What devices do I have that connect to IoT?

Welcome to SandStorm IT’s 6-part series about the Internet of Things. In this series, we’ll shed some light on the basics of IoT.

Part 1 – What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
Part 2 – Why do I care about IoT?
Part 3 – What are some real-world applications of IoT?
Part 4 – What are the security concerns of IoT?
Part 5 – What devices do I have that connects to IoT?  (You are here)
Part 6 – What is the future of IoT?

As part of our Internet of Things (IoT) series, we would like to highlight a few devices that you might be interested in or already have that are IoT devices and how you could potentially make them work better.

Here is a brief list of standard home devices that are commonly connected to IoT:

Thermostats

With a smart thermostat, it will learn your habits and remember how you adjust the temperature in certain conditions and start making the changes automatically as well as send you alerts to your smartphone when something has gone wrong. Today’s smart thermostats can even know when you’re on the way home, thanks to geo-services, a feature that utilizes your smartphone to anticipate your arrival and have the temperature comfortable for your arrival.

In addition, they can integrate with the National Weather Service to anticipate how much heating or cooling will be required. Another cool feature is that if you leave a window or door open, the smart thermostat can automatically cut back and will resume heating/cooling when the window/door is closed. This typically requires additional sensors, but is a cool feature nonetheless.

Lights

Smart lights can be brighter or dimmer during different times of the day based on preference.  Also, they can act as a light show by changing colors and brightness to react to your music and be controlled with your smartphone.

Locks

With smart locks, you can use your smartphone to unlock your front door without ever having to take out your keys.  Additionally, you can set up temporary access codes for guests and then disable those codes during different times/days.  This can be helpful if you have a housekeeper or someone that comes over regularly to take care of your pets but you do not want to give them a permanent key.

Speakers

Smart speakers can be controlled through your smartphone, programmed to shut off automatically after a set period of inactivity, be voice controlled, and stream music instantly from other online music platforms.  They can also sync via Bluetooth with other smart devices you have to amplify the sound for those devices.

Smart Home Hubs

You might be thinking “Wow, that sounds great but having a different app on my phone to control all these different IoT devices sounds like a pain!”.  You are in luck as there are a few ‘Smart Home Hubs’ that will allow you to connect many different IoT devices and configure them all within one central application and be controlled by the Smart Home Hub.

With one voice command ‘Good Night’, your thermostat will lower its temperature, lights will turn off, doors will lock, and the TV & speakers will shut off. This is what IoT is all about, welcome to the future!

If you have any IoT or technology related questions, feel free to call SandStorm IT at 901-475-0275. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to check out the next article in the series, “What is the future of IoT?”, which is coming soon.