{"id":18072,"date":"2020-11-26T08:19:48","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T04:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/?p=18072"},"modified":"2020-11-29T08:45:52","modified_gmt":"2020-11-29T04:45:52","slug":"7-smart-home-gift-ideas-that-go-beyond-the-usual-google-amazon-smart-speakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/7-smart-home-gift-ideas-that-go-beyond-the-usual-google-amazon-smart-speakers\/","title":{"rendered":"7 smart home gift ideas that go for smart speakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s never been easier to build a smart home. Beyond the same Google\/Amazon\/Apple\/etc. voice-powered assistant speakers you\u2019ve probably seen on every gift guide for years, there\u2019s a world of wonderful smart home products that can delight, surprise and maybe make your life a little easier. The following list is void of those usual suspects and features unique products that would be perfect for anyone trying to make their home just a little bit smarter. Or for you. Whatever works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article contains links to affiliate partners where available. When you buy through these links, TechCrunch may earn an affiliate commission.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brilliant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> Brilliant(opens in a new window)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The promise of the Brilliant Controls<\/a> panel is to provide a dedicated place to control your myriad smart home devices, all while adding a few remotely controllable light switches to your walls. It\u2019s got a built-in camera (with a physical privacy shutter) that you can use for room-to-room video chats, or to check up on your home while you are away. Supported devices include Wemo smart plugs, Ring alarms, Sonos speakers, Philips Hue and Lifx lights, as well Schlage, Yale and August locks, among others. The number of integrations keeps growing and covers most of the major brands, but if you\u2019ve bet on other systems, this isn\u2019t the controller for you. It comes with built-in Alexa support and works with the Google Assistant, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price: <\/strong>Starting at $299 on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flair Smart Vent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> Flair<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smart thermostats are fairly ubiquitous these days, but depending on which one you\u2019re using, you could be getting a lot more from your home heating and cooling with relatively simple DIY upgrades. The Flair Smart Vent<\/a> system is one such upgrade, and though it costs a bit upfront to get going (each register is $79 to start, depending on size \u2014 and you\u2019ll need at least one control puck to act as a hub, which adds around $100 to the cost of entry) you won\u2019t have to call an HVAC contractor or break down any walls to take advantage of what it offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price: <\/strong>Around $200 for a starter kit that includes one register and one puck, direct from Flair<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flume 2<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many smart home gadgets focus on convenience or automation of typically manual tasks, but Flume\u2019s<\/a> smart water sensor provides a potentially much more vital service: the ability to track how much water you\u2019re consuming and alert you to potential leaks in your home\u2019s plumbing. The company just released its second-generation Flume Smart Home Water Monitor ($199), and the device is easier to set up and smarter than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price: <\/strong>$199 on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meural<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Give the gift of art this holiday season with Netgear\u2019s Meural<\/a>. The connected screen is purpose-built to display artwork. The company offers a subscription service that provides access to the best art throughout history and even packages the art in a way that ensures nothing gets stale. Of course, the owner can also upload their own art to the display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price: <\/strong>Starting at $299 from Netgear<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensibo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\"Sensibo\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Image Credits:<\/strong> Sensibo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of the Sensibo<\/a> as a smart thermostat for those who do not have a central\/heating cooling unit. If a person has a window air conditioner, portable room heater or modern heat pump \u2014 any device that has a remote control \u2014 the Senisbo will control the temperature. The latest version retails for $149 (it\u2019s often on sale) and works great. If you have multiple heating and cooling devices, get a couple of these devices to have complete control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company launched in TechCrunch\u2019s Hardware Battlefield competition in 2015 and has since evolved the product into a powerful platform that can automate a person\u2019s heating and cooling needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price:<\/strong> Starts at $115 on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIY smart display<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> Adafruit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are countless DIY smart home kits on the market and Adafruit has a great collection. The company\u2019s PyPortal<\/a> is a great jumping off point as it provides the builder with a touchscreen display and basic computing platform that allows for all sorts of uses. With just this kit, a person could build a smart alarm, smart display or Amazon Echo clone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price: <\/strong>$55 from Adafruit<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nanoleaf<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Image Credits:<\/strong> Nanoleaf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nanoleaf<\/a> products work like interactive, programmable art displays\u2026 and, for bonus points, they look like something out of a sci-fi movie. Once you\u2019ve snapped the modular panels together, you can tie them into HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, or if you\u2019re feeling fancy, use services like IFTTT to programmatically recolor the lights based on the weather outside, or flash whenever you\u2019ve got an incoming message. The kits with everything you\u2019d need to get started (the controller, power plug, and a handful of panels) start at around $150-200, while expansion packs with more panels go for around $60-70 \u2014 so it\u2019s not a cheap hobby, but you can start with just a few panels and build up over time if you\u2019re so inclined.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s never been easier to build a smart home. Beyond […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":18074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"contributor":[],"class_list":["post-18072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-tech-events"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Smart-Home-Hero.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Techx Admin","author_link":"https:\/\/techxmedia.com\/en\/author\/techxadmin\/"},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t