How Is Smart Home Technology Making Us Safer?

Smart home technology has really taken off in recent years, with various devices that link to our phones, computers and voice activated speakers becoming more and more popular. Not only are they convenient, but they can also keep our homes safer too. Heres how you can go about it. 

Smart CCTV

Not only does CCTV act as a deterrent, but if a crime is committed then you have solid evidence to show the police. The problem with CCTV in years gone by was that it was very expensive, it would need to be installed professionally and involved running wires in and around the property. However, that’s all changed. Not only are modern CCTV systems wireless (meaning they’re easy to install yourself) but they also link up to any smartphone. If a camera is triggered at a time you’ve specified (such as when you’re at work, asleep or on holiday) a notification is sent to your phone. This allows you to check out the live footage and call the police if necessary. 

Smart doorbells

Similar to smart CCTV we have smart doorbells like Ring; these send a notification to your phone if someone rings the bell. A camera inside the doorbell sends the live footage to your phone, allowing you to respond in real time, from anywhere in the world. Not only can it give the impression that you’re at home (even if you’re not) but if anything seems off then you can call the police. You also have a video recording of whoever rang the bell in case you need it for evidence. People have caught neighbours for stealing packages, fake security or gas men and all kinds of criminals inadvertently on these devices. When a criminal is getting ready to burgle a home, they’ll often ring the bell first and see if anyone answers (with a fake cover story if they do). Responding to them through the device lets them know they’ve been seen, and means they simply won’t take a chance. 

Smart lighting

Another way you can give the impression that you’re home when you’re not is with smart bulbs. Again, you simply turn them on and off from an app on your phone, you can be anywhere in the world to do this. Or you could put them on timing schedules if you’re on holiday and don’t want to forget. Burglars tend to scope out houses before breaking in, and if the lights have been off all evening (or left all evening for that matter) it can give them a clue no one is home. Mix it up a little, turn lights on and off around the home so anyone peering at your property thinks that it’s someone in and moving around the house. As well as being great for security they’re also handy to have in general. You can use your voice controlled speaker like Google Home or Echo to turn lights on and off, adjust the brightness and even the colour temperature. Any presets and settings can all be done on your phone or computer, and there are apps for mac to make it even easier. If your device is running slow, you always have the option to compare Mac cleaners so all of your smart home can be accessed with no hassle. 

Smart blinds

Something that’s a little newer to the market but are becoming increasingly popular are smart blinds and curtain rails. Its one thing to turn the lights on and off, but physically opening and closing the curtains or blinds will really throw burglars off the scent if you want to make it look like you’re home when you’re not. They’re also great if you often work late, or again just as a convenience thing when you’re at home. If you’re comfy on the sofa, use your voice controlled speaker to close the curtains and blinds instead of having to get up yourself! This is also useful for people with disabilities or limited mobility. If you have an elderly or unwell family member, services like Hive Link are a great way to keep tabs on them. They essentially ‘learn’ their daily habits, from when they turn on the lamp in the evening to when they boil the kettle for their morning tea and notify you if something appears out of the ordinary.

Be sure to like Pissed Off Geek on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to keep up to date with all the news and reviews.

Leave a Reply