My house was built in 1955, and its original owner probably had a black and white TV with a roof-top antenna, a rotary phone and maybe a few table radios. It’s a “mid-century ‘modern’” house, but thanks to some relatively inexpensive devices, plugs and bulbs, it’s now a 21st century “smart” home.
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The porch light turns on at sunset and off at sunrise and on special occasions, changes colors such as orange for Halloween and green for St. Patrick’s Day. The lights in my garage turn on when I open the side door and shut off 10 minutes later. If I start to feel warm while riding my indoor bike, I say, “Alexa, turn on the bike fan,” and follow up with, “Alexa, turn off the bike fan in 45 minutes.” But even if I forget to turn it, or many other lights and devices, off, I have a routine that shuts everything down automatically late at night, just in case.
I also have a few inexpensive rechargeable gadgets that shouldn’t stay plugged in all the time. They’re connected to smart plugs that turn on for just 15 minutes a day, enough to keep them topped off without overcharging.
I hate getting out of bed to turn off the lights, so when my head hits the pillow, I simply say, “Alexa, turn off the lights,” and the room goes dark.
My toaster oven and air fryer send me notifications when food is ready, and my refrigerator lets me know if I’ve left a door or drawer open. I use voice commands to control the heating and air conditioning system, and I can also manage space heaters around the house by voice.
When I want to listen to music, I say, “Alexa, play Rolling Stones,” or whatever I’m in the mood for. If it’s too loud, I just say, “Alexa, softer,” and I can stop it with “Alexa, stop.”
Getting easier to set up
There was a time when you had to be tech-savvy and spend a lot of money to set up these automated systems, but things are getting easier and less expensive.
My smart devices are mostly built around the Amazon Alexa platform, voice controlled by saying “Alexa,” followed by whatever you want. But you could do the same with Google or Apple platforms by saying “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri.”
My house has several Amazon Echo speakers, which start at $39.99, but they’re often deeply discounted. Google offers Nest speakers, and Apple sells HomePod speakers. Both the Alexa and Google Home apps work on iPhones and Android phones. Apple’s HomePod speakers, however, like many Apple accessories, only work with Apple iPhone, iPad and Macs.
Smart devices on a budget
You could spend thousands of dollars adding smart tech to a home like mine, but I’ve spent far less using off-the-shelf products that are easy to find online or even at Home Depot.
That smart porch light, for example, is an Amazon Basics Smart A19 Color-Changing LED Bulb (9W, 60W equivalent), which I picked up for $12.99. It’s sometimes even cheaper on sale. I chose the Amazon branded bulb because it’s incredibly easy to set up if you already have the Alexa app on your phone. It works with Amazon’s Echo speakers and other Alexa devices, but you don’t need an Echo or a hub to control it from your phone. If you do have Echo smart speakers, you can use your voice to easily control any Alexa compatible devices.
Most of my other smart bulbs are from brands like Sengled and Govee, which, once configured using their own apps, also work with Alexa, Google and Siri. The Amazon Basics bulb only requires the Alexa app.
In addition to bulbs, I have smart plugs to control other devices. Some cost as little as $5 each when you buy a 4-pack. Amazon also offers Amazon Basics smart plugs for $13.99 for a two-pack.
Setting up is getting easier
Setting up a smart home doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can be, thanks to competing platforms like Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Samsung SmartThings, which often require a dedicated hub that connects your internet router to your smart devices.
Fortunately, most of the devices I use are Wi-Fi enabled and don’t require a hub, just a Wi-Fi network. Another option is Matter, a universal smart home protocol backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung and others. Matter is designed to let all your smart devices work together seamlessly, regardless of brand.
Whatever system you choose, you’ll probably need to connect each device to your Wi-Fi network, so be sure you know your Wi-Fi password. If you’ve never changed it, the default password is likely on your router or gateway. I always change mine to something easy to remember.
Many smart devices, including plugs and bulbs, require the manufacturer’s app for initial setup. Once configured, you can then link them to Alexa, Google Home or Siri.
That Amazon Basics bulb I mentioned is especially easy to set up. You just screw it in, open the Alexa app, press the “+” button, and it’s ready to go, no extra apps needed. Amazon’s smart plugs are also reasonably priced at $13.19 for a two-pack when not on sale, but keep in mind, like their bulbs, they only work with Alexa. You can’t control them with “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri,” but you can use them from either an iPhone or Android phone via the Alexa app.
Can be addictive or annoying
Once you start equipping your home with smart devices, you can go nuts with them. I have smart plugs on many things in my house, so even some very old devices like table lamps or box fans are now fully automated. But there are down sides.
There are times when using your voice to control devices can be annoying or disruptive. My adult son refuses to use voice assistants because he feels like it’s shouting, though I’ve noticed that I can speak fairly softly and still get Alexa, Google or Siri to respond. And of course there is the privacy issue, I have no doubt that Amazon knows my musical tastes and maybe even when I enter and leave the house and turn off my bedroom light to go to sleep.
My wife is finally on board with most of these automated systems, but she has pushed back at times and when we had a house sitter, I had to give her a half-hour lesson and write a short manual for her to do things that used to be simple and obvious.
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Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at [email protected].