Day: June 5, 2017

The alarm goes off and your perfect cup of hazelnut coffee is ready. Rich and nutty, just the way you like it. And the best part: you can make the coffee without having to leave your bed. Even a few years ago, this would seem to be a scene straight out of a fairytale or a sci-fi movie. But not today. You can make a pot of coffee from anywhere using your smart device. That’s the power of technology and that’s how home automation is changing our lives. Who doesn’t love a comfortable, easier, secure and convenient lifestyle? Smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) are completely redefining our way of life. From voice-activated smart speaker Amazon Echo, who will be at your beck and call, smart lighting which would automatically turn on the moment doorbell is heard, shades of the room which can be adjusted from the mobile app to remotely monitoring the snoopy activities around the house, you can do everything by a single click on your smart device today. Smart homes give you the ultimate power to control, monitor and manage your home sweet home and also your office through some digitally connected products, anytime anywhere in the world. Home automation is a ragingly growing market with the US having the highest smart home penetration rate, followed by Japan and Germany. According to the global smart home market, the market size would reach a value of more than 40 billion US dollars by 2020. Now, that’s encouraging for the tech giants and venture capitalists who are pouring money for the growth and advancements of these technological innovations. The real estate scenario has also undergone a sea change, courtesy smart home technology. Realtors and builders are increasingly adapting to these new innovations and also making the buyers aware of smart homes and how these “intelligent homes” can communicate with them too. Interestingly, millennials form the largest consumer segment in the US. They are a bunch of technological savvy citizens and have a completely different approach when it comes to investing in properties. The real estate giants are taking their preference into the count to make the homes modern. According to August 2016 report released by Coldwell Banker LLC, home-buyers are increasingly looking for their homes to be automated, or at least which have the potential to be automated. In India, the concept of smart cities has been finding more common ground. So, it wouldn’t be long that India too will start adapting this budding technology. Startups in India are jumping onto the bandwagon on home automation and technology students are also trying to make breakthrough innovations in this domain. According to a report published by RedSeer Consulting in 2015, home automation market in India is expeditiously growing and is expected to reach Rs 8800 crores by 2017. That’s good news. Santanu Mukherjee, head of digital marketing, Indus Net Technologies, admits that India too is welcoming home automation with open arms with several players already ruling the market. However, he also agrees that it will take some time before home automation finally finds its stronghold in India. According to Mukherjee, the primary reason is the lack of awareness in this sector. “Till now, maximum buyers in India consider the property with smart home IoT devices as too luxurious investment. The high product cost of home automation is also barring consumers from exploring this space. As of now, smart homes are a super luxury component in India,” he says.      Let’s take a quick look at the 5 ways how you can turn your home into a smart home. Let’s get connected Just imagine you have a large home and you want to switch off your AC from your smart device in the room upstairs. Alas! your WiFi can’t reach there. You can convert any home into a smart home, provided you have a strong WiFi connection and by strong, we mean “so powerful and fast” that all the smart home IoT devices in the house are connected. In simple words: your home should be WiFi friendly and should have a connection even in the remotest corner of the house. Now, the first rule before you think of smartening up your home, you should get a stable internet connection. And there are a number of wireless routers and Wi-Fi system using mesh technology in the market, which promise strong network coverage. Here are five WiFi systems you might use when implementing smart home technology: Samsung Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System Google Wi-Fi system  Eero  Luma Home WiFi System  Linksys Velop Samsung Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System. IC: Engadget Safety matters Did anyone break in when I was not at home? Who’s that person sneaking around my house at midnight? Keeping the house secured is one of the most important thoughts that continuously hover in our minds. When it comes to smart home technology, security is the first thing that most real estate or customers prefer. And mind it no one wants to compromise when it comes to the security of your most-prized possession, your house.   IoT has made it easier to set up a smart home through its smart security systems. Today you can control the security and comfort of your home from smart device. These smart devices can be installed at your home or office and you can monitor every step sitting at the remotest corner. So, from security cameras (indoor and outdoor), window sensors, door locks, motion detector, smoke detectors, water sensors to garage door openers, smart home security system connects to your abode to Wi-Fi network. You can keep a watch on all the activities 24X7 using your smartphone and apps. Alerts in the form of emails and text messages are sent to you on the go. “Security is a big issue, especially for working couples who depend on external help to manage their kids. However, reliability on external help is questionable. To address this issue, smart home can be a great help. You can