How to set up smarthome devices when you have roommates

Craig Lloyd is a smarthome expert with nearly ten years of professional writing experience. His work has been published by iFixit, Lifehacker, Digital Trends, Slashgear, and GottaBeMobile. Read more.

Whether you’re in college sharing a dorm room, or just have roommates to make rent cheaper, here’s how to set up your smarthome devices so that they play nicely with multiple household members, as well other devices that your roommates might have.

There once was a time where you wouldn’t even have to worry about this, because smarthome wasn’t really a big thing. But now, smarthome devices are becoming more mainstream, and many homes and apartments are filling with these nifty gadgets.

If you live alone or with family, there’s really not much to worry about, but if you have roommates, things get a bit trickier. The good news is that it’s still fairly easy to make it all work.

You Can Share Access to Your Devices

If you’re feeling generous and want to share the smarthome love with your roommates, most (if not all) smarthome devices let you share access with other people.

This gives your roommates the ability to control your smarthome devices, like lights, door locks, and even the thermostat. You can even set different permissions for other users, so that they can control devices, but not necessarily make changes to any backend settings.

Sharing smarthome devices is usually a good idea from the get go, especially if any common spaces in the dorm, apartment, or house utilize smarthome devices.

Duplicate Devices Can Usually Coexist Just Fine

If you and your roommate happen to have the same smarthome device, like some Philips Hue lights, they can co-exist without issues, and you shouldn’t have to worry about interference.

This means, as long as the devices are on two separate accounts, then they’ll work just fine on their own. So if you set up Hue lights in your room and your roommate does the same, the two Hue Bridge hubs won’t get in each other’s way.

However, you may come across a situation where only one kind of smarthome device can rule the land, like a smart thermostat. So if you and your roomie both bring your Nest Thermostat to the table, you’ll only be able to install one of them and keep the other has a backup spare, unfortunately. From there, you can start to argue about what the temperature should be set to, but that’s neither here nor there.

Be Cautious of Voice Assistants

Devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home are awesome to have as smarthome companions, but that’s where it can get a bit dicey when your roommates also have the same voice assistant as you, and this is usually where duplicate smarthome devices start to clash with each other.

If you have an Echo and your roommate as a Google Home, you’re mostly fine, since both use different wake words. However, if you and your roommate both have an Echo—especially if they’re using different Amazon accounts—you’ll probably want to change the wake word on one, so as not to accidentally trigger your roommate’s Echo.

However, you can’t change the wake word on the Google Home, unfortunately. So if you both have Google Homes, you’ll need to some planning to make sure that you won’t accidentally trigger their Home. Or attempt to share your Google Home if you’re comfortable doing so, which is a good way to go if you don’t mind making a few sacrifices.

If You’re Renting, Know Which Devices Are Allowed

There’s a likely chance that if you have a roommate, you’re probably renting an apartment or a dorm room, in which case there are rules you have to abide by. And it’s possible that you won’t be able to use certain smarthome devices in this situation.

Usually, renters aren’t allowed to change the door locks (if you wanted to get a smart lock) or the thermostat (if you wanted to get a smart thermostat). Sometimes if you ask nicely they’ll allow it, but generally you won’t be able to install a handful of smarthome devices that require changing things in the residence.

However, a lot of devices can just plug right into an outlet, and that’s a great way to go for a renter. And you can usually use your own light bulbs, so smart lights are also great.

Rules will vary by landlord, obviously, but if you’re renting a place, it might be a good idea to check with yours to see what’s allowed and not allowed.

· 6 February 2021

(Pocket-lint) – We’ve all been there. It doesn’t matter whether it’s with a partner, spouse, housemate or live-in friend, no two people like to live in exactly the same way, and that can cause tension.

It might be a carpet left unvacuumed for weeks, or a mound of dishes left conspicuously unwashed, but there’s always likely to be something you just can’t get your head around about the people you live with.

Thankfully, though, you don’t have to suffer alone. Why live on in silent resentment when you could confront the issue, and pick up some amazing tech to make it easier for all parties? We’ve gathered together some of the devices and solutions that we think could smooth over almost any household bumps and hurdles. See what you think – you might just find the road to domestic bliss!

A robot vacuum – Roborock S5

Chores are chores, and there’s no escaping them. Vacuuming your home is pretty much essential if you want to keep dust to a minimum, regardless of whether you’re living in a one-bed flat or a multi-floored palace. If you’re having difficult ensuring that the division of labour is even on the vacuum front, why not magic away the labour in the first place?

Robot vacuums have come on in leaps and bounds since their introduction to the market years ago, and Roborock makes some of the best around. The S5 is a powerhouse, automatically mapping your home and cleaning it efficiently whenever you want, whether on a schedule or not. It’s got mopping capabilities, too, and will simply mean that you never have to hoover for yourselves again. That said, it’s a little pricey, but the good news is that there are lots of other models available.

A sleep tracker – Withings Sleep Analyzer

Another common issue when it comes to housemates (or indeed if you’re sharing a bed with someone) is sleep. Some of us need eight hours a night every night or we’re broken the next day, while others can get away with three hours and a strong coffee, but if you have loud housemates or a bedmate who tosses and turns you could be in trouble.

That’s one that probably requires real-life intervention at some point, but if you’re concerned about your sleep a tracker could be a great place to start gaining an understanding of your actual requirements and patterns. Withings is superb on its tracking, and its sleep tracker, slotting under your mattress and syncing to your phone, is the best in the business.

A smart oven – Hoover Vision

Cooking is a classic source of discord in any house. That might be because someone never does it, or because the shared oven is a piece of rubbish, or because the person who does do it keeps burning things. Any number of issues are possible, but a really top-of-the-line smart oven with genius techy features will likely sort them all out.

The Hoover Vision is amazing, with a screen built into its window that lets you program the oven to your needs. On top of that, as its price suggests, you’ll get amazing performance and even cooking regardless of what you’re making. Frankly, if you’re not careful you’ll all be fighting to use it, instead.

A smart fridge – Samsung Family Hub

While we’re thinking about kitchen appliances, though, we know full well how awkward it can be sharing a fridge. Whether you’re a family unit and need to desperately try to keep track of what you’re low on and what’s actually in the thing, or a group of friends sharing some things and not others, it’s hard to stay in the loop.

