What is smart home technology?

A “smart” device is any product that’s connected to the Internet that allows you to control, monitor, and automate it from anywhere using your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Programmable thermostats, automated lights, and locks that automatically unlock as you arrive are all examples of smart home technology. These products are connected to you (and to each other) by things like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or similar protocols. When a home has enough of these smart devices to form a full network, it’s often called a smart home. 

Here is an overview of how I made my home smart.

The Wink 2 Hub $99.00

This is the 2nd Hub from Wink. This device is the core to making your home smart. It connects either via wireless or to an ethernet cable. It supports all the major protocols (bluetooth LE,Nest’s wireless Internet of Things standard, Thread,Kiddel, Lutron Clear Connect, Wi-fi, Z-Wave and ZigBee). 

Amazon Alexa $179.00

Consider it the Siri for your home but this device is probably the best one on the market right now. You connect this device to your Wink Hub and  you can speak commands to control the devices in your home with your voice. For example, "Alexa cool downstairs to 72 degrees" . How cool is that?

Nest Thermostat E $169.00

I replaced my existing home thermostat with this device. Very easy to install and now I can control my thermostat from anywhere in the world. You can create schedules to control the cooling or heating of your home . It also turns itself down when you leave. You can also get a $50.00 rebate from PGE.

WeMo Smart Plugs $29.99

I use these smart plugs for example to turn my office lamp on/off or these are great for turning on/off your exterior holiday lights.

Leviton Smart Switches $31.07

I've used these switches to replace certain switches in my home. For example, I wanted to control my exterior lights. I replaced the light switch with one of these. Now I can have my exterior lights turn on and off automatically and also voice control them with my Amazon Alexa device.