February 2022 web

CREATING A SMART HOME
by Verizon Wireless
“OK Google, what is a
smart home?” You might have
heard about home automation
in the news. Or maybe friends
and neighbors have talked
about how they’ve taken steps
to make their houses “smart.”
From convenience to
safety to fun, there are a lot of
benefits to home automation.
But you may not know how or
where to begin. For instance,
what should you do first,
choose a smart hub or pick
your devices? Do you start
with lighting or temperature
controls? What’s the best
smart home setup?
Without a little
background, it can be hard
to dive in. That’s why Verizon
put together this guide to the
basics. As an expert in wireless
and fiber-optic networking,
Verizon knows a bit about
connecting people and
devices. So, they have come
up with a few tips and ideas to
help you create your own smart
home.
What is a smart home?
As with any new
technology, there can be some
confusion about what’s behind
the buzzword. So, before we
start talking about device
compatibility and network
technology, let’s try to define
“smart home” as simply as we
can.
By taking advantage of
improvements in networking
technologies and innovations
in both connected devices
and voice recognition, it’s
now possible to bring many
aspects of your home online
– lighting, heating, entryways,
entertainment systems and
more. Lights that once had to be
flipped on and off at the switch
can now be commanded by
the sound of your voice. And
thermostats that had to be
adjusted by hand can now be
controlled remotely from your
smartphone. It’s automation
like this – spread throughout
an entire house – that makes a
home smart. To put it another
16 February 2022 I QC Family Focus