That can easily make for a dirty fridge, or one where things keep going missing. In steps the Samsung Family Hub to basically solve all these issues. With internal cameras, you can check on what’s in the fridge wherever you are, while a smart noticeboard display on the outside lets you leave notes and lists for each other. Plus, it’s got massive capacity to make sure that it can cater to even big groups.

A smart dishwasher – Bosch Serie 8 SMS88TW06G

We promise, we’ll get out of the kitchen in a moment, but if there’s one more key dispute that’s likely to come up when it comes to culinary matters, it’s got to be dirty dishes. No household can be truly free of controversy until they have a dishwasher (although, even then, loading and unloading it can become its own battle).

This Bosch Serie 8 is a belter, powerful enough to clean even the toughest grime, and quick and quiet when it’s actually on. It’s a shortcut to domestic bliss, which is what this list’s all about.

A smart assistant – Google Nest Mini

If there’s one thing that can help if you’re living with a selection of particularly argumentative people, it’s a smart assistant that can sort fact from fiction at a moment’s notice. While Alexa has its merits for smart home organisation, nothing can trump Google’s Assistant when it comes to fact-checking your mates.

With the tiny Google Nest Mini you’ll be able to ask Google when a pop star was born, or exactly how tall a celebrity is, or any other fact you can think of, to settle any argument. Plus you’ll get a handy speaker that’s better than its size indicates, and a helpful voice-controlled input for your smart home. What a bargain!

A great webcam – Logitech C922 Pro Stream

We’re thinking a little more kindly, with this entry – rather than sorting out arguments or cutting down on chores, a good webcam is essential if your main issue is isolation. Say you’re in a long-distance relationship, or you hardly ever see certain groups of your friends and family. Video chatting can be a major solace, so you want a good camera to make the most of it.

Logitech’s C922 Pro Stream is just that, a cracking camera that can do basically anything you need, including livestreaming if you decide to go down that route at some point. It’s versatile and reliable, and will have you chatting to your loved ones in crystal clear video in no time.

Mesh Wi-Fi – Google Nest Wifi

Another common bone of contention in households of all types is Wi-Fi access. Whether because one room has terrible signal, or because some people won’t stop hogging bandwidth at popular times, or any other combination of reasons, it can be a real issue. Solve it once and for all by hooking up a mesh system to get even, fast coverage all around your home.

The best system on offer right now is Google’s Nest Wifi, a smooth and easy setup letting you edge towards Wi-Fi heaven. With each Wi-Fi satellite also a little Google Assistant smart speaker, you’re getting a bit more smart home bang for your buck, too.

A smart lock – August Smart Lock Pro

We’re closing out our list with a final item that should remove anxiety for some occupants of any home, while acting as a useful safety net for others – a smart lock. With one of these installed on your front door you’ll evolve past the need for keys, using your phone or fobs to gain entry.

It’ll mean no more wakeups in the wee hours when someone gets home late without their keyring, and has added benefits like easily granted access for guests or renters. It’s one of the best ways to upgrade your home life, and eliminate a source of arguments in one fell swoop.

By Mikelle Leow , 27 May 2021

Images via IKEA and Space10

As helpful as voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant might have been, their interactions with humans are quite cold and impersonal. It’s little wonder people perceive them to be part of a dystopian future.

IKEA, however, is confident that smart devices can be friends, rather than frenemies. As part of an innovative Everyday Experiments project by its design and research lab Space10, design and technology studios were enlisted to envision a future involving a “more trustworthy and (most importantly) more fun” smart home that respects your privacy.

The creators deduced that for people to fully welcome smart technology into their most vulnerable spaces, it would have to be a companion—essentially a roommate. And it’s not going to just live rent-free in your house; it will be there to help you navigate the oft-stressful digital space.

One of the concepts revealed is the Digital Buddy by creative studio FIELD.SYSTEMS, a 3D bubble-like avatar that humanizes complicated terms and conditions (T&C) of tech services. The AI technology translates confusing T&C jargon into text for a layman, as well as points out any red flags.

To cushion this stressful process, your Digital Buddy will also react to the information with verbal and visual gestures. “In order to truly trust a Digital Buddy, we need to build a relationship with it and be able to read its virtual cues,” FIELD.SYSTEMS explains. “This is why the human motion-captured movements behind our character are so important.”

Another project in the same vein is the gang of Invisible Roommates dreamed up by Nicole He, an independent game developer; and Eran Hilleli, an artist and animation director. The duo visualized adorable AR character counterparts to real-life devices that fly paper airplanes at each other when data is transferred from one device to another.

For instance, when your computer is communicating with your printer, its virtual double will toss paper airplanes at the printer in the AR world. “We wanted to reflect the ambiguity around data by presenting the devices in a way that mirrors the joy we can get from them,” describes Hilleli, “but at the same time, reveal some of the invisible things that go on with and between them in real-time.”

You can explore more experimental Space10 projects centered around home data and privacy here.

2020 may have been a miserable year for a lot of us, but techies couldn’t have asked for a better time to be alive. Technology is at an apex in quantity & development, and there are more devices at our disposal now than ever before.

Not only this, but also innovative technology for houses has never been more normalized. Gone are the days when computers were just for nerds, and now nearly every person on the planet is an arguable techie, with one of the most advanced pieces of technology ever made sitting right in their unwashed pockets.

In fact, we can’t get enough of these little rectangles. They listen to us, we talk to them, and our relationships with our phones & devices are more intimate than those with many of the people in our lives. This connection is most especially evident in 2021, as many of us have used our devices for the majority of our social interactions in the past year.

While many of us fear the oncoming A.I. takeover ala Terminator , turning our phones off when we discuss privileged information, many are also ready to double down and fill our houses with more smart home devices ( bring it on T-1000! ).

If you align with these fearless souls, then it’s time to fill your house with even more screens, and create an even more fine-tuned Black Mirror universe in your own home. Let’s take a look at the most innovative smart home devices to detail your home and make you the king of your cyberpunk castle.

Tempo Studio

If your local gym isn’t shut down, then you might just think wiping down a machine from the sweat of strangers takes your COVID-19 fatigue one step too far ( you think? ). Fortunately, there are plenty of virtual ways to get your work out on, and one of the best options being Tempo Studio.

