Smart devices are becoming all the rage for your home. Some integrate with Android apps providing off-site control while other products run on independent operating systems, sensors, and artificial intelligence. Each have their place in a smarter home to make it safer, high-tech, and somewhat automated.
Let’s look at 3 smart devices that fit the bill.
1. Robot Cleaner for Time Saving
A robot vacuum is smart in the sense that it uses sensors to find its way around, accepts strict boundaries it won’t cross and even brings itself back to its base for a recharge. The iRobot Roomba range is a good example of this. It has an Android app that connects over your Wi-Fi, maps your house and creates a history of when and where it cleaned. For Android device users, the iRobot Roomba might be the best robot vacuum cleaner.
Some review websites perform a robot vacuum cleaner test to see what the best performing device on the market is. For people who wish to save time, Best-vacuums.co.uk recommend these products which are based on both tests and reviews to help you make an informed decision. These devices will free up time on the weekend for more enjoyable activities.
(Also see: Chromecast – The Best Streaming Media Player)
2. Video Doorbell for Home Security
The SkyBell HD video doorbell replaces the standard analogue doorbell or knocker with a 1080p Full HD video of who’s outside your door. The camera captures video day or night (night vision has a colour filter to make it easier to identify people) which is sent to a free cloud account for a week. A two-month storage option requires a subscription (most doorbell models don’t offer free cloud access at all).
The video doorbell does cooperate with IFTTT triggered events from your Droid app and plays nice with Amazon’s Alexa speaker home system too. Other smart devices will often work with it, including Nest. Nest can detect motion or smoke and link up with what’s going on outside to create a complete picture of what’s happening in your home while you’re away.
3. Google Home Mini
Giving Amazon’s Echo and Alexa a run for their money, Google’s Home Mini is an ideal speaker and digital assistant for the home. It also has a larger cousin, the ‘Max.’
The advantage for Android users is that it hooks directly into major Google services without missing a beat. It’s smaller and admittedly, better looking than its competitors. The Google Home app is used to control the Mini. The app lets its owner set up different users, so the device can differentiate between who’s asking a question and provide a different set of responses for each user.
(Also see: Top 5 Android Applications For Chromecast)
Google Assistant, the voice assistant, must be set up first and then you’re ready to roll. Whether you want to stream a video through Chromecast or see some photos from your recent trip to the Greek islands, the intuitive responsiveness powered by Google is smart enough to provide sensible responses most of the time. It also learns what you want based each user profile and the past search (or command) history.
Whether you wish your home to be safer, smarter or just to monitor it when you’re not there, there’s at least one clever device that will do this for you. Happily, for Android users, there are plenty of great products that are Droid-friendly too.
