New technologies make life easier for everyone, particularly around the home. So what should you invest in a technology upgrade for your home?
Home tech serves a dual purpose: it makes our lives easier and, simply, it’s fun.
From energy-efficient appliances to top-of-the-range entertainment, we’ve sussed out the different types of home technology you should invest in — and why.
Technology expert Trevor Long gives his best tips for investing in tech and exactly how it could enrich your home life.
1. It will amp up movie nights
At a time when home entertainment is assuming a larger role in our lives, it seems like the perfect time to update your TV and sound system.
“Right now, there’s never been a better time to buy a big, big TV,” Trevor insists. “If you’re settling into a new home or are looking to breathe new life into your current home, there is nothing like the change a big new TV can bring.”
Movie nights have never looked so vibrant. Picture: Hisense
Trevor says OLED TVs are currently top of the market when it comes to image quality. But they’re about to meet a new contender for first place.
“The Dual Cell TV coming from Hisense this year will be the best quality picture you can buy,” he says.
Unlike other TVs, the Hisense Dual Cell TV places a monochrome screen behind your regular colour screen to enhance the quality and distinction of darker colours and images. While darker points on a regular screen can become obscured or flooded out by the lighter and brighter parts, this new technology ensures they are reinforced and better contrasted, making the image more vivid as a whole.
2. You won’t have to lift a finger
Virtual home assistants like Google’s Smart Home and Amazon’s Alexa can be linked to your technology to manage all manner of requests.
While they can do simple tasks like turn your TV and music on and off, they can also manage your lighting, heating and (some!) cleaning.
No need to get out of bed to turn off your lights with a smart switch. Picture: Pexels
“Using Amazon Alexa or a Google Smart Home can help you set routines,” Trevor says. “For example, in my home, the lights [are programmed to] all turn off at 9am.
“You can also run the pool pump or a water feature. Hook them up to smart switches and you can not only control them with your voice, but you also can set them to routines or turn them off when you’re not home.”
3. It can help with your bills
While programming your lights to turn off is one way you can use technology to reduce your bills, also consider the energy efficiency of new appliances.
“Some of your kitchen and laundry appliances may not be ‘smart’, that is internet-connected, or Google/Alexa-enabled, but they’re so much more intelligent now in terms of efficiency,” Trevor confirms.
There are new energy rating standards making new appliances more efficient. Picture: Getty
“For instance, a washing machine’s water efficiency or capacity now compared to a washing machine made 10 years ago is mind-blowing.”
Trevor says your old appliance may not need to be broken to warrant a replacement because newer tech can end up saving you the bulk of your investment in the long run.
4. It’ll make working from home easier
“A common complaint while working from home is poor WiFi,” Trevor says.
“People tend to rely on the modem their internet provider gave them to provide the WiFi to their home. But if your WiFi speed is 100 at the modem, it will probably drop to 30 or 40 on the other side of the house because WiFi doesn’t travel very well.
“This can be improved by a WiFi Mesh network.”
A Mesh Wifi network means you don’t have to sit on top of your router for great WiFi. Picture: Pexels
A Mesh network includes a series of extra modules or touch points you place around your home which pick up the signal from your router and, essentially, carry it a further distance from that original connection point.
So long, slow internet.
5. It’s fun!
When all is said and done, technology is there to make our life easier, but it can also help put a little joy into our lives.
Whether it’s movies, music or cooking – technology can bring your passions to life. Picture: Hisense
Gaming software, a cool new camera, an ice cream maker – all of these things aren’t must-haves, but they could be nice to have in your life.
For Trevor, it’s all about the music.
“Get a little home assistant or smart speaker and ask it to play you some music,” Trevor encourages.
“Every now and then, you just need a bit of music in your life and if you’re at home all the time, working from home, a smart speaker is the way to go.”
article by realestate.com.au