Tempo Studio comes with weights, digital classes, and a big ol’ screen that houses your personal trainer inside. Work out with your new digital trainer and get swole when you add this new piece to your collection of smart home devices.

Nest Thermostat

Dads across the world will release an epic sigh of relief upon adding the Nest Thermostat to their list of smart home devices. Yes, bellows of “Who touched the thermostat?!” will no longer shake the very foundation of households with the groundbreaking new gadget.

Google’s new toy allows users to control the temperature of their homes from, you guessed it, their mobile devices. You needn’t be in the home to use it, so roommates on vacation no longer need to wonder if they’ll return to a fat heating bill when they leave the thermostat to their housemates.

Tile Pro

Tile Pro is the perfect sister piece to the Nest Thermostat for those in search of a peaceful home via smart home devices. Nothing is more infuriating than trying to leave the house when you can’t find your keys. Everyone in the household is a target for the problem as shouts of “have you seen my keys?” target every inhabitant.

Tile Pro solves this issue, as the little smart squares attach to your keys, TV remote ( like the tiny Fire Stick that disappears by the hour ), or any item you can’t seem to keep your eyes on. You can track whatever’s attached to the Tile on your phone, and the Pro model has up to 400 feet of range! Your mantra of “phone, wallet, keys” may never be spoken again.

Smart phones and their related smart devices can make our lives a lot easier, and get us moving through our tasks faster throughout the day. Installing smart home devices can up your tech game and make your house the picture of advanced 2021 living. Just don’t forget your passwords.

Here’s what we’ve been up to at iDevices.

Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to the iDevices smart home you’ve customized within the iDevices Connected app? You carefully set up dynamic product schedules and curated scenes, and uploaded custom names and photos to make it yours. Now you want to share this powerful interface with your entire family, and for good reason — it just makes life easier.

We have good news; your entire family can access the same home you’ve created in the iDevices Connected app, ensuring everyone who matters in your life can monitor and control accessories from their smart phone or mobile device. The iDevices Connected app is available on both iOS and Android devices, so let’s dig into how homes can be shared based on the preferred operating system.

As long as the users you’ve shared with are connected to your home Wi-Fi network, they’ll be able to access your home within the iDevices Connected app, or Apple’s Home app.

If additional users want the ability to control your home remotely while not connected to your home Wi-Fi network, you’ll need an Apple Home Hub (Apple TV, iPad, HomePod). But, if you’re on vacation, for example, you can just as easily set up product schedules and check in on the app from anywhere yourself to make sure your smart home is functioning flawlessly. Still, it’s an option at your disposal. Options are nice!

Once a new user has access to your smart home, you can manage their level of control or remove them at any time. You can also allow editing and toggle remote access on and off. Another bonus on the iOS side of things is the ability to switch between homes. What’s this mean? If someone gives you access to their home, you can quickly switch back-and-forth between your own home, and any other homes you’ve got access to.

Tip: You can use Apple’s iCloud service to sync information from your iDevices products to different iOS devices signed in to the same iCloud account. This allows you to control your HomeKit devices (including non-iDevices HomeKit products) from all of your iOS devices.

Sharing your home between Android devices is a breeze – all you need is a Google account. By syncing your home data with the same Google account, all of your Android devices gain access to the same products within the iDevices Connected app. We suggest creating a dedicated Google account for home sharing in your household. You can share the credentials of this account to anyone you choose, inside and outside of your home.

Due to platform limitations, you can’t edit permissions or remove users, though. Whoever is signed into your home with the Google account you’re using is, in essence, you. They have the same access and control over your home that you do. So you should only be sharing your account with those you trust, like close family members, or people who actually live within your house and need access to the app.

Sharing between iOS and Android

Let’s say your son has an iPhone, and your wife has a Google Pixel smart phone. Both want the ability to access the super smart home you’ve created within the iDevices Connected app. But one device is iOS (the iPhone), and one is Android (the Google Pixel). So what now?

In this situation, make sure all products in the home are set up via an iOS device first. You can then share access with your son, an iPhone user, the same way explained in the iOS section above.

Then your wife, the Android user, can set up the same products or whichever products she chooses via her Google Pixel. This is possible because the product setup process for iOS and Android devices is different, and products can be set up on both operating systems at the same time. This would also work if you had two phones — iOS and Android — and wanted to control your smart home with both. The key is setting up products on iOS first.

Since your wife is technically setting up each product from scratch, just on a different operating system, she won’t have access to all of the scenes, schedules and customizations you’ve created on the iOS side of things. But she can give her products the same names, add the same photos, and control them remotely.

Just because you can’t afford a remodeled condo doesn’t mean you have to skimp on gadgets. Here are some tips for making your new home a tech-centric haven.

Getting your first post-college apartment is a major life step. Finally, a place of your own, even if you have roommates.

Some things probably followed you from college, like a futon that’s seen better days, a beanbag chair or two, and twinkle lights that “set a mood.”

But just because you can’t afford a remodeled condo on your own just yet doesn’t mean you have to skimp on technology. Depending on your paycheck, you might even be able to afford a few pricier purchases. So get a quality TV (without worrying it will crash to the ground at a kegger), an air conditioner that might just be smarter than you (new diploma notwithstanding), and a robot that does (some of) the cleaning for you.

This list will help you pad out your new pad at different price points.

August Smart Lock Pro + Connect

Generally when you get locked out of your apartment, the only thing your phone is good for is calling an expensive locksmith. But with a smart lock, your smartphone is your key. Among our favorites are the locks from August; its second-gen August Smart Lock comes in at under $200 and works with Apple HomeKit, but upgrade to the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect and get support for Apple HomeKit, multiple voice command services, three wireless protocols, geofencing, and IFTTT. August’s locks easily replace a deadbolt, so you can restore your door to its original condition when you move out.

Smart Air Conditioner

LG Electronics 8,000 BTU Window Smart (Wi-Fi) Air Conditioner with Remote

If you need a window a/c unit to get through a hot summer, the LG Electronics 8,000 BTU smart air conditioner connects to Wi-Fi for easy temperature control and syncs with Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control. Those with central air should consider a smart thermostat, which can make sure you’re not blowing your paycheck on the electric bill. Our Editors’ Choice selections include the Ecobee4 and Nest Learning Thermostat.

