Who wouldn't want to come back to a cozy and comfortable home after a hard day's work? And the feeling is even better when the home is well-lit with the right temperature and one can get things done from the comfort of the couch. All this seemed like a dream before, but it is becoming a reality now, with smart home technology developing at a fast pace. You can control almost all the essential appliances in your house with just a push of a button.
Smart gadgets like Amazon Echo and Google Home with voice-activated technology can play your favourite music, read audio books, check the weather, and even shop for household items online with just a voice command. While the smart thermostat like Ecobee3 can set an even temperature in all the corners of your home, there are several smart gadgets like Nest Cam Indoor, Kwikset Smartcode 916 Touchscreen Electronic Deadbolt, BeOn Starter Pack and dozens of others that can make your life easier and secure. However, what is supposed to be a household convenience can give you nightmares if you are not tech savvy.
Also read: 15 ways to keep your smart home away from attackers and hackers
How can smart gadgets cause problems? Well, a smart home is not for you if your 5-year-old child is better than you at using features on your smartphone. Setting up the gadgets, coordinating them, and securing them can be confusing to many.
There are chances of your Philips Hue lights turning on and off at random times if you have connected them with other smart gadgets like the thermostat in your home. Also, you may not be able to make out what is wrong with it as other devices installed at your home may command it without your knowledge. Also, you might end up with a lot of unnecessary things at home with Amazon Echo if the "purchase by voice" feature is not disabled.
Also read: This is how you can stop your children from making a shopping mess
Most smart home gadgets need the internet, which means you have to secure them and other devices like computers and phones that operate them to stay away from hackers, or else your privacy could be compromised. So, you need to do some homework like changing the default password of your router at regular intervals and use multi-authentication and malware protection on devices that control smart gadgets. On top of that, there are other things you need to remember if you have more than one device that controls the gadgets.
Having said that, smart home is an in-thing today, and there are millions of people across the globe who have set up one for convenience. The tech savvy and those willing to learn new things can surely have a smart home as it makes life easier. However, it is certainly not for those who can't use half the features on their smartphone for the simple reason that setting up a smart home and maintaining it can be more than what meets the eye.
