Smart home technology allows you to monitor and control devices and appliances in your home remotely using your smartphone or other networked devices. Connected products like smart lights, thermostats, security cameras, locks, and more can be programmed to turn on/off automatically or be controlled manually from anywhere.
Smart home devices communicate with each other and with the homeowner through wireless protocols like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, etc. or through hardwired home automation systems. Cloud services and digital assistants like Alexa also enable voice control.
With home automation, you can save energy, time, and money while adding convenience and security. We cover and review the latest smart home gadgets and whole-home platforms to help you create your connected dream home. See our smart home product guides, news, buying advice, and more.
Ring has had a string of bad publicity recently, so their CES product launch is somewhat tarnished. It has recently come to light, that Ring has been working with police to make it easier for them to access footage, and they are facing legal action for poor security and also a data breach. So as…
LIFX is expanding its smart lighting product range during CES 2020. LIFX Filament White In store: Spring 2020/ Target RRP: USD $29.99 The first product in the announcement is the new Filament White which allows you to have smart lights with vintage style Edison-type lights. LIFX will launch smokey, amber and clear glass versions, making…
I am a big fan of floodlight and spotlight cameras, I have both the Ezviz Floodlight and Netatmo Presence. The problem with both of these is that they need to be wired into your mains, because big lights use more power. Arlo thinks they can do better than this and have launched the Arlo Pro…
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…
[Update May 2020] RadFan have been in touch unhappy with my comparisons. For clarification, I have not used RadFan, but when I reviewed the SpeedComfort, RadFan appeared to be the best-known name in the business. They are also the only company to do anything close to proving the energy-saving claims. My one comment that states…
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…
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…
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…
Netatmo launched its indoor smart camera back in 2015, and the outdoor camera in 2016. Amazon Alexa was barely a thing then, we didn’t get it in the UK until September 2016, since then it has become trendy to integrate everything with Alexa, useful or not. Netatmo has continued to update their cameras over the…
While I use Philips Hue for my smart bulbs, I use TP-Link Kasa for my plugs, however at the time of writing Hue does not have filament bulbs available to buy. In my hallways, I have replaced the lights of my dated home with something a little more attractive, that requires a filament bulb. So…
Smart door locks have been a little slow to take off in the UK. In the US they have had August for years, but that is only compatible with the less secure deadbolt style locks. In the UK, with our multi-point locks, the best solution has been the Yale Conexis L1, which is excellent and…