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.
Most of us think that having a smart home means a newly constructed house with very complicated systems. It’s a myth! The idea of a smart home is simple yet beneficial. It simply means that your place has smart home technology that connects with your appliances. It automates common tasks and can program almost every…
The SwitchBot Bot, a smart button presser, has been a hugely successful smart home device that is incredibly innovative. It is one of those things I have always meant to buy but never go round to. SwitchBot has kindly sent me their Curtain Combo pack to try out, including the newest SwitchBot Curtain, a hub,…
I impulsively bought the Amazon Echo Flex and the addon motion sensor during the Black Friday period. The Flex was £14 but the motion sensor £15, all in all, a cheap buy as far as my compulsive tech spending goes. What I hoped to achieve was a relatively affordable motion sensor for Philips Hue lights…
Neos is a relatively new company to the smart home scene being established just four years ago. Targeting the UK market, they appear to have been quite successful garnering a significant number of positive reviews on the likes of Amazon and Trustpilot. They even have a well-reviewed Android app, which is quite rare for new…
Rather than a generic Black Friday deals post, I thought it would be easier to put together buyers guide for the smart home on the run-up to Christmas and try to keep the deals up to date from there. Amazon Alexa Devices & Google Home Black Friday in the UK wouldn’t have been this big…
One of the products that kept popping up on my newsfeed during CES was Bob, a tiny eco-friendly countertop dishwasher made by French brand Daan Tech Bob claims to be the worlds smallest and fastest autonomous dishwasher. It is available to pre-order now for £299.90 with shipping stated as a vague fall 2020. Full RRP…
For more information please check my review of the Yale Linus Smart lock [Originally posted on 10 January 2020] Announced back at CES, when times were simpler, the Yale Linus Smart Door Lock addresses all the concerns people had with the Yale Conexis L1. The new locks offers smart lock functionality while retaining the outdoor…
Recently, TP-Link launched a new sub-brand called Tapo, offering smart home products at lower price points. I have previously reviewed the Tapo C100 which turned out to be a surprisingly good little indoor camera for around £20. Most recently they launched a range of bulbs, I have been sent the basic White L510E which you…
I am a big fan of smart home heating, I reviewed the original Tado when it was launched, and I have been using Genius Hub in my home the past few years. Tado, or tado° if we want to use their Sunday name, has consistently upgraded both their hardware and software features consistently making them…
I have covered smart locks quite a lot in the past, it is an area of smart home technology I have always loved the thought of but it has never seemed to gain much traction in the mainstream market, unlike lighting or home heating. I have already reviewed the Yale Conexis L1 Smart Door Lock…
I reviewed the Netatmo Smart Outdoor Camera (formerly Netatmo Presence) just over a year ago, and it has been one of the best surveillance cameras I have reviewed, and I still use it today. Netatmo was one of, if not the first companies to offer AI object detection with their camera, the indoor one is…
Anybody that has ever watched a cooking show will be aware of sous vide cooking. The name makes it sound pretentious, and then the concept of cooking your food in a plastic bag of water doesn’t sound all that appealing. With the promise of perfect results, it is something I have always wanted to try,…