From smart phones to smart homes — We are living in times where technology is all pervasive. Gadgets are shaping our actions, and fulfilling human aspiration far beyond imagination. No one has seen tech evolve and disrupt lifestyle over 50 years as much as Gen X. From when television first made its first appearance in the 70s, the audio-visual experience is now taking leaps into the future. Entertainment and communication are all about swiping and clicking to controls. No one imagined the compelling need for a computer, software, Google search or video games until this giant stride in communication technology.
Automate your home
Products like Amazon Echo, Echo Dot or Wink Hub 2 include just about everything in the smart home spectrum. In terms of security too, there are many state-of-the-art options of cameras that one can use indoors and outdoors that connect with your smart phone, for constant vigil.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then solution is the driver of innovation. Almost every app, service or gadget we see today is centered around making human life easier or interesting. And the home is right on top of that list. Solutions are developed for every conceivable need with a continuous integration into daily lives. Smart is the way forward. Tech-savvy is already a redundant phrase as your phone is smart enough to make changes, control home specs. In other words, this is the era of the intelligent home.
Your smart phone can control your home with such ease today
What an obedient home!
No more dangling keys, smart living is all about passcodes or biometrics (Think Apple X). Wearables are the new consolidated data providers for health and fitness too. Adding technology to our homes is a surefire way to amp up a comfy and convenient living experience. Enabling a smart home is easier than we might think, and it’s not even a dent in the pocket. Ease of existence with a tech-enabled home brings utility expenses down, and encourages overall savings. Connected lights, thermostats, wall outlets and home security are a few of the many smart home devices available in multiple variants. All one needs to do is download the device-specific apps. Amazon and Google have also entered our homes to revolutionise life into intelligence-driven living. Yes, this Diwali, welcome your intelligent built-in assistants. You can pair your smart devices with sleek and pint-sized home automation hubs, and lo and behold, all you need to do is speak to your AC to turn off or on, change channels, stream music, warm ovens for that pot roast, start timers for that banana bread, lock your front door before shopping lists are tended too! Infact, there are apps for even that, like Big Basket, etc. All this, without physically moving yourself. The hands-free future has smart homes with an AI-driven edge, for instance smart speakers connected to devices and gadgets. All you need is your voice!
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Co-live with a click
Lifestyle solutions are not just restricting themselves to smart homes. The basic framework of society is evolving towards a new genre, that of shared living in India. Co-living or communal living is the latest habitat trend transforming the norms of rented accommodation life. Co-living is an exciting experience as it has done away with the fear of nasty landlords, hefty rental deposits and setting up a new home from scratch. Co-sharing living spaces provide centralised wifi and common laundry and cooking areas. Housekeeping too, for professionals with a time crunch, is an app away, or click. These co-living start-ups are not just restricting their offerings to accommodation and amenities, but including networking, therapies, games, fitness, discounts and events geared around the requirements of their users. Some co-living hubs even provide pups for company if needed!
Furniture gets smart too!
In this journey of smart phones to smart homes, home innovation like wall solutions are creating wall TV screens to match the elegance and colour schemes of home décor. It’s no surprise that furniture enterprises are also customising retail solutions for products. As convenience becomes more and more contextual, furniture design is rewriting erstwhile ergonomic factors to stay a step ahead of the expectations of a virtually-driven world. Globally, the online home décor market is projected to have a 20 percent growth rate by 2020. Visualisation technologies are increasing pre-purchase confidence and sellers are adopting Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) in omni channel strategies of experience marketing. It is important to note that that a retail store experience remains a win-win for the furniture sector as heavy purchase decisions are based on physical experience rather than virtual.
All photographs have been used for representational purposes only. Smart homes have gadgets controlling entry, exit, lighting, TVs, home theatre systems, ovens, water pressure and lots more!
With the festival season already under way, brands are investing heavily in consumer experience management. But in this milieu of digital marketing tactics, it still remains upto the customer to make intelligent and informed decisions to enable smart lifestyles, whether it’s in one’s personal space or a shared space, yet not all disruptors can replace intuitive and experiential buying.
