The future is in our homes

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If the Jetsons Family existed, they would be very proud of the gadgets that inhabit many homes today. The idea of having a connected or "smart" home is exciting and many companies are starting to push out more innovative products to make our lives easier.

But what is a connected home?

The purpose behind connected homes is that it allows us to access products anywhere in our house. The products may have sensory, processors or controls that responds through a connection. This is usually done through a shared network between the receiver (i.e., the product) and the transmitter (e.g., phone app, through voice recognition, etc.)

Why is it trending?

The connected home is not a new concept, we have only just enhanced it.  Here are some reasons why the idea of your house being connected to everything is trending:

• The ability to sync devices without moving from one room to another. We are lazy beings and connected home devices gives us the ability to stream our favourite shows from our small laptop screen onto our 60" T.V. in our living room.
• It can be easily installed onto our existing homes. There is no need to completely rebuild our house. Since everything is connected through a common network, smart devices can either be installed through conventional power outlets or through wireless connections.
• The ability to give us a peace of mind by allowing us to monitor our homes remotely. We like to be in control. We feel better when we're able to control things in our lives without actually being there and smart devices allows us to do so.

Who are the experts?

• Amazon: Created the Echo hubs which has been on multiple lists for the top smart home gadgets
• Samsung: Invented the first Smart TV back in 2008
• Phillips: Created the Phillips Hue, the first iOS controlled lightbulb

Three publications that you may be interested in reading about connected homes:

1. Automated Home:

Website that offers shopping, reviews, tutorials and articles related to smart home devices.

2. Smart System:

Website that offers buying guides, tips and reviews related to smart home devices.

3. Tech Crunch:

Website that offers the news about the latest gadgets and the technology sector.

References:http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/internet/the-connected-home-or-smart-home-explained-what-does-it-mean-11363866334872
https://www.lifewire.com/introduction-to-connected-home-817684
http://www.directenergy.com/blog/difference-between-smart-connected-automated-home/