The passing of time has been a witness to technology’s constant improvement, from beepers to brick phones to what we have now. Given the exponential rate at which technology is advancing, it isn’t all that surprising when we encounter innovations almost daily.
One of the most noteworthy examples is a central device capable of controlling other items. This feature was made popular by smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, but what many fail to realize is that our handy phones are capable of the same feat. They have been given this ability long before these speakers were introduced to the public.
Just like our smart speakers, compatibility is required for this feature to work on our phones and other devices. Here are a few examples of items that we can control with our smartphones.
Lights
Light fixtures can now be controlled with our smartphones, provided that it’s the right model of Christmas lights or light bulbs and that the correct applications are installed. Simple features like turning the fixtures on and off are usually included. It’s also possible to schedule the time of which the lights should turn on or off.
Meanwhile, some special light bulbs give more options, like changing the color of the LED to any shade in the rainbow. It’s also possible to make the light “breathe.” That is to have it flicker to the beat of the user’s chosen music.
Particular apps also allow for the control of multiple bulbs at once.
Refrigerators
The refrigerator is a piece of appliance that has been upgraded to be controlled through our smartphones, provided that we have the right brand or unit. One more thing to note is that, like all appliances, some features are unique to its model or brand.
However, there are some remarkable features. These include the ability to see what’s inside the fridge and door by using a mobile application. Another is the ability to turn on vacation mode from our phones to save energy. Lastly, some refrigerators allow their uses to see media on the screen built into the chassis, which means we can look at videos or photos or play music.
Home Security Systems
When we speak of home security, we mean more than the conventional system that alerts us if someone unlawfully enters our homes or even the models that immediately contact the police after the alarm has been sounded. These features are still built-in but are now accompanied by a slew of other innovations.
One of which is the smoke detector. We’ll be alerted through the applications if one or smoke alarms detect higher heat in the room that they have been assigned.
Following the smoke detector is the thermostat. We can use our phones to manually change the heating or cooling systems in every room. Some models also give us the power to set it on automatic mode. That is, the temperature changes depending on either the time of day or if someone is using the bathroom.
Some home systems also connect to a smart doorbell. Users are provided the opportunity to check who wants access to the property through the phone application before giving them access or denying them entry.
As technology evolves with each passing rate, it wouldn’t be long before this list of smartphone-controlled items grows longer.