Brands Need to Behave Like Good Roommates

By: Daniel Moneta, CMO & VP Corporate Development, MMB Networks // Board Member and Marketing Working Group Chair, Zigbee Alliance

The smart home offers brands the kind of relationship with consumers that was impossible just a few years ago — but it’s one that comes with new responsibilities. Our company helps brands integrate IoT technologies, and yet our first conversation with clients usually isn’t about wireless standards. It’s about whether they’re ready to ‘move in’ with their customers.

I live in a modest condo in downtown Toronto and I’ve mostly enjoyed having the place to myself, but over the past couple of years I’ve accumulated a handful of new roommates. Their names are Alexa and Google, Philips, Sonos, Nanoleaf, August, Nest, Zen, Dropcam, Wemo, Anova, and Ring, amongst others.

Five years ago, who could accurately recall the brand of their light bulbs or electric sockets? Today’s smart home brands have become household names, in the most literal sense. We now regularly interact with them, and even speak with them on a first-name basis.

Beyond brand equity, the much-touted ‘big data’ benefits of smart home products deliver incredible insight into customer behaviour. Which features are most popular? Which drive consumption (or conservation)? Has anyone used that feature they spent years developing? These innovation-driving observations can only come from ‘living’ with users.

Cohabitation can be mutually rewarding, but it comes with responsibilities. Many of us have had roommates that seemed great at first but became a daily annoyance. Maybe it was forgetting to lock the door, leaving the lights on, or thermostats off. Maybe they needed constant reminders for simple tasks. Maybe they shared your personal information. How frustrating and stressful was that? And how damaging was it to your relationship?

This is the challenge for brands entering the smart home. Brands that want to become an intimate part of our lives need to make a commitment commensurate with that level of relationship. So how can brands be good roommates?

Be reliable.
Smart home products often replace devices so reliable we don’t even think of them as technology, making it particularly frustrating when something goes wrong.

Be trustworthy.
This applies to performance, security, privacy, and support — sensitive topics, for good reason. Brands doing this well are upfront about their use of personal data, and visible in their defense of it. They’re transparent about issues and provide the quality of support that reflects the role they want to have in users’ lives. Few things diminish trust more than someone who isn’t there when you need them.

Bring new value to the home.
Consumers expect connected products to get better (and keep working) over time. This offers brands an opportunity to delight users with new abilities, and a responsibility to keep devices up to date.

Be nice to the other housemates.
Products that only talk amongst themselves are rude, forcing users to be IT managers. Common IoT standards like Zigbee, Thread, and dotdot make sure everyone gets along.

Brands that see connected products as a short-term commitment or bonus feature will end up kicked out of the house. Those that understand the commitment required to be a good citizen of the smart home will enjoy unprecedented engagement with their customers, and gain insight that will fuel successful innovation.

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LOGITECH ROOMMATE

CollabOS appliance for supported conference cameras and room solution peripherals

PURPOSE-BUILT FOR VIDEO COLLABORATION

RoomMate runs CollabOS, which allows you to easily deploy Microsoft Teams ® Rooms on Android™, Zoom Rooms™ Appliances, and other leading video conferencing services.

MODULAR VERSATILITY

Connect the modular Rally System or MeetUp to RoomMate and add a Logitech Tap touch controller, Scribe whiteboard cameraCompatibility may vary, see for the latest information., and other collaboration devices to your meeting rooms to turn any space into an appliance-based video conferencing room.

See specifications for a list of supported hardware.

POWER, WITH CONNECTIONS

In a sleek, low-profile form factor, RoomMate delivers all the power you need for HD video conferencing in rooms with one or two displays.

FLEXIBLE, NEAT, SECURE

Mount RoomMate securely and out of sight. The optional Compute Mount supports discreet installation and cable retention behind displays, inside cabinets, and on carts.

VERIFIED AUDIO PARTNERS

Use the audio system of your choice. Default to the conference camera’s audio when you pair RoomMate with MeetUp or a Rally system. Or choose a verified audio system from select partners when RoomMate is used alongside Rally Camera.

SIMPLE TO MANAGE

Easily manage your Logitech video collaboration devices with Logitech Sync. Monitor room health, deploy updates, and modify settings all from a single cloud-based platform. And with Sync Insights, you can see how meeting spaces are utilized over time.

Powered by CollabOS

Deploy video collaboration solutions at scale with CollabOS, the secure operating system powering Logitech appliances and select devices.

NEXT-LEVEL PEACE OF MIND

AN ALL-IN-ONE SERVICE PLAN

Logitech Select is a comprehensive service plan that delivers reliability, continuity, and peace of mind for each room you designate. Select provides 24/7 support, a dedicated Customer Success Manager,Available with purchase of a service plan with 50 or more rooms. accelerated RMA, onsite spares,Available with purchase of a service plan with 50 or more rooms. and advanced Sync analytics including customizable alerts through ServiceNow integration.Available for users of Logitech Sync.

Not available in all countries. Contact your reseller.

UP TO FIVE YEAR WARRANTY

Purchasing an extended warranty Terms and conditions apply. Not available in all countries. Contact your reseller. offers security and peace of mind that comes with knowing your Logitech video collaboration room systems and devices are protected against defects for up to five years from the purchase date. Extended warranties are available for either one year or three years beyond the original Logitech manufacturer’s two-year warranty.

Not available in all countries. Contact your reseller.

YOUR SUSTAINABILITY ALLY

Our commitment to creating a more sustainable world starts with our 1.5°C Climate Pledge, 100% renewable electricity goal, and a portfolio of video collaboration solutions that help reduce your carbon footprint.

by Lauren Sovisky on August 6, 2018

College students – and many 20-somethings – often find themselves with a roommate or two. While splitting bills and having a fun friend to swap clothes with can be great, it can also be tricky if that $20 bill on top of your dresser is missing… or the tablet you usually have on your desk mysteriously disappears. (You know you left it there.)

Living in close quarters with a stranger can lead to a lifelong friendship… or a one-year power-through until you find a better living arrangement. If you end up with a roommate with sticky fingers, that could put valuables in your room or car at risk of being stolen. Roommate theft can be tricky if there isn’t any clear-cut evidence or if your roommate is a friend. Here’s what you need to know.

