6 Ways to Make Your Home Smarter
For years we've been hearing that someday, we'll all be living in smart homes, and products in our house will "talk" to each other and make our lives easier. It isn't talk anymore. Smart homes are already here -- it's just that they haven't exactly become mainstream yet. But if you have the money and interest to start making your house smarter, you could do it now.
While none of these mentions should be considered an endorsement, here is a look at some products and services to consider if you're trying to improve your house's IQ.
Signal booster. Smart houses are often dependent on smartphones, which is why a service like SureCall exists. Put a SureCall antenna outside your home, and it will grab your cellphone tower's signal and amplify it so that your cellphone's signal inside your house is 10 times stronger. This will increase the odds that your smart home will stay smart. Price: SureCall costs $538 or $1,160, depending on the type of kit you purchase.
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Home management system. Since smart home devices are not always compatible with each other, home management systems aim to truly integrate all parts of a home. Right now, the systems' main attraction is security features that keep burglars at bay (other features include carbon monoxide detection and smoke alarms). Someday, smart home innovators imagine, a smart bed -- compatible with a home management system -- will know that you had a rough night of sleep and will alert the coffee maker to brew a stronger pot of coffee. But no smart home is there yet. Home management systems that aim to capitalize on the future include AT&T's Digital Life, which lets consumers control parts of their home with their smartphones and tablets. The service, which runs on Apple, Android and Windows phone devices, will eventually support hundreds of devices and applications.
The home improvement chain Lowe's, meanwhile, sells Iris, which includes a kit and app with motion and contact sensors and a smart thermostat. Depending on the kit you buy, you can keep your home protected from burglars or set your thermostat from work. And like AT&T and other services, Lowe's aims to eventually partner with its vendors to deliver a seamless smart home experience.
Other services are almost too numerous to list. The ADT Corporation, known for home security, offers ADT Pulse Interactive Solutions. Time Warner sells Intelligent Home, and the office supply store Staples offers Staples Connect.
Prices: AT&T Digital Life: $349.98 equipment fee, then $44.98 a month; Iris: $179 to $299, then free for basic service. Premium service is free for two months, and then runs $9.99 a month.
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Door locks that don't need a key. There are quite a few of these on the market, but one that is certainly futuristic is Kwikset's Kevo, a Bluetooth smart-enabled door lock that lets authorized users lock their door by touching the deadbolt with their fingerprint.
You can send an electronic key -- a digital code -- via text to friends or contractors you trust to come into your house while you're at work, and any time the door unlocks, you can receive a smartphone notification. The Kevo lock needs four AA batteries to operate, but there are multiple low-battery indicators to let the homeowner know the juice is low. If somehow the batteries run out and you find yourself locked out, the deadbolt allows you to open it with an old-fashioned key. There are also safeguards to protect you in case you lose your phone. Price: $219.
If light is your thing. Does the world need a personal wireless LED lighting system -- one you can control from your smartphone or tablet?
Phillips Hue, a personal wireless LED lighting system, may convince some people that it's worth the cost. If you like the idea of setting a timer so that the lights in your child's bedroom go off and on at a certain time, you may begin to see the appeal. You could set it so that the lighting changes when you have an important phone call to make or a favorite TV show to watch. If you throw a lot of parties, you can offer mood lighting. Price: The Hue Starter Kit, which includes three bulbs and a bridge that connects the Wi-Fi router to any device with an IP connection, costs $199. Each additional bulb is $59.
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If you're never happy with your thermostat. Always a little too cold or hot? Then you'll probably want to check out the Nest Learning Thermostat. It's a thermostat that you don't have to program. That's because within days, as you adjust the dial whenever you're too hot or cold, it will learn what types of temperatures you prefer. It also takes the weather into account and can adjust the temperature inside based on what the weather is doing outside. It even knows if nobody's home and will adjust the temperature accordingly. Price: $249 .
If you're worried about water issues. WallyHome uses your walls and the existing wiring in your home to create a sensor network that can detect water trouble. If something goes wrong, like a roof leak, its base hub and six wireless sensors will send an alert to your phone. Using a smartphone app, you can receive data on the rooms with water trouble, and you may be able to figure out the problem even if you're miles away. For instance, a sensor in the bathroom would pick up a change in humidity and would also send you an alert if there was a leak. Of course, you'll have to go back to the house or have a neighbor turn off the water. There isn't an app for that -- yet. Price: $299.
