Do you know someone who loves smart home stuff? Or perhaps they are looking to dip their toes in the water for the first time? Then check out our gift guide for people who are all about that smart home life.
Google Home Hub
Having your own personal AI assistant like in Her or a home control centre like Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey is still years away, but in the meantime we can pretend to live in a futuristic sci-fi setting where technology is able to run every aspect of our lives with the Google Home Hub.
This little gadget is able to do a myriad of tasks for you, acting as a picture frame on your coffee table or kitchen tabletop that will try and answer your requests to the best of it’s abilities. If you like the idea of a Black Mirror future where technology is even more interlinked with everyday life, then the Google Home Hub is for you.
Price: $199
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2018/11/google-assistant-trivia-is-surprisingly-savage/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/google-assistant-self-esteem-410×231.jpg” title=”Google Assistant Trivia Is Surprisingly Savage” excerpt=”If you play with Google Assistant long enough, you’ll discover that it’s full of fun Easter Eggs, games and tricks. One of these is Lucky Trivia – and it’s pretty fun!
There’s just one problem. When it comes to being a trivia host, Google Assistant is god damn brutal.”]
Sonos One
The Sonos One is the smart home speaker for the user who cares about audio quality above all else. With full Alexa integration this speaker works pretty well as a replacement for an older generation of smart home speakers if you are looking to upgrade, or if you are unsure which one to start off with then pick this as the one if sound quality is your jam.
Price: $265
Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Wi-Fi
Cooking good food takes time, time that we don’t always have, so what if you could control your kitchen from work or on the go? Well we aren’t quite there yet, but you can use this precision cooker to manage your home cooking remotely. All you need is a big pot of water and food can be prepared by Sous Vide (boiling basically).
Learn to cook a range of meals with free recipes on the website with the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker Wi-Fi.
Apparently steaks made this way are really good, but I might need to test this myself.
Price: $189
Amazon Echo
If you’ve ever wanted to yell commands or insults at a robotic voice in your own house then this is the product for you. The Amazon Echo is a small cylinder smart home speaker that can make calls for you, play music, answer questions, tell you the weather and many more things. Use it to control other devices in your home with wi-fi and Bluetooth – so that you never have to get up from your chair ever again.
Price: $119
Echobee4
Thermostats were never really a thing in Australia, but now with smart home technology using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity with household devices the thermostat is beginning to make a mark in the market. Control the temperature of your home remotely, with an app for iOS and Android, or with voice commands.
Be sure to check the compatibility of your air conditioning unit first though.
It is perfect for the upcoming summer heat in keeping the whole house nice and cool while we roast the Earth alive.
Price: $470
August Smart lock Homekit-enabled
Home security is a serious new level of smart home technology that has hit the market recently, but it won’t be long until having a smart lock will be the norm. Have total control in the palm of your hand with the August app that connects to the smart lock, giving you the ability to grant access remotely and keep track of who is knocking on your door.
The best part is now you can’t lock yourself out by forgetting your keys – you just need your phone.
Price: $355
Belkin WeMo Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plug
Wemo lets you control your electronic devices from your phone and on the go. The smart plug uses your Wi-Fi to connect and provides wireless control of anything plugged into that spot with your smartphone. Turn on the heater on the way home, or keep turning on the fan from across the world to scare your cat while on vacation.
These smart plugs also have access to the Amazon Alexa and google home assistant so you can now yell at a computer to ‘put the kettle on’, which is a personal dream of mine.
Price: $128
Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit
Pimp out your home with some rad LED lights that work with Google Home and Amazon Alexa voice control, perfect for parties and home rave events. Change the colours, brightness and turn them on and off with voice control. As an added bonus these lights are also energy saving and can be left on for home protection when you are out.
Upgrade those energy guzzling light bulbs today and get down and funky with the Philips Hue White LED Starter Kit.
Price: $165
Breville Nespresso Vertuo Plus
Imagine waking up, walking down to the kitchen and finding your coffee already ready and waiting for you. Sounds like some kind of fantasy future, but now it is a reality. The best kitchen appliance ever can turn on and make coffee, either by setting a time for the coffee machine to begin making a new batch in the mornings or by remotely requesting it from your smartphone.
Just put in a new pod after each use and enjoy fresh coffee you didn’t have to wait for or get from a overpriced cafe.
Price: $198
iRobot Roomba 980
While this seems to be really expensive and over the top, it is well worth it. The luxury of never having to vacuum now has a price – and while it might be a high price, it’s still one I am willing to pay. Never having to vaccum AND have a cute little robot serve me? Yes please.
The Roomba is the way of the future as household chores become the role of robots and convenience trumps all. This robot takes care of himself too, able to navigate your home and different kinds of floors to return to his charge port. The only thing you’ll have to do is empty the bag inside every now and then – even then the robot will alert you in the app when it gets full.
The Jetsons may not be too far off the mark this time.
Price: $1,329
WyzeCam V2
If you are looking for something a little cheaper in home security then the WyzeCam V2 is a pretty good deal. For under $100 you get 1080p HD live streaming from your smartphone 24/7 with night vision and motion/sound detection inbuilt into the camera. Keep an eye on your kid’s bedroom or live stream your home to watch what you pet really gets up to when your not home with this home security camera.
Price: $90