What to do if you suspect roommate theft

If you suspect your roommate is stealing from you, here are a few steps you can take:

• Make sure the item isn’t misplaced. Don’t automatically accuse your roommate if something is missing. Make sure to check every possible place your item could be. Retrace your steps. Check your pockets, car or odd places it could have fallen under or behind.
• Mention the disappearance . If you suspect your roommate is stealing from you, casually mention that you noticed an item was missing. Then ask if they’ve seen it. Regardless of their answer, they’re now aware you know it’s missing and, if they didn’t take it, can help you find it.
• File a police report . If the missing item or items was expensive, notify campus or local police and file an official report. This also shows that you took reasonable steps to recover your belongings.
• Only confront your roommate if you have proof or strong evidence. And if you do bring it up to him or her, keep your cool. Aim to initiate the conversation when you’re not upset or stressed out. You’ll be able to keep a clearer head and proceed carefully while giving them a chance to be honest. Be prepared that they may still deny it, even if you present proof.

It’s possible you won’t get your stuff back, even after taking these steps. Keep these tips in mind to secure your stuff and help prevent roommate theft from happening again.

11 Tips to Prevent Roommate Theft

1. Communicate. When first moving in with your new roomie, be sure to discuss what you feel comfortable with borrowing or lending. Letting them know up front that you don’t like sharing food, clothes, electronics or money will help set up a general guideline both of you can follow.
2. Don’t leave items out. Leaving something unattended or out in the open increases the opportunity for someone to notice it and take it. Wallets, phones, your keys and ID cards are easy to snatch when you aren’t looking. Hold on to sensitive items, and if you aren’t using them, put them somewhere safe.
3. Don’t give out private information. This includes your passwords, social security number or any personal information that could help someone gain access into your room or bank account. Lending out your keys or swipe cards can also put your items at risk.
4. Limit what you say on social media. While you may be itching to update your status and post what an amazing deal you got on that new laptop… you’d also be letting everyone know you have a fancy new piece of technology in your room. Be careful what you post. The moment you’re away and snap that poolside pic, a would-be thief could sneak in and grab what they know is there waiting.
5. Engrave high-value items. Engraving your initials or a personal message on your electronics or other pricier items can make it more difficult for a thief to sell them, possibly deterring them from stealing it all together. It also makes it easier for any items to be returned to you.
6. Have proof of purchase. Keep receipts and/or credit card statements from purchases that were particularly expensive. Serial numbers can be used to verify ownership if there’s a dispute.
7. Lock your door. It may sound like common sense… but if you don’t share a bedroom with your roommate, lock your door when you’re not home. Likewise, if your roommate is throwing a party or inviting friends over that you may not trust, locking your door is an easy way to prevent strangers from entering without your permission.
8. Keep things neat. Having a messy space makes it easier for you to misplace valuables. If everything has its own spot, you’ll have a visual map of where everything should be. If something isn’t there, you’ll be able to spot it more quickly.
9. Invest in a safe. A safe can help you securely store cash, credit cards, jewelry and more. Learn more about what to look for when shopping for a safe.
10. Install a security camera. Smart home technology is getting better and more affordable for a college student’s budget. Many security cameras are under $100. Just make sure to tell your roomie you’re installing a camera – it’s definitely not cool to record someone without their permission. Plus, knowing there’s a camera on premises can deter for a curious roommate who might have otherwise ruffled through your stuff.
11. Ask your parents. They might be able to store high-value items you don’t need to have on campus. After all, your roomie can’t steal what’s not there.

Bonus tip: Preventing car theft

College campus parking lots are often packed with cars, making them a tempting venture for thieves. To help keep your car safe, park in well-lit areas and always lock your doors. Don’t keep any valuables in your car, and if you do, keep them out of plain sight.

If your car – or a valuable inside – is stolen, notify campus or local police immediately. If the worst does happen, that’s when you’ll be glad to have the right insurance. Depending on the circumstances (and the specifics of your policy), your stolen stuff could be covered under your or your parents’ auto or homeowners insurance; or your own auto or renters insurance.

Your college years are all about finding yourself and learning how the adult world works. When it comes time to make your own decisions about insurance, find a local ERIE agent in your neighborhood. Your agent is there to simplify things, answer questions and help you get the insurance you need – and nothing you don’t.

The University provides each resident with a bed, twin mattress, desk, desk chair, drawer space, and closet/wardrobe space. Storage space in student rooms is extremely limited, so pack only what you need. You may want to coordinate bringing larger items with your roommates.

Review the list of items below prior to packing. We encourage all students to pack light and consider ordering some items after your arrival. We advise that you limit your belongings to items that will fit in one 24.5”x34.5” moving bin (provided by the University on move-in day). The following items may be needed, depending on personal preference, in residence halls unless otherwise indicated in the information about your hall.

The Bare Necessities – what we encourage you to bring – pack light

• Bedding, linens, towels: extra long (80 inch) twin bed size flat and fitted sheets, except for Clark Street, where beds are standard twin size (75 inch).
• Personal items (minimal): clothing, toiletries, medicines, books, study materials, and whatever else is necessary for you to live and work comfortably.
• Kitchen utensils: dishes and utensils, and cookware if you are assigned to an apartment-style suite
• Your tech equipment! Laptops, TVs, gaming consoles, and/or smart home devices. You can connect all of your devices to the NYU Network.

Items to Reconsider – ask yourself, do I really need this?

• Cooking equipment/appliances: Some traditional-style residence halls provide a microfridge (microwave + refrigerator unit); these halls are identified on the residence hall pages. Toaster ovens and hot plates are prohibited in all residences for fire safety and electrical reasons. One toaster is permitted within suites with kitchens, but the toaster must be stored and used in the kitchen area.
• Room amenities: Students may bring non-halogen desk or floor lamps, area rugs, posters, and clothes hangers. All windows have blinds, so curtains are not needed. TVs and speakers should be compact and equipped with headphones to allow use without disturbing roommates.
• Decor: If you bring decor, only use painter’s tape to secure it. Residents are responsible for any damage done to walls upon checkout and will be charged for wall repair and/or painting. Command hooks and double-sided will cause damage.

