Aug 28, 2024
With an estimated 300 million worldwide, the smart home industry is starting to flourish and emerge – but are they all they are cracked up to be?
Gone are the days when we had to leave the couch to change the channel, and for most of us, that’s a blessing. We have food at our doors and just about every convenience, so it is unsurprising that the idea of a smart home appeals to modern man.
The concept is actually far older than you might think, with proposals for the designs long before the tech existed – and now that we have it, designers are running with it.
While the potentials are amazing, are they too good to be true? Let’s examine the promises and the reality of having a home that takes care of tiny tasks for you.
Many of our thoughts on smart home concepts come from the world of sci-fi, where depictions are fantastical (and often far-fetched).
The potential of smart homes is huge: we have a huge variety of devices, with more and more of them being created seemingly every few weeks. Most of them are geared towards convenience and leisure.
General thoughts surrounding smart homes are often quite fantastical, and we will look at the futuristic promises they present, but first, here are two important potentials – both are grounded in reality and born out of convenience.
One of the biggest potentials that smart homes provide is bolstered security. They can help keep your home safe with smart cameras, locks, and doorbells, and they can even call in an emergency if necessary.
Integrating smart devices into your home can also help make it more energy efficient. Who doesn’t want to do their part for the planet? By regulating temperature and helping you reduce waste, it is estimated that IoT could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 100 million tons.
The idealization of a smart home is one chock-full of futuristic gadgets that promise an easy life.
The technology is there for you to wake up to an algorithmically chosen playlist to keep you in high spirits with your coffee already brewed for you. Cue a preheated shower and notifications of everything you need to stock up on at your next shop. Sounds idyllic? Let’s discuss.
Having Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant on hand is like having a digital butler whose knowledge knows no bounds.
Digital assistance also provides someone with whom you can brainstorm ideas. You can have your niggling questions answered at a moment’s notice, and they’ll play all your favorite songs, read you the news, and help you find your misplaced items without cracking a joke about your incompetence.
Micromanaging your house from your mobile phone makes for a sweet life – automated processes with smart appliances even more so.
Keeping on top of your groceries in a smart home is a breeze with refrigerators keeping an eye on their own contents and prompting you to restock your favorites or reorder your regulars for you.
Mood lighting, scheduled blinds and dimming create an ambience for your home like never before.
Multitasking also becomes a doddle as you can ask your home to start up the computer before you head to your office or preheat the oven whilst you prep a meal.
The ultimate promise of a smart home is a less mundane existence. One that is more organized, one that runs like clockwork with a little more free time to enjoy creature comforts.
With your devices handling the mundane tasks, the occupants can focus on the more imaginative.
The objective of a truly smart home is slick functionality, seamless operation, and a streamlined existence.
However, getting it to perform like a well-oiled machine isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. There are potential security risks – and both are pitfalls that should be considered.
Smart homes are meant to make things easy, but they can be difficult to set up, taking a lot of initial legwork.
Even if you are tech-savvy and unphased by the set-up logistics that might confuse others, you might still find yourself up against major compatibility issues.
With the range of smart devices available in recent years, not all of them are going to get along. They don’t all communicate in the same “language”, so to speak. So your idea of a house that takes care of your needs might not be smooth sailing.
Smart home IoT-connected devices are a prime target for cybercrime activities. You are potentially inviting a stranger into your home with every device you add. We have all heard stories of hacked smart home devices, eyes spying in the bedroom, and conversations being captured and used against you.
Smart home devices need regularly updated security tools in place, such as 2FA, antivirus software, and a good VPN.
The reality of smart homes is that they don’t promise some Jetson-esque lifestyle, at least not yet.
High-tech homes have a host of convenient gadgets – the potential is there, but so are the risks. While you’re not likely to get locked in Hal-9000-style, every device in your home provides a potential invite to cyber criminals.
The smart home reality lies somewhere short of the fantastical, but they’re still pretty amazing – and they could save you an average of 10% to 12% on your heating bills annually.
At the end of the day, whether smart homes are a fad or not boils down to public opinion which hinges subjectively.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide – are you ready to up your cybersecurity and embrace a future free of mundane tasks at the risk of the odd argument with the toaster, or does it all sound like an Orwellian nightmare?