Our world and lives will be so different in the next few years when it comes to our home life and technology. Very few homes already have this technology now, but most of us us will get it soon. Look for these technologies to arrive soon.
LiFi will be the new WiFi – LiFi is a visible light communication system of LED lights that flicker faster than the human eye can perceive. This low-energy light alternative to WiFi uses the visible light spectrum instead of radio waves, and keeps data within the walls of a house or building. An overhead LED light offers a way to connect everything, and direct sight lines aren't necessary (light bouncing off walls works too!). LiFi is faster, cheaper, and offers a denser bandwidth (more data in less time) than WiFi. You can learn more at purelifi.co.uk.
Wireless Light Switches – Have you ever wished you could easily move the location of a light switch? Now, you can. NXP Power's innovative light switch makes that a reality, using no batteries and no wires. Simply pushing a button creates enough energy to signal a special type of bulb to turn on or off. It could be a reality later this year.
Household Cleaning with Robots – First, iRobot introduced Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners, followed by Scooba, which scrubs floors clean. That's "so yesterday" technology. Newer household helpers include a pool vacuum called Mirra and Looj, an automatic gutter cleaner. Ecovacs.com also offers vacuuming robots and Winbot, a suction-driven device that cleans windows, inside and out!
Smartlocks and Doorbells - You can see who is at your front door-even when you aren't home! The DoorBot doorbell (getdoorbot.com) offers video and voice connectivity onsite or remotely while the Goji Smart Lock (gojiaccess.com) lets you unlock your door with your phone. It also allows homeowners to give "virtual keys" to others and limit access by time and date (think of it as a home owner's version of a lockbox). The lock can also take a photo of anyone accessing your door for the added comfort of seeing who entered.
Home Automation - Nest (Nest.com) offers a thermostat that learns from users' behavior, providing a custom home environment that saves on utility costs. The Nest can also be accessed and adjusted remotely using your mobile device. Numerous other companies offer additional environmental controls for brightening or dimming lights, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, operating shades, electrical plugs and controlling other household devices.
Connected Appliances - LG's HomeChat service lets homeowners "chat" with their "smart" LG home appliances from their smartphone. Send a text message to your refrigerator from the grocery store to determine if you are out of milk (or anything else) so you know what to buy. Tell your vacuum to run while you are on your way home, start some laundry or check the status of a load you put in the dryer before running an errand.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – green REALTOR – EMAIL
HomesMSP Team — Sharlene, John, Angela
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