Chances are, you’ve spent days, months even, making your home comfortable for you and whoever else resides in it, whether they’re your kids, parents, or significant other. However, what if I told you that it’s possible to make your home even more comfortable, and all that’s required from you is money and maybe a few minutes of labor?
I know, it sounds like I’m inviting you to a pyramid scheme, but I promise I’m not! I want to talk to you about IoT devices, smart devices for simplicity. Smart devices allow you to automate parts of your home through a simple installation, and some smart devices are plain old fun to have around. But we should never forget about our personal data security with so many smart devices in our homes. We’ll explain what a VPN is used for and why you need one to protect your data from all of these smart devices.
Since Christmas is almost upon us, I feel like now is the best time to talk to you about which smart devices you should be on the lookout for!
Phillips Hue Lights
Don’t the same lights get boring over time? When you flick the light switch in your bedroom, do you ever get bored of the yellow hue of the room due to the warm lighting? I did, which is why I got a Phillips Hue light kit, and I recommend you do as well.
Don’t worry: you can keep the warm hue lighting in your room, but with a Phillips Hue lightbulb, you’ll be able to change the hue whenever you want? Want a purple room for a relaxing evening? Done. Need to concentrate and need a cooler hue? Done. Seriously, it’s that easy!
Phillips Hue kits are relatively cheap, but I won’t be surprised if they go on sale sometime this Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled.
The Sonos One
The Sonos One is a smart speaker that uses Alexa as it’s voice assistant. With the Sonos One, you can blast music across the house, and the best part? The speaker sounds good!
It’s rare for a smart speaker to keep audio fidelity while keeping a voice assistant, but it accomplishes just that. Plus, with Alexa, you can control other smart devices in your home as well (such as the Phillips Hue lights I mentioned).
Best part? The Sonos One leaves a small footprint, so you can keep it anywhere. Really, what other speaker do you need after the Sonos One?
The Amazon Echo
What kind of smart device list would this be if I didn’t mention the Amazon Echo? The Amazon Echo has dominated the IoT market since it’s inception. So much, in fact, that Amazon has made multiple variations of the device, such as the Echo Dot and Echo Show.
If you haven’t jumped onto the bandwagon yet, Christmas is the perfect time to.Amazon loves their sales, and I wouldn’t put it past the company to discount the various Echo’s available.
Google Nest Wi-Fi
Let’s say you don’t care about any smart device that will merely enhance already-easy activities. You want something that improves a certain aspect of your home in every way.
Allow me to introduce you to Google Nest Wi-Fi.
Mesh wi-fi has become popular in the past couple years, and there’s plenty of reasons why: it’s fast, easy to set up, and allows for longer-distance wi-fi connections.
Google Nest Wi-Fi is the more refined package out of the rest, with the “nodes” you place around the house looking sleek, and the set-up being easier than ever. Also, each node acts as a smart speaker, allowing you to have a voice assistant around the house.
Conclusion
The 2020’s will be the decade of IoT devices, which is why I recommend jumping onto the bandwagon now. And if you do, I recommend installing a VPN on your network, such as a netgear VPN. VPN is a technology solution used for protecting your online activity and personal information. A VPN creates a secure and encrypted connection between your device and the internet, making it ideal for use on public Wi-Fi networks and for bypassing internet censorship.
Remember this list while you go last-minute Christmas shopping, and be sure to pick these up for yourself as well!
