We are living in an era of the internet, everything around us including our daily practices or the devices that we use to facilitate those practices has a hint of the internet to it. That is why this age is called the internet of things or IoT. Internet of things means that every single device that we use is connected to the internet and is present in cyberspace, a similar terminology is smart devices.
But the question is, what makes these devices smart? Well, the answer is quite simple “Internet” Smart devices are gadgets that use a mix of AI and the Internet in order to automate regular day’s work. These smart devices are the basic building block behind the concept of the Internet of Things.
Role of The Internet in Smart Homes
All the smart devices present in a smart home act in collaboration to protect residents from any internal or external threats and alert health and security services automatically in case of an emergency, this is a practical example of the Internet of Things.
Most of these devices are used for entertainment purposes as well like Smart TVs, Smart Speakers, and Smart Home Assistants. But one thing that remains common in all these gadgets is that they have some kind of involvement of the internet in their work.
The reason why we are seeing such equipment and why the world is rapidly moving towards the internet of things is because of the easy and cost-effective access to the internet. Before the internet was a costly service that was only reserved for a limited number of user groups including the military and large organizations. In the 90s the internet became commercialized and it never looked back.
Now the internet is easily accessible to a large amount of population and it is becoming cheap with every passing day. This move of spreading the internet globally has done wonders as we observe the current situation the internet has become a necessity because it is the sole thing that is keeping people connected with each other in times of crisis like the pandemic that we all are going through today.
That is why, if you look at major providers like Cox you’ll see that Cox Internet Prices are quite economical and affordable for a regular user to get a high-speed internet connection. All this is to make access to the internet easier and more economical for people in need.
Must-Have Smart Home Essential in 2023
Smart Homes are a trend that is here to stay and the sooner you adopt them the better it’s going to be in regards to staying in the race of this technologically advanced world. But we do understand that it might be difficult to switch to this trend because first there are a lot of options in terms of devices and the second is that these devices don’t come cheap. This is why we have made a comprehensive list of affordable smart home essential devices that you can integrate into your daily lifestyle without breaking your bank.
1. iRobot Roomba
The first on the list is a product that looks like it has been pulled straight from a sci-fi film that is iRobot Roomba. It is the pioneer of a Smart AI-based vacuum cleaner that cleans your house efficiently and without any external input. This cute tiny robot takes care of all your home surface cleaning and works on different surfaces including ceramic, hardwood, tiles, and even carpet.
Roomba learns from your cleaning pattern and you can schedule the cleaning sessions as well. State-of-the-art built-in dirt sensors allow Roomba to clean every spot of a room leaving behind a clean and spotless surface. It is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice-controlled action and the auto charging features allow you to leave it unattended without any worry as it’s going to do its job automatically and even charge when required.
2. Amazon Echo
The next recommendation is a product called ‘Amazon Echo’ that is being used as an intelligent personal assistant. You might have heard the word Alexa by now, it has become an iconic phrase, we all know Alexa assistant but Echo is the device in which it is installed.
You can use it for a lot of things like to play music, give directions to other smart devices as many smart devices are now compatible with Alexa, and get useful information plus you can get updates about the weather and get the latest news. Do things like ordering anything online, get useful information, and most importantly, it does not need any setup or configuration and is voice-controlled. It comes with its own speakers, and microphones and connects with the internet through Wi-Fi.
3. TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug
We have talked about how smart homes allow you to save energy by optimizing the power and cutting it off when not in use. Well, these complete wiring systems and smart control panels do come at a hefty price however, there is a cost-effective solution in the form of smart plugs.
Smart plugs like these actually plug into a user’s electrical outlet and make devices connected to those outlets into smart devices. TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug has a web-based application that can be used on any device anywhere with a simplified user interface that displays how much power an appliance is using and how much it actually requires with options to control the power and power saving mode as well.
It can also be connected to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and you can schedule and control the power to your appliances and everything is done over the internet thus saving a lot in regards to energy bills and making your home smart and that too at an economical price.
Conclusion
We are living in the age of the Internet of Things and it’s going to stay and expand even further than its current form.This change in living dynamics compels users to adopt these living standards as soon as possible so that their living standard doesn’t go obsolete in this fast-paced world. Anyone who is starting on a smart home setup can begin with these affordable smart home essentials and increase gradually.
