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LIFE TECH FEATURE

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THE SMART HOME

FEATURE

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device will let you create up to 25 unique PIN codes for whoever will be coming and going. Changing these can be done in a matter of seconds, which is great if you've got an Airbnb or rental setup or you're just a mercurial type whose list of perceived friends and foes changes on a daily basis. Lastly, some other benefits include one-touch unlocking, for when you insist on heaving 12 bags of shopping through

SMARTLY SECURED Protecting your home using smart lock technology is the way to go for the security conscious and sometimes forgetful alike. For starters, you have the convenient ability to unlock your home from anywhere and set different digital keys for a list of pre-approved visitors. Secondly, if you're the type who often forgets to latch on the way out, you can always give yourself a friendly

A SHARED EYE IN THE SKY If you have an at-risk or elderly loved one, and

you've an all-important conversation about the pros and cons of privacy vs. hazard prevention, smart cameras might

be a device you'll both agree upon. External cameras are obviously great

reminder by also hooking up a quick routine to flick your lights whenever you exit a boundary without engaging any smart locks. The Yale Assure Lock SL Digital Deadbolt, along with its Network Module, is a good place to start for smart home security. Using a touchpad design that's a 100 per cent keyless solution, this

for deterring and reporting break-in attempts,

the front door in one Herculean trip. There's also little chance of a nightmare scenario where this runs out of juice, leaving you on the wrong side of the door that secures all of your earthly stuff. When Yale smart locks get down to a quarter of their battery, you're continuously reminded to rectify the situation. No sleeping in the doghouse for you.

but an appropriately placed internal one can be a lifesaver if an accident, slip or fall occurs. Conversely, and to lessen the misconception of being a sticky beak, why not look into a two-way camera that can provide a virtual social outlet for an elderly loved one?

SMART TERMS CHEAT SHEET

Automation

Protocol

ZigBee

Utilising Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS, connected devices such as the TV or lighting trigger will fire up as you enter or leave this zone. Hub If all of your smart devices are a sports team, then the hub in the home is the coach who ensures that everything is doing what they ought to. IoT (Internet of Things) Basically, IoT is a broad name given to any device that connects to the internet.

It’s labelled on the tin, really. Automation is where the collective smart devices in your home do what they've got to do with little to zero meddling from you. Bluetooth Bluetooth is a term used to describe a wireless radio frequency that connects devices over a short distance. Geofencing Picture this as an invisible boundary around your house.

The simplest way to understand what protocols are is to think of them as languages that smart devices use to communicate. 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.

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-Wave uses a mesh network where boosters work as a net to cover a wider field.

42 MARCH 2022

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