How to make yours a smart home: The devices that people are using to automate their spaces
YOU DON'T NEED to be a tech expert to reap the benefits of smart devices in your home.
Running the house can often be a time-consuming job, so why not get as much help as you can? A 'smart home' is a home where many of the appliances can be activated, commanded and deactivated remotely through one of your smart devices (like your phone or your tablet), or through voice command devices like an Amazon Alexa. By making your home a smart home you can save yourself time, stress and energy.
Read on to discover which smart devices could make your home a more comfortable, more efficient, and in some cases, more fun place to live.
Light it up
One of the most common smart appliances you'll see in homes across Ireland these days is lighting fixtures. Smart lighting has become very popular.
Take for example the
AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulb
. You screw it into place just like a regular lightbulb, but it can pair with your Alexa, your Google Nest, or whatever other central smart home device you've got. Through your phone or via voice command, you'll be able to turn the lights on and off, or even have them change intensity or colour, so your home will always fit your mood.
Outsourcing the tough tasks
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
Perhaps one of the most astounding advances in smart technology is appliances such as smart dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. The Samsung 9KG 1400 Spin Series 5+ AddWash™ Freestanding Washing Machine, for example, can connect with your devices, recognise your washing patterns, and suggest the perfect cycle for you, as well as sending you a notification to remind you that a cycle is done.
Advertisement
There is also a range of smart dishwashers that offer equivalent connectivity, allowing you to monitor and control your appliance from any room in the house or beyond — as well as further features such as Hygiene Plus, Intensive Zone and Silence on Demand.
Home entertainment
Previous generations dreamed about being able to turn the TV off and on simply by speaking the words out loud. For our generation, all this and more is a reality. Some televisions, such as the
LG Evo C4 65″ 4K Smart TV
, even come with an Amazon Alexa built-in, so you can use the television as a means to dim your lights or turn on your speakers via voice control.
This product also comes with smartphone remote capability, family settings, a full web browser, intelligent voice recognition and hands-free voice control.
Security
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
When it comes to making your home as secure as possible and giving yourself peace of mind, there are several smart options available to you. If you really want to take your smart home to the next level, the next big thing is smart locks.
Unlike traditional locks, smart locks typically forego keys and use the home's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to lock or unlock the door. Smart lock tech has come a long way in recent years, and many options will allow you to marry security with convenience. With a smart lock, you can unlock your front door from bed using your phone or lock the front door while you're out and about.
No longer will you have to worry about whether you locked the door after you've left for the day. Instead, you're in control of your front door at all times, no matter where you are.
Whichever improvements you're seeking to make to your home, there are a range of smart devices that can help you take your house to the next level, available at a range of price points. Do some research to discover exactly which smart products fit the bill for your home, and before long you'll be wondering how you got along without them.

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Irish Examiner
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Maximum brightness is excellent, but not class-leading, with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, but I found it highly visible even under direct sunlight. If you're a media lover or binge-watch YouTube and Netflix, this display won't disappoint. Performance and software The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 for Galaxy powers the S25 Edge, just like its S25 and S25 Ultra siblings. This is an overclocked chip that performs brilliantly in short bursts, handling every task I threw at it, including gaming, multitasking, and AI features, with no stutters or hiccups. That said, the thermal management isn't great. The ultra-thin design appears to restrict heat dissipation, and during longer gaming sessions or stress tests, performance throttling occurs quickly. Casual users may not notice this much, but power users should be aware of it. The S25 Edge runs One UI 7 over Android 15, with Samsung's full suite of Galaxy AI tools onboard. 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Shots tend to be soft and noisy, and highlights sometimes blow out. Enabling night mode significantly improves the image quality, boosting sharpness, reducing noise, and enhancing contrast. The ultrawide camera performs well in daylight and features autofocus, making it versatile for both close-ups and group shots. Night performance also benefits from the night mode, though don't expect miracles. Selfies taken with the 12MP front camera (the same as other S25 models) are excellent, offering sharp, natural-looking images with a great dynamic range. It also shoots 4K video, just like the ultrawide, while the main sensor can capture up to 8K footage. Video stabilisation is fantastic, and low-light video from the main cam is surprisingly clean, with rich contrast and well-preserved details. Verdict The Galaxy S25 Edge is a design-first flagship that impresses with its feather-light build and slim frame. It retains core Samsung strengths, display, main camera, and software, but compromises on thermal performance, battery life, and zoom capabilities. If style and slimness matter most to you, it's a winner. Otherwise, the S25+ is the safer bet. From €1,270 Samsung/url]

The Journal
4 days ago
- The Journal
How to make yours a smart home: The devices that people are using to automate their spaces
YOU DON'T NEED to be a tech expert to reap the benefits of smart devices in your home. Running the house can often be a time-consuming job, so why not get as much help as you can? A 'smart home' is a home where many of the appliances can be activated, commanded and deactivated remotely through one of your smart devices (like your phone or your tablet), or through voice command devices like an Amazon Alexa. By making your home a smart home you can save yourself time, stress and energy. Read on to discover which smart devices could make your home a more comfortable, more efficient, and in some cases, more fun place to live. Light it up One of the most common smart appliances you'll see in homes across Ireland these days is lighting fixtures. Smart lighting has become very popular. Take for example the AiDot Linkind Matter Smart Light Bulb . You screw it into place just like a regular lightbulb, but it can pair with your Alexa, your Google Nest, or whatever other central smart home device you've got. Through your phone or via voice command, you'll be able to turn the lights on and off, or even have them change intensity or colour, so your home will always fit your mood. Outsourcing the tough tasks Shutterstock Shutterstock Perhaps one of the most astounding advances in smart technology is appliances such as smart dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. The Samsung 9KG 1400 Spin Series 5+ AddWash™ Freestanding Washing Machine, for example, can connect with your devices, recognise your washing patterns, and suggest the perfect cycle for you, as well as sending you a notification to remind you that a cycle is done. Advertisement There is also a range of smart dishwashers that offer equivalent connectivity, allowing you to monitor and control your appliance from any room in the house or beyond — as well as further features such as Hygiene Plus, Intensive Zone and Silence on Demand. Home entertainment Previous generations dreamed about being able to turn the TV off and on simply by speaking the words out loud. For our generation, all this and more is a reality. Some televisions, such as the LG Evo C4 65″ 4K Smart TV , even come with an Amazon Alexa built-in, so you can use the television as a means to dim your lights or turn on your speakers via voice control. This product also comes with smartphone remote capability, family settings, a full web browser, intelligent voice recognition and hands-free voice control. Security Shutterstock Shutterstock When it comes to making your home as secure as possible and giving yourself peace of mind, there are several smart options available to you. If you really want to take your smart home to the next level, the next big thing is smart locks. Unlike traditional locks, smart locks typically forego keys and use the home's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to lock or unlock the door. Smart lock tech has come a long way in recent years, and many options will allow you to marry security with convenience. With a smart lock, you can unlock your front door from bed using your phone or lock the front door while you're out and about. No longer will you have to worry about whether you locked the door after you've left for the day. Instead, you're in control of your front door at all times, no matter where you are. Whichever improvements you're seeking to make to your home, there are a range of smart devices that can help you take your house to the next level, available at a range of price points. Do some research to discover exactly which smart products fit the bill for your home, and before long you'll be wondering how you got along without them.