Best Smart Home Devices For Convenience And Security – People like the convenience of TVs, speakers and other smart home devices. But some fear intrusion by hackers and advertisers, new research reveals.
What do you think about smart home devices? If you’re like many Americans, you may have a love/fear relationship with them. Love the convenience they bring to your life and fear that they might leave you vulnerable to privacy threats. Craftjack, a resource for hire, recently surveyed 800 people in the US to find out what they think about their smart home devices.
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About 32 percent of respondents have six or more smart technologies at home. Smart TVs proved to be the most popular, owned by 63% of all respondents. Amazon Echo was next on the list, finding a home with 48 percent of respondents. Other important technology products include smart doorbells, smart lights, surveillance cameras, smart thermostats, smart speakers and smart plugs.
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Why do Americans like their smart devices? The general theme was that they make life easier. About 60% of respondents cited convenience as the main reason. Some 42% said these devices provide a better overall living experience, while 36% liked the ease of voice activation.
However, smart home technology has also created a sense of security. More than half (53%) of respondents said they feel safer in their home thanks to these devices, while 55% said they would never live in a home without smart technology again.
Looking specifically at the use of voice assistants, Amazon’s Alexa ranked best with 58 percent of respondents, Google Assistant was mentioned by 32 percent, and Apple’s Siri was last with 29 percent. And what do people want to ask their home smart devices? The most popular command is “Set timer,” followed by “Play music,” and then “What’s the weather forecast?”
However, the downside is that people have clear security and privacy concerns with smart home technology. A third of respondents said they were worried about their devices being hacked. Of those with smart cameras, a quarter were afraid a hacker would get in and see their home.
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As the most popular device, the Amazon Echo also topped the list of gadgets that people are afraid of being hacked. Security cameras, Google Nest products, smart doorbells and smart TVs also made the list of items that raised concerns about hackers.
Besides hacking, spying is another fear. 76% of those surveyed said they believe their smart home devices are always listening to them, while 61% said they believe their devices are always listening to them. Some of the fears stem from targeted advertising on their phones. About 66% of the respondents said that they received advertisements related to the topic on their phone after talking about one of their smart home devices.
But if smart home users are being spied on, who is? About 35 percent of respondents said they were concerned about being spied on by hackers and cybercriminals. About 15% were concerned about possible surveillance by the US government, while 16% were nervous about advertisers trying to exploit their conversations.
“Consumers should be concerned, but not overly concerned,” said John Gallagher, vice president of Viakoo Labs at IoT cyber hygiene provider Viakoo. “They need to be concerned on the same level as the concern that your home can be broken into; the kind of concern that forces you to take preventive measures like locking the doors. All IP interfaces are concerned about being hacked and especially smart devices because they can carry personal information and often also contain commercial information.”
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For this, smart home users need to take the necessary data security and privacy measures, just like with any other technology.
“With all smart home technology, users should always change default passwords, configure privacy settings whenever and wherever possible, avoid using the Wi-Fi password provided in the manufacturer’s packaging, and consider purchasing firewalls that can filter outbound traffic,” said Nick. Amundsen, product manager at cybersecurity software company Keeper Security.
“We also recommend that users regularly check for software updates, as most of them consist of security updates and fixes. Finally, make sure your Wi-Fi password is strong and changed frequently to prevent hackers from using it.”
To compile its research, Craftjack interviewed 807 Americans who have Internet-enabled devices in their homes. The respondents were between the ages of 18 and 79, with an average age of 42. Half of them were male, 48% female and 2% non-binary.
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Related Update your kitchen with these 11 smart devices The best doorbells you can buy The best video doorbells: Ring, Nest, Arlo, Logitech and Eufy compared to these ingenious smart home devices that will completely change your life. They are also easy to install – if you know how to use a smartphone, you can have a smart home!
Imagine a world where every device in your home works together to make your life easier. The coffee maker starts automatically. Your thermostat heats the house when the alarm goes off. Ambitious little robots keep your floors clean. With the right home smart devices, you can make this (and much more!) your reality.
Smart speakers, smart TVs, smart thermostats, smart alarm clocks and many other smart home devices are the perfect addition to any home and great tech gifts too. We’ve rounded up the best of each category, so all you have to do is browse and pick what you need. You are welcome!
If you want to get started with smart home devices, the WeMo Smart Plug is a great option. “This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get into smart home technology,” says technology consultant Stephanie Duchaine Montgomery.
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Just plug it into an outlet and you can control any device – light bulbs, fans, hair straighteners – with your iPhone anytime, anywhere using the Apple Home app or Siri or Apple HomeKit. This means you can check if you’ve accidentally left your straightener plugged in or switched off random appliances to standby mode to lower your energy bills. In addition, the WeMo Smart Plugin “Away Mode” will randomly turn on and off the lights in your home to make it seem like you’re home when you’re on vacation.
Not an Apple person? Kasa Smart Plug Mini is the perfect choice for Google, Alexa and Samsung lovers. It’s also newly compatible with Apple HomeKit, so even if you’re an Apple user, this might be the right smart plug for you if you’re mixing up brands in your home setup. This smart plug not only turns your “dumb” devices on and off remotely, but it can also be used to monitor energy consumption, helping you save on your electricity bill and be more environmentally friendly.
This plug is a crowd favorite with over 37,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, and we especially like it because it’s small. In an outlet with two plugs, it does not block the other outlet, which can happen on some models. In addition, the application is intuitive and simple, so anyone can use it. Seriously, anyone – we promise!
When it comes to smart home security and video doorbells, Ring was the first – and is still arguably the best. With over 110,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and an average rating of 4.7 stars, fans say the Ring Video Doorbell is easy to use, reliable and clear. You can ask Alexa to see who’s at the door, or get a mobile alert when packages are delivered or guests arrive. But of course, buying this type of equipment isn’t just a matter of convenience; It is also a safety issue. You can choose to receive an alert if someone approaches your home, communicate with whoever rings the doorbell, and review the footage later.
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It also has a big advantage over similar video doorbells: it can run on batteries, so you don’t have to plug it into your home. In addition, it works with iPhone and Android.
Nest Cam’s indoor and outdoor cameras offer more features than most competitors without compromising on video quality. They have continuous video recording (24/7), which is not available in most security cameras. (Most cameras only record clips when they detect motion.) This means you won’t miss anything on your Nest Cam, whether you’re using a smart security camera to check on the babysitter and kids, see what the dog is doing while you’re at work, or find out when the delivery drivers are stopping by.
These cameras also send out an alert when they detect motion or unusual sounds, and let you speak directly into the cameras’ microphones to scare off intruders. They also work with Google and Amazon’s Alexa, not just one or the other.
The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium works like other smart thermostats, making adjusting your home’s temperature as easy as tapping an app, but with one big difference: it has a built-in Siri or Amazon Alexa voice command. This device lets you use voice commands to adjust the temperature, but it can also listen to the news or help you with your shopping list, even if you don’t have a dedicated Alexa.