I do a lot of writing about home security and smart home technology. As such, I also do a ton of research as well. One thing I have learned in my years as a technology writer is that the proponents of the American smart home are convinced that devices like smart thermostats and smart lighting make life simpler. But do they?
I am old enough to remember when the first VCRs came to market. The tech world was terribly excited about the possibility of programming one’s VCR to record shows for later viewing. The trouble was that your average homeowner couldn’t figure out how to set up a program.
My father had similar struggles with his first programmable thermostat. He eventually gave up trying to learn and just used it like a manual thermostat. There you have it. Purpose defeated. I wonder just how many modern smart devices are not being utilized to the fullest potential because people don’t know how to use them.
With that in mind, here are my thoughts on smart home devices: they only make your life simpler if…
1. You Understand What They Do
First and foremost is understanding what your smart devices actually do. For example, what does a smart light fixture do? It turns a light on and off via an internal switch that can be activated wirelessly. That is all it can do. A smart light fixture is just an on/off switch with wireless connectivity. It cannot think on its own. It cannot read your electric bill and decide you are spending too much.
This is to say that smart home devices have limits. They also have some pretty impressive capabilities. That takes us to the second point.
2. You Understand Their Capabilities
Next up is understanding each device’s built-in capabilities. There isn’t much built-in to a smart light fixture. A smart thermostat, on the other hand, is a different matter.
The best smart thermostats on the market can be integrated with a variety of sensors throughout the home for the purposes of monitoring a family’s routine. The data from those sensors can be analyzed and crunched, thereby allowing the thermostat to adjust its programming accordingly. That is pretty impressive.
3. You Understand How to Program Them
Next up is the ability to program your smart devices. Every smart thermostat starts with a basic program. If you cannot figure out how to program it, it isn’t going to do much for you. Likewise, smart lighting only reaches its fullest potential when you program lights and lighting scenes. Without programming, your smart lighting is simply turned on and off manually using your phone.
4. You Understand How to Integrate
Tying everything together is integration. If you were to purchase a complete home automation system from Vivint Home Security, you would be getting a system in which all of the devices are already integrated. They all interact with one another to provide the maximum experience. But if you don’t understand that integration, your programming might not reflect the system’s full capabilities.
Integration is what allows multiple devices to communicate with one another. It allows for the creation of cascading events. Integration makes it possible to create whole-home programs that are initiated with one command or touch of a button.
Without a thorough understanding of your smart devices, how to program them, and how to utilize integration to your benefit, you are not getting the most for your money. And quite frankly, your devices are probably not making your life any simpler. They might even be making things more complicated. You need to decide for yourself.
