Image

5:33 PM / Monday February 10, 2025

28 Jul 2016

Save money and safeguard your family with smart devices

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
July 28, 2016 Category: Color Of Money Posted by:

BPT

Smart homes make life easier and more convenient. Who wouldn’t love being able to control lighting, entertainment and temperature from their couch – or from anywhere for that matter? Whether you’re at work or on vacation, smart devices alert you to what’s going on at home and help you stay connected and protected.

According to the experts at First Alert, the following are just a few of the many benefits of giving your home a “smart” makeover:

Safety and security

Having the ability to monitor your home from wherever you are is one of the biggest benefits of a smart home. Devices that deliver notifications about everything from intruders to water leaks help homeowners react quickly and avoid major disasters.

For families with children, “smart” devices can provide parents with added peace of mind. You can safeguard doors and drawers, such as the liquor cabinet or gate to the pool, with connected contact sensors. With smart locks and cameras, you’ll know when your kids get home from school, and can ensure their safety when the doorbell rings with mobile access to live video. There are even smart safes with motion detecting technology and access notification that are ideal for keeping weapons and medications safely locked away.

Convenience and customization

Convenience is one of the most common reasons people purchase smart devices. These high-tech products streamline common tasks by giving users remote access to everything from heating and cooling systems to multimedia devices, kitchen appliances, security features and even a forgotten garage door. You have the ability to program devices to your family’s specific needs and preferences, and the flexibility to choose which features to integrate into your smart system to create a connected home custom designed to cater to your specific lifestyle.

Ease and expansion

Unlike their complicated predecessors, many of today’s “smart” home products can be easily installed, and you certainly don’t need to buy everything all at one time. One of the best places to start building a smart home system is with essential devices like a thermostat, or smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

To make things as simple as possible, the Onelink by First Alert Wi-Fi Smoke + CO Alarm is designed to work with most existing interconnected hardwired alarms, so users do not have to replace all of their existing alarms at once. The Apple HomeKit platform makes it easy to add new alarms and other devices to expand a smart home system. The alarm can be easily tested or silenced using the Onelink Home app on an iOS device (iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) or Apple Watch. In the case of an emergency, the Onelink Alarm will instantly alert the homeowner via a notification on their mobile device, allowing the user to assess the situation and alert authorities if needed, or silence the device in the event of a false alarm, like burnt toast.

Energy efficiency and cost savings

A major part of what makes “smart” devices smart is their ability to save users money through improved energy efficiency. Lights can be programmed to turn off automatically when no one is in a room. A thermostat can be set to let the indoor temperature drop during the day before returning it to a more comfortable level just before residents arrive home in the evening. You can even track energy usage and expenditures to determine ways in which your family can reduce consumption.

“Since inventing the world’s first residential smoke alarm, First Alert has been at the forefront of advancement in home safety technology,” says Tom Russo, president of First Alert. “Our Onelink portfolio of smart products goes beyond traditional perceptions of safety products and ushers in a new era of interconnectivity between a home’s comfort level and people’s safety and lifestyle preferences.”

For more information about Onelink by First Alert, visit www.firstalert.com/onelink, and for more information about Apple HomeKit, visit www.apple.com/ios/homekit.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Leave a Comment

Recent News

Color Of Money

Pennsylvania governor seeks more money for schools and transit, but relies heavily on surplus cash

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email Governor Josh Shapiro presents his 2025-26 budget proposal to the Pa. General Assembly, as...

Seniors

How Type 2 inflammation contributes to asthma, COPD, and allergic conditions

February 3, 2025

Share Tweet Email BPT Do you live with persistent, moderate-to-severe asthma, COPD, allergies, eczema or hives? Inflammation...

SUNrise

cj speaks…Celebrating in forgiveness for Black History Month

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email By cj “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and...

Week In Review

Black History Month explained: Its origins, celebrations and myths

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email This undated photo provided by the Association for the Study of African American Life...

Commentary

Commentary: The Retirement Party

January 19, 2025

Share Tweet Email President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt at Madison College, April 8, 2024,...

Health

What you need to know about glaucoma

February 10, 2025

Share Tweet Email FAMILY FEATURES More than 4.2 million Americans live with glaucoma, a leading cause of...

The Philadelphia Sunday Sun Staff