STACK #193 Nov 2020

TECH LIFE month This

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Smart Home Glossary Automation It’s all in the name. Automation is how all the smart devices in your home operate, with little to no input from you. Bluetooth A term used to describe a wireless radio frequency that connects devices over a short distance. Geofencing Imagine there is an invisible fence around your house. Utilising Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS, connected devices like the TV or lighting are triggered to turn on or off as you enter or leave the home. Hub If all of your smart devices are an orchestra, then the hub in the home is the conductor, ensuring that everything is working together in harmony. IoT (Internet of Things) Simply put, IoT is a broad name given to any device that connects to the internet. Pairing The act of connecting a smart device to a wireless network. Protocol The easiest way to understand what protocols are is to think of them as languages that smart devices use to communicate. Virtual Assistant Software on a smart device, such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, that answers questions and performs tasks. Wi-Fi A term most people would be familiar with, Wi-Fi is a wireless protocol that communicates through your standard home network router without the need for a hub, and thus can connect over further distances than other wireless protocols. ZigBee Similar to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, ZigBee is an increasingly popular wireless protocol with smart devices. It uses low energy and is relatively fast, too. Z-Wave Another wireless protocol becoming more and more popular in the smart home field, Z- ave uses a mesh network where boosters work as a net to cover a wider field

SMARTER THINKING

T he ‘Internet of Things’ (IOT) or smart home are terms you’ve likely heard bandied around but may not be entirely familiar with. In short they refer to a device that connects to the internet in the house, whether that be a smart speaker, a light bulb or a security camera. And the popularity of the smart home is increasing exponentially as more and more households warm to the idea – and take steps towards – automating the home. With the rigours of contemporary life consuming so much time, any help at all is, for many of us, a welcome asset, and that’s where the smart home comes in.

Simple automations around the house, like implementing artificial intelligence to call out the weather report from a hub as you’re rushing to get the kids dressed, or using your voice to turn on the lights in the house when you get home at night, just make life that little bit easier. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to kick off your smart home upgrade; a single lightbulb could be the start of a smart home infrastructure that can be built bit by bit. This month in Life Tech we’ve put together the ultimate smart home buyers' guide that is designed to instruct, inform, and help you on your way to building an automated home.

Five Reasons Why You Should Make Your Home Smart

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Energy efficienc In 2020, with so many of us working from home, there has never been a better time to be mindful of spiralling energy costs. Smart lightbulbs use less power, last longer and can be added to a pre- programmed schedule or sensor for better efficienc . And better efficiency means more moolah in your pocket!

Security Making your home

Ease of living Automating domestic chores can only be a good thing, right? Take a robot vacuum cleaner for instance. Let it map out your house and hit start just as you close the door for the day, and then return to a vacuumed home. Some of them can even mop, too.

Entertain me! If you enjoy your films, TV, games and music, then there’s a lot you can do in this area with lighting to enhance your experience (more on this later). Smart speakers enable you to select music choices without having to leave your seat.

Control freak Your mobile phone is essentially a remote control for the smart home. No matter where you are, if you can connect to the internet, you can control your smart home. Lights,

safer can be as simple as having a lightbulb automated to switch on and off to deter intruders. Additionally, you can opt for an entire security camera system for complete peace of mind – at a fraction of the price an electrician would charge to install one.

cameras, music – it’s all at your fingertips

NOVEMBER 2020

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