Welcome to our Smart Home and Automation category page—the hub for all things smart and convenient that can revolutionise your daily living. Here, you’ll find comprehensive guides, reviews, and the latest news on devices and ecosystems that promise to make your home safer, more efficient, and undeniably more enjoyable.
Smart Home and Automation refers to the network of intelligent devices and systems that connect to the internet and to each other, offering remote control, monitoring, and data collection. From voice-activated lighting to intelligent cooking appliances, this category spans a wide array of products designed to bring ease and automation into your home life.
Whether you’re a tech-savvy early adopter or a homeowner seeking practical solutions for everyday tasks, smart home tech offers a wide range of applications that can genuinely improve your living standards.
Whether you’re just starting your smart home journey or looking to expand your existing setup, our Smart Home and Automation category is rich with expert advice, detailed reviews, and the latest updates to help you make informed decisions. Dive in and discover how smart your home can truly be!
Smart home alarms have been gaining traction in the UK in the past year and I have reviewed both the Yale Home Sync and Simplisafe systems. Ring recently launched in the UK, and my review of the Somfy indoor camera can be part of a smart home alarm. Minut, formerly Point, is a new contender…
Smart home thermostats have come a long way since they first launched. Originally they were just a thermostat that controlled the on and off functions of your boiler. They promised various levels of savings compared to a traditional thermostat, but in reality, they were still quite inefficient in many areas. Then came zoned heating, Genius…
Being in a house of two with no pets, I am not a big fan of indoor cameras, they are a bit wasted on me and there is always that creepy feeling of being watched. Then, of course, privacy concerns. The Somfy Indoor Camera hopes to address those concerns by utilising a physical shutter on…
Everything gadget you buy nowadays has some sort of smart home or AI assistant functionality built into it. The problem being, there are a lot of companies doing their own thing and they are not overly keen on talking to each other. Most companies have some form of API which allows partial access, but it…
One of the big problems with outdoor security cameras is all the false alerts. A gentle breeze will set off some cameras. You can generally tweak the settings to find something to minimise alerts such as motion zones and sensitivity levels, but it is never perfect. The one exception I have found is the Netatmo…
[Update] Matthew Hughes at The Register has now confirmed Den Automation has officially gone into liquidation. Wilkin Chapman Business Solutions Limited has been appointed as liquidators, with Ian Michael Rose and Karen Tracey Potts the named practitioners. It is only 8 months ago that I reviewed the Den Automation system, I was quite impressed with…
I have reviewed smart plug options from TP-link Kasa and Energenie MiHome in the past, and if you look on Amazon it has become quite a saturated market with many random Chinese brands flooding the listing, and even Amazon themselves with a smart plug. There are also various Z-Wave smart plugs and other options, but…
Originally posted in March 2018, I have now updated the post for 2019 to reflect some of the new tech and suggestions. This includes some reader recommendations too In the past couple of years, the home automation industry has boomed, and the traditional Z-wave based systems have lost ground to the new wave of AI-based…
Apart from security cameras, smart home security products have been slow to take off, in particular in the UK we have had a very limited selection of devices. Yale is the main company that sells both smart locks and a smart home security system. Simplisafe launched their home security system a few months ago in…
I have reviewed a few EZVIZ products in recent months, their Floodlight camera was particularly good, and the indoor camera is working well for me in my garage. The most recent product is the Full HD Outdoor Cam which is technically a wireless camera but requires a power cable, then wireless for data connectivity. For…
Do you want more Alexa in your life? If so then Amazon have lots of new products to ensure Alexa can be with you for every waking moment, wherever you go. There are three highlights from the announcement. Related: Amazon finally introduce eero mesh Wi-Fi system to the UK Amazon Fire TV 4K HDR Review…
As a stereotypical frugal northerner, there is nothing worse than an unexpected expense and damage or theft at home is perhaps one of the worst types. Over the years I have had a couple of things stolen from my garage, and a small number of things go wrong with my home. I always end up…
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