What Not to Bring

• Furniture: Personal furniture may not be added to a room. If a student requests or requires special furniture to accommodate a documented disability-related need, a written request must be received by the Moses Center for Student Accessibility in accordance with the Request for Reasonable Accommodation process. Medical documentation is required to support the request.
• Air conditioners, air coolers, and electric heaters
• Candles or Incense
• Drugs and other controlled substances without prescription
• Flammable decorations including natural or artificial Christmas trees
• Halogen lamps
• Extension cords and multi-plug adaptors (exception: power strips with built-in surge protectors are permitted)
• Hot plates, pressure cookers, grills, air fryers, or other open flame or heating coil devices
• Portable washers and dryers
• Toasters (exception: only permitted in kitchens of apartment-style suites, one per suite)
• Pets (exception: fish in a tank no larger than ten gallons, and service or emotional support animals previously approved by the Moses Center for Student Accessibility are permitted.)
• Weapons of any kind including firearms, fireworks, ammunition, knives, swords, or explosives.

Storage

There is no storage space in the residence halls, so please do not bring more personal property than you can keep within your room. Students may not store belongings in the residence halls during the summer. Students who need or wish to store belongings during the summer are encouraged to use local commercial storage providers.

Property Insurance

NYU is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen items. If you are not currently covered by your family’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, you may want to consider purchasing a policy.

Gallagher Insurance is a non-affilitaed vendor that provides a student property insurance policy.

Integrating your connected devices allows you to properly control all aspects of your smart home seamlessly and effortlessly through a single hub or app. Here are six key questions to consider when building a smart home ecosystem that will best fit your lifestyle.

1. Would You Like Professional Installation or DIY?

Do-it-yourself (DIY) is an emerging trend shaking up the home security industry, offering an alternative for those looking to secure their home in an affordable and convenient way. However, DIY security systems require you to install your connected security devices on your own. If you’ve done your research and purchased devices from a trusted vendor, DIY is a viable method. But, if you do not feel comfortable installing your devices, then a professionally installed ecosystem is the way to go.

2. Do You Want 24/7 Monitoring With Your System?

If you choose professional installation for your smart home ecosystem, then you have the option for a 24/7 monitoring service. Should an emergency occur, an alarm sounds to alert you of a threat. At the same time, 24/7 monitoring center operators are notified so they can dispatch emergency services.

3. What Type of Property Do You Have?

Do you live in a home, multi-tenant building or apartment? Your solution will vary depending on your type of residence. For example, homeowners may have outdoor smart lights that need to be integrated into their ecosystem, while apartment dwellers won’t have to worry about their building’s exterior. Consider these factors and work with a trusted security vendor to develop a solution that fits your needs.

4. Do You Rent or Own This Property?

People who own their property have free range to customize and build their smart home ecosystem however they like. However, customization is limited when you rent your property. Landlords may have certain restrictions that keep tenants from permanently installing equipment. If you rent, check with your landlord to see what smart home security features are within the parameters of your lease.

5. Who Resides in Your Home?

Consider who lives in your home. Do you have pets, children or roommates? Depending on your answers, you may have to build your smart home ecosystem to adapt to your housemates. Pets and children may accidentally trip sensors, creating a false alarm. Or, if your system is activated when you’re unavailable, housemates must learn to operate it.

6. What Features Would you Like Your Security System to Have?

Lastly, determine what features to include in your smart home security system. With Vector Security systems, our smart home features, include:

When your smart home devices are integrated, they work in harmony to create an in-home ecosystem that enhances your comfort and convenience. Contact your security vendor to start building your smart home ecosystem today!

Smart-home devices like thermostats and fridges may be too smart for comfort – especially in a country with few laws preventing the sale of digital data to third parties

‘The documents and data we access remotely every day can end up in a gray zone outside the clear protections afforded in our homes and offices.’ Photograph: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

‘The documents and data we access remotely every day can end up in a gray zone outside the clear protections afforded in our homes and offices.’ Photograph: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Last modified on Tue 6 Apr 2021 19.04 BST

Y ou may have a roommate you have never met. And even worse, they are nosy. They track what you watch on TV, they track when you leave the lights on in the living room, and they even track whenever you use a key fob to enter the house. This is the reality of living in a “smart home”: the house is always watching, always tracking, and sometimes it offers that data up to the highest bidder – or even to police.

This problem stems from the US government buying data from private companies, a practice increasingly unearthed in media investigations though still quite shrouded in secrecy. It’s relatively simple in a country like the United States without strong privacy laws: approach a third-party firm that sells databases of information on citizens, pay them for it and then use the data however deemed fit. The Washington Post recently reported – citing documents uncovered by researchers at the Georgetown school of law – that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been using this very playbook to buy up “hundreds of millions of phone, water, electricity and other utility records while pursuing immigration violations”.

“Modern surveillance” might evoke images of drones overhead, smartphones constantly pinging cell towers, and facial recognition deployed at political protests. All of these are indeed unchecked forms of 21st-century monitoring, often in uniquely concerning ways. Facial recognition, for instance, can be run continuously, from a distance, with minimal human involvement in the search and surveillance process. But the reporting on Ice’s use of utility records is a powerful reminder that it’s not just flashy gadgets that increasingly watch our every move; there’s also a large and ever-growing economy of data brokerage, in which companies and government agencies, law enforcement included, can buy up data on millions of Americans that we might not even think of as sensitive.

Privacy protections in the United States are generally quite weak; when it comes to police purchases of private data, they are completely absent. This is one of the oddities of trying to update 18th-century rights to address 21st-century threats. At the time of the country’s founding, the framers wrote about protecting things like our homes, our papers and other physical objects. Flash forward to today, and these categories fail to capture most of our intimate data, including the ins and outs of your daily routine captured by a nosy electronic roommate – or a data broker.

Courts have been slow to update these legal categories to include computers and other electronic records. But while we now have the same protections for our laptops as our paper records, the matter gets much less clear in the cloud. The documents and data we access remotely every day can end up in a gray zone outside the clear protections afforded in our homes and offices.

US privacy protections are generally weak; when it comes to police purchases of private data, they are completely absent

Whether it’s our financial records, our phone records or the countless other records held about us by third parties, this data is generally open to police even without a warrant. This so-called “third-party doctrine” has come under more scrutiny in recent years, and there is some hope the courts will catch up with the changes in technology. Until they do, however, nearly all the data held about us by private companies remains completely exposed. Hence why utility records might end up in the hands of law enforcement via a private company, or how smart-home devices like thermostats and fridges could very well be sending off your data to be sold away.

