expensive than our first choice.
Source link
