Turn Your Home Into A Tech Haven

Over the past 5-10 years the word ‘smart’ has been attached to a  different number of technologies. ‘Smart’ has become a buzzword attached  to products in order to drive sales now it’s hard to know which smart  devices are actually worth investing in.

However, fear not as we’ve compiled a list of affordable gadgets to make your house truly smarter.

Google Home Mini

You may have heard of this one as it’s quite popular. The Home Mini  is a smart speaker that comes with a digital assistant. This allows you  to set reminders, check the weather, listen to music, check traffic  updates and even get the latest news. The great thing about this speaker  is its voice controlled so all you have to do is tell the speaker what  to do and it will.

A simple ‘Hey Google, I’ve got a meeting with Paul at 2 on Friday’  will prompt the Home Mini to add that event in your calendar and it  eventually pops up as a reminder later that week. How convenient is  that?

Since it’s a speaker you can also listen to audio books, music and if  its connected to your smart tv then you can look for movies to watch  using the device. ALL WITH YOUR VOICE. Buttons are a thing of the past  with the Google Home Mini.

The digital assistant can also be used by multiple users in one home  and it correctly updates each person’s events without mistaking the user  for someone else.

The Home Mini is quite small and it also has a great design that ensures it won’t look out of place in most furniture setups.

All this futuristic-goodness will set you back $39. The Google Home  Mini is not for sale in Zimbabwe but if you have relatives outside the  country I’m sure they wouldn’t mind bringing this for you since it’s so  tiny.

Weber iGrill Mini

The iGrill Mini is for anyone who has a hard time making sure their  steak is perfectly cooked. This small device has a probe that you insert  inside whatever you are grilling and when it’s reached the optimum  cooking point the iGrill Mini sends you a notification on your phone. No  more burnt offerings at supper! Seems like a pretty smart device to me.  This handy device will set you back around $40 on Amazon. It works on  both Android and iOS so you don’t have to worry about compatibility  getting in the way of grilling tendencies.

Xiaomi Mijia Bluetooth Temperature Humidity Sensor

It’s been an extremely cold winter and when it started getting chilly  if you had a device such as Xiaomi Miija Bluetooth Temperature Humidity  Sensor –quite the mouthful- you probably would have bought a heater  before everyone at home caught a cold.

With this temperature sensor you can monitor temperature and humidity  in your house in real time. The device’s readings are refreshed every  second which means you will be getting up to the second temperature  readings here. With a sensitivity of up to 0.1°C and 0.1% there will be  no more guesses.

When there are abnormal shifts in temperature you will be notified and  if there’s something wrong you can take action quicker than you would  if necessary.

This little handy device comes at a cost of $23.99 on AliExpress (which ships to Zim). Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Tile Sport

Misplacing valuable items such as your keys, purse or wallet in the  house is always irritating. Sometimes these minor mistakes can cost your  hours but in a smart home this can be a thing of the past.

The tile sport is a small and waterproof device that you can put in  your wallet, purse or key holder and pretty much anything since it has a  built-in keyhole. The tiny tile makes sure you never misplace these  items. As long as it’s within a 200-feet range, the Tile will begin to  emit a loud sound. If not, the app will show you where the item was left  behind. And if you ever misplace your phone, just double tap the centre  Tile logo to automatically have the handset make an audible noise, even  if it is set to silent.

These low cost devices are a great way to assess whether a smarter  home is appealing to you and if you’re convinced there’s a lot more  devices that you can look to if your goal is to make your home smarter.  Think of this as a simple taster of how smart your home can be.