While the recent Washington Post story focused on data brokerage and utility records, the smart-home phenomenon makes this problem of data sale and unchecked surveillance even worse. These gadgets are sold as flashy, affordable and convenient. But despite all that has been written about the speculative benefits of the so-called Internet of Things, these technologies are often terribly insecure and may provide few to no details to consumers on how they’re protecting our data. Ring, Amazon’s home security system, has documented surveillance ties with law enforcement; that is but one example. The more that smart devices are marketed in the absence of strong federal privacy protections, the more likely it’s not just about hackers half a world away controlling your home’s temperature – it’ll also be about arrests and deportations with the help of smart-home data.

All of which means American citizens and lawmakers must remember that protecting modern privacy is not just a question of facial recognition bans and legal restrictions on smartphone data collection, for example. It’s also a matter of regulating the appliances and smart devices that watch people in their homes – and reforming the giant industry that profits off buying and selling those systems’ data.

Albert Fox Cahn is the founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (Stop), a New York-based civil rights and privacy group, and a fellow at the Engelberg Center for Innovation Law and Policy at New York University’s School of Law. Justin Sherman is the technology adviser at Stop and the co-founder of the Ethical Tech initiative at Duke University

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These apps will help you stop fighting with your housemates by making it easy to share bills, chores, and a whole lot more.

There are plenty of reasons to choose to live with housemates. Some do it strictly because of financial necessity, if they want to move to a nice area or a big city and can’t afford a place by themselves. Others do because they want to be surrounded by friends.

While living with roommates sure has its benefits, this situation can also lead to conflicts, even if you cohabitate with your best friends. Many fights are brought up by people being disorganized or forgetful, and others fearing confrontation. Luckily, technology can help. These Android and iOS apps will make it easy to get along with your housemates.

1. Splitwise

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One of the most common reasons for divorce is money issues. Although a shared home is nothing like a marriage, it is still some kind of a partnership, and money may lead to endless arguments in it. There are rent payments, electricity bills, gas, internet, repairs, groceries, cleaning supplies, shared subscriptions, and more.

To ensure you pay everything on time, and no one feels shortchanged, we recommend using Splitwise. Everyone in the house needs to install the app for it to be effective. After that, open a new group, and add all of the housemates to it.

Every time someone pays for something related to the house, they can log it in the app right away and even add a picture of the receipt. You can choose to split it equally with all of the users, or just with one person.

With the option of the simplified debt, the app shows who owes who what, to make the fewest amount of transfers. It will also send notifications when items are added and an email reminder to make sure people pay up. To top it off, it offers some payment integrations, so you can settle debt directly from the app.

Download: Splitwise for Android | iOS (Free, premium version available)

More and more of us are working from home these days — or at least spending a lot more time there than a few years ago. And in that same time, homes have begun to transform into smarter, more helpful spaces, complete with Wi-Fi-connected lightbulbs, speakers , video doorbells , security cameras and more.

Of course, picking the right devices can be complicated. You might just need one gadget to address a particular issue, like a smart plug to put a lamp on a schedule. Or you may be thinking about how to build on what you already own, like an Alexa- or Google Assistant -powered smart speaker, or even Siri and Apple’s HomeKit smart home service. Voice assistants can be a great starting point for building a do-it-yourself smart home. They offer a convenient way for family members or roommates to interact with the various devices without having to manage basic access within each app. Many, but not all, of the products on our list of the best smart home products will work with multiple voice assistants.

Before you dive into our picks for the best smart home devices, keep in mind that Amazon , Google and Apple have each released a new set of smart home speakers in the past year. Our reviews of Apple’s recent HomePod Mini , Google’s Nest Audio and Nest Doorbell with battery , Amazon’s fourth-gen Echo speaker and Echo Show 15 are live, but we’ll update this list as new products launch

Our list focuses narrowly on the best product in each smart home subcategory. If you want to know the best smart thermostat or the best smart lighting kit , regardless of which voice platforms support them, we have you covered. What this list is not is a road map for a single, coherent smart home installation (you won’t get far trying to pair an Amazon smart speaker with a Google smart display). For that, please refer to our platform-based lists linked below:

In each subcategory section, I’ve also added a link to the best list for that particular product type. If you’re looking for more options for lighting or locks , you’ll find a list of our favorite products if you’d like to see a broader selection. We regularly update this list as we review new products. Without further ado, here are the best of the best in smart home devices you can buy right now.

Amazon’s fourth-gen Echo is still impressive well over a year after its initial launch — and even if you pay its full $100 price (you can often find it on sale if you keep an eye out). Between its new sphere-like profile, powerful sound output and a few forward-looking features, the Echo is still king of the countertop.

Google’s Nest Audio speaker, which also launched in 2020, is a solid competitor with the Echo, and Apple’s recent HomePod Mini plays well in the Apple sandbox, but Amazon wins out in two key categories: Its speaker is far more powerful — the bass is particularly impressive — and it features a built-in Zigbee receiver and Amazon Sidewalk Hub that make connecting devices like lightbulbs and locks much more seamless and reliable.

Meanwhile, Alexa and Google Assistant are pretty much at parity right now. While Amazon boasts about more skills and support for more third-party devices for its voice assistant, the numbers for Google Assistant also land in the tens of thousands, meaning you really don’t miss out on anything significant either way.

Read more: Best smart speakers of 2022

Google Assistant does a better job at mimicking natural conversation flow, but the difference isn’t really that noticeable in your day-to-day interaction with each speaker. Most of the time you’ll ask a smart speaker for the weather, to set a timer and maybe have it play a song or two. Both devices are good at all of that.

Google has another card to play, which you can read below.

Getting new internet service can be a bit of a hassle. Not only do you have to schedule tech support appointments to install your service, but you also have to figure out where you’re going to put your modem and possibly a router if the modem doesn’t have one in it. Of course, there are other things to worry about, too.

One of the biggest questions you might ask yourself, especially if you’re trying to cut down on the monthly cost of your internet, is whether you should buy or rent a modem. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always clear-cut. Ultimately, choosing whether you should buy or rent a modem comes down to several things.

