Before there were “smart homes” I wanted a smart home. I remember a movie about a smart home and it just seemed so realistic back then. Now that I know smart homes are possible, I am slowly upgrading my home to a smart home. I just added a couple of things to my home that are seriously incredible. Some may say we are getting lazy with our homes, but I say that we are progressing in technology.
Connected Home Philips hue A19 Starter Kit
Recently, I made a list of my Top 5 Non-Traditional Wedding Registry Items and the Connected Home Philips hue A19 Starter Kit was on that list. I am so excited to have something so technologically advanced in my home. This kit is simple to set up. It took maybe 15 minutes to read the instructions, add the light bulbs, and download the app. You simply connect to WiFi and use the free app to control the lighting. This is the fun part.
You can use Siri on your iPhone to control the lighting with your voice if you choose to do so. There are different settings for the beach, reading, and more. It's so fun to play around with the settings and to see the different colors of the lights. Different lights can be set at different colors, like red, greem, purple, pink, blue, orange, green, white, and yellow. There are so many different colors. I love the vacationing mode. You can set the lights to alternate, to make it seem like you are home when you are away.
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Philips Hue Go
This is a portable, wire free smart light. I love the size of it. It's great for lighting in any room. I like to carry this with me as I walk from one room to another late at night when everyone is asleep. It gives me the right amount of light when I need it. You do have to make sure it's charged, but you will get 3 hours of battery life from it. You can use the hue app or the on/off switch directly on the light. Another great idea is to use this while reading in a dark room or camping in the backyard. Hue Go helps you to wake up fresh and energized in the morning with deep dimming. The gradually increasing light intensity gives you the feeling you are waking up from sunrise – gently and naturally.
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Netgear Nighthawk DST Router & DST Adapter
To connect all of these, you can use the Netgear Nighthawk DST Router & DST Adapter. This is a brand new router that was exclusively developed between Netgear, an industry leader in the networking world, and Best Buy, to help provide consumers with an easy, all-in-one solution to support their home’s connected devices. As the number of Wi-Fi dependent products increase in a home – the average US household has 7 “connected devices” – from smart phones (often several in a home), to tablets, to laptops, to computers, and Wi-Fi printers, this puts a strain on the home’s network, especially the router. With the interest in online gaming and 4k TVs, connected devices such as smart thermostats, plus the need to stream shows from Netflix or hulu, it places even more demands on the network. Many households may experience slow Wi-Fi, dropped calls, or experience “dead zones” – which could be improved upon with an “AC” router, Wi-Fi extenders and expert help.
Best Buy makes it easy with this new high performance Wi-Fi router, which includes a Wi-Fi extender and Geek Squad Set Up and Support via phone & web, for one full year. The Geek Squad service via phone & web allows customers to call or get help 24/7 whenever they want, vs. the need to schedule an appointment.
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