It’s the most busiest time of the year. Between holiday decorating, shopping for gifts, going to parties, entertaining guests, and planning getaways, you may find yourself looking for a little assistance. Luckily, you probably already have an assistant plugged in and ready to help take the stress away and make the days a little more merry and bright.
If you’re like most people, you’ve already settled into several routines with your smart home assistant. “Siri, what’s the weather?” has eliminated the need to check the internet for the temperature. “Alexa, how long do I cook a turkey?” has taken the place of a bulky cookbook. “Google, turn up the TV” has solved the problem of the lost remote control. But there are so many more uses for smart home devices, and the holidays are the best time to put those features to use.
Prevent Porch Piracy
Increased online shopping has made holiday gift-buying a lot more convenient. However, increased deliveries have not only been a boon for UPS and FedEx’s bottom line but also led to a marked increase in theft. Last year, “porch pirates” stole an estimated 260 million packages. But, with a smart doorbell, you can keep an eye on the activity at your front door and be notified of any motion so you can make arrangements to have packages taken in if you’re going to be away longer than expected.
Turn Your Doorbell into Jingle Bells
Did you know that you can program holiday music into your doorbell? Just like the ringtone on your smartphone, a lot of smart doorbells have programmable music functions.
- For Nest Doorbells, follow the simple steps outlined here.
- For Ring Doorbells, follow the steps outlined in this Digital Trends article.
Automate Your Twinkle
Why plug in your Christmas décor lights at dusk and unplug them before bed when you can just set up a smart routine on your phone? With smart outlets or smart plugs, you can set your lights to go on and off automatically. Or just tell Alexa, Siri, or Google to turn them on anytime they’re within earshot.
Enjoy Your Party with Music and Timers Everywhere
Got Christmas cookies in the oven and guests in the living room? Get out of the kitchen and enjoy time with your friends. With smart speakers, you can set your kitchen timers to alert you when it’s time to take something out of the oven. Best yet, before anyone arrives, the Amazon Alexa Show and Nest Hub can find recipes, show you the directions, and even read each step to you.
Bye Bye, Needles
Have you introduced your automatic vacuum to your home assistant yet? If not, the holidays are the perfect time for them to shake hands–especially if you have a live tree. A Wi-Fi-connected sweeper from iRobot can easily connect Google, Alexa, and Apple Home Kit. Set a routine or do a quick sweep on-demand to say goodbye to stray pine needles.
Peace of Mind During Home Fire Season
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)increased use candles, dry live Christmas trees and Garlands, and faulty decorative lamps and bulbs are key culprits behind a marked increase in home fires between Christmas and New Year’s. But having A smart smoke alarm like Nest Protect can alert you to a little problem before it becomes a big one–even when you’re not home, so you can call for help.
Keep Track of Santa
The U.S. and Canadian Governments have been keeping Santa safe for years by having the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) monitor his trip around the globe. Now, kids of all ages can keep up with Santa with the NORAD Tracker on Amazon Alexa or Santa Tracker on Google Home. In real time see exactly where Santa is and learn some fun facts about the locations. Just be in bed before he arrives at your home – and leave cookies.
Call in the Pros
Before buying any smart home device, you need to be aware of a few things: ecosystems and installation. There are a lot of smart home ecosystems out there and not every device works with every platform. Also, some items (while easier to install than others) may require slight alterations to your home. That’s where we come in.
PK & Altman’s team of experts can help you determine which smart home items will work best for you. If your item needs professional installation, we’ll work with you and your coop board to ensure that all work completed is compliant with your proprietary lease.
As always, all work done by PK & Altman Electric’s team of licensed and insured electricians is guaranteed to meet New York City electrical safety code standards.
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