The benefits of buying your modem

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If you want to buy a modem, there are several benefits to look forward to. First, you’ll cut down the cost of your monthly internet bill. When you rent a modem, the internet service provider (ISP) charges you a flat fee each month to rent the device. This ultimately costs more than just outright buying one, so you’ll be saving money in the long run.

Secondly, it will give you complete control over what kind of modem you purchase. Not all modems are created equal (via Router-Switch). Some models offer a built-in Wi-Fi router — these are often called gateways — while others require being paired with a router to transmit wireless internet throughout your home. Being able to pick and choose your modem will give you access to options and features that your ISP might not offer on rentals. You’ll also find that some modems support different internet speeds, so make sure you buy one that fits the service you plan on paying for.

ISPs typically charge around $10 to $15 for a modem each month, so if you rent one, you’ll end up paying over $200 over the course of a couple of years. When you consider that some modems can be purchased for under $150, the savings really become more apparent. Of course, there are a few other things to take into account when deciding to buy a modem, and we’ll touch on those shortly.

The benefits of renting a modem

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Just like buying a modem, renting one has its own benefits, too. For one, you won’t have to worry about replacing it if the modem goes out at any point during your tenure with your ISP. Because you’re renting from the company, you simply exchange the router for another one without any upfront costs. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about running tech support on your own modem. Part of the point of renting the device from the ISP is that they know how to troubleshoot their modems. As such, they can set everything up, send out a tech if needed, and get everything working the way it’s meant to.

Renting is also great if you have a temporary living situation. Because different ISPs serve different areas, if you move around a lot, renting a modem from your ISP will allow you to turn the modem in without having to worry about whether it works with the ISP at the new place you’re moving to. It’s also handy if you’re living with roommates, as you can split the bill entirely so that nobody has to eat the upfront costs of buying a modem outright.

Should you buy or rent your next modem?

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united photo studio/Shutterstock

Now that you know the benefits of renting and buying a modem, let’s tackle the big question: should you buy or rent a modem? Ultimately, the answer lies in what you want to deal with. If you’d rather provide your own tech support – and you’re comfortable doing so – then buying a modem can be a great way to cut monthly costs and wield more control over the tech used in your home network. You’ll also need to check with your ISP to see what kind of modems are compatible, as not all internet connections support every modem out there.

If you aren’t very comfortable providing your own tech support, though, we’d highly recommend renting, as you can always fall back on the ISP to do most of the legwork of troubleshooting any issues that crop up. There are also monetary implications to consider, as well. If you don’t mind spending a little more over the course of a few years, renting isn’t a bad bet, especially for the benefits it grants you.

Smarten up your lifestyle with the ultimate smart home amenities.

Convenience at Your Fingertips

Discover the SmartHom by Trinity advantage with keyless entry system, one-touch thermostats, Amazon Alexa, and smartphone compatibilities. We’ve teamed up with SmartRent to deliver a connected home experience, where you have seamless control of features both remotely and at home. Through a central hub, Z-Wave technology connects to multiple smart devices in your apartment, such as locks, thermostats, lights, sensors, cameras and voice activated devices. So you’re in control of your home no matter where you are.

Peak Comfort

Your SmartHom by Trinity is pre-equipped with a smart thermostat and connects to your SmartRent app. Personalize your settings so your home will always be at your comfort zone.

Ultimate Convenience

Your SmartHom by Trinity keyless entry system will pair with your smartphone and allow you one-touch entry into your home. Share an eKey with friends or even lock and unlock your door while you’re away.

Virtual Assistant

You can now access your ResidentPortal through any device with Amazon Alexa to pay rent or control other smart home devices, all with just the sound of your voice.

Cutting-Edge Amenities and Upgrades

When luxury means so much more than granite counter tops and crown moldings. Explore what you can expect to find in a select SmartHom by Trinity.

Honeywell Thermostats

When paired with the SmartRent hub, this thermostat allows you to control your temperature from anywhere, at any time.

Kevo Locks

Remotely unlock or lock your front door using your SmartRent app. Plus, receive text notifications every time your door is opened and shut.

App Capabilities

Connect your additional Z-wave devices to our SmartRent hub and use the app to keep an eye on your apartment. Now that’s smart!

*Preinstalled smart home devices may very per community.

The Scoop on Smart

SmartHom by Trinity brings modern convenience to life with technology that’s easy to use and even easier to love. Here’s what you need to know to fully utilize each of our SmartRent hubs.

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

• My apartment’s bathtub is strangely configured to lack space for my products, and my shower head is way too high to hang a caddy from.
• This $140 tension shower caddy from Simplehuman solved all of these problems, and it’s held up perfectly over 5 years of use.
• It’s expensive, but it lasts forever and can transition to any type of bathtub or shower configuration.

As a former beauty editor, you can imagine how filled my bathroom is with bottles and potions of every size.

When I moved to my apartment in Brooklyn, the task of keeping all of the body products in my shower organized was made especially challenging by the fact that my new bathtub had very little ledge space. My shower head was also so high up that I couldn’t hang a caddy from it without having to use a ladder to reach my shampoo.

At one point, I even tried to tie a caddy to the showerhead using string so it would hang low enough that I could reach it, a DIY project that. did not end well.

It turned out my downstairs neighbor had already figured it out. She showed me her Simplehuman shower caddy, which had a tension rod long enough to hold the caddy securely into place between our high ceilings and the tub, and shelving that was extensive enough to support an excessively large collection of products.

So I got one, and it turned out to be an excellent addition to my bathroom that has held up beautifully after five years of use.

Every time my friends would come over and use the bathroom, they’d ask me about the caddy — where I got it (Amazon), how it’s held up (amazingly well), how much it cost ($140-ish), etc. A lot of them were looking for a solution to store three roommates’ worth of products in the shower, which it can easily hold without taking up much real estate.

The caddy can be configured in quite a few ways, with up to three shelves and a built-in razor and toothbrush holder. The shelving has strategically placed holes in the wired bottoms that are designed for placing bottles upside down so it’s easier to dispense every last drop of product.

There are also little towel hangers that clip anywhere along the main pole so you not only have a place to put your washcloths, you also have a sanitary way to dry them.

As for the tension rod, it can fit anywhere from 6 to 9 feet between ends, and each end has a non-slip rubber base that won’t budge out of place, even when your cat tries to dislodge it. It gets tall enough to use in bathrooms with high ceilings or standing showