Last week, I shared some of the smart-home innovations made possible by modern technology, things like thermostats you can adjust with your cell phone regardless of your location, and smart doors and doorbells that allow you to unlock your door automatically or respond to a visitor at your door without being home.
These are just a few of the conveniences modern families can enjoy. Here are more you may not have heard about yet.
AMAZON DASH BUTTON
Don’t you hate it when you get home from a long day at work and realize you forgot to pick up cat food (again)? Amazon.com knows we’re busy, so they’ve made it incredibly easy to purchase household items with their Dash buttons. At home, I have a Dash button affixed to the wall in the garage directly above the place where I store my cat food. When we’re running low, I hit the button and it flashes green. Two days later a 25lb bag of cat food is delivered to my front door.
It’s really quite brilliant. You simply affix an Amazon Dash button on the wall or on the inside of a cabinet door (near the place your store the item in question), and when you run low on whatever it is—pet food, dishwasher detergent, soap, toilet paper, or any other essentials—you simply press the button and your wi-fi sends a signal to Amazon.com to put your item in the mail to you. Each Dash Button costs about $5, but since Amazon discounts your first order by that amount, the button is, in essence, free.
SMART REFRIGERATOR
At this January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, LG featured a new refrigerator that did everything except make dinner. You can look into the fridge without opening the doors, create notes and reminders, scroll through recipes, peer into your fridge remotely, and monitor the freshness of your groceries. Right now you have to manually enter expiration dates to get alerts as those dates approach. Eventually, you’ll be able to scan those expiration dates, removing the need for manual entry. Gone are the days when you have to call home to find out whether you have enough butter.
ROBOT VACUUMS
Probably one of my favorite inventions is the Roomba, in our house we call it “Robby the Robot.” Granted, this is not a smart-home innovation as far as its connection to the internet, but it sure is convenient. Our version just vacuums hard surfaces, but the newest robot vacuums can also mop the kitchen floor and clean windows.
SMART GLASS
Smart glass is another cool invention. With an electrical charge, clear glass becomes opaque. I can imagine installing this in the bathroom. When someone’s in the shower or on the commode, you make the glass opaque; otherwise, you allow the clear glass to make the bathroom feel more expansive.
SMART TELEVISION
Voice-activated television is sure handy. You can surf the net, watch YouTube, enjoy a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime, and you never have to get off the couch. I can say, “Hey Google, I’d like to watch Scandal.” Google responds, “Would you like it on YouTube or Netflix?” If I choose Netflix, Google remembers and sets it up that way next time, too.
You do have to be a little careful because advertisers have discovered that if they include “Hey Google” or “Alexa” in their commercials, they can cause your smart-gadgets to order their product for you.
ATOMIC CLOCKS
If all this smart gadgetry seems a little too much, you may consider starting with an atomic clock. These battery-powered clocks connect to an atomic clock so they are always on the right time. When Daylight Savings begins or ends, the clocks automatically make the adjustment. Maybe that’s enough convenience for now.
If you have questions about getting into real estate, please contact me at rselzer@selzerrealty.com or call (707) 462-4000. If you’d like to read previous articles, visit my blog at www.richardselzer.com. Dick Selzer is a real estate broker who has been in the business for more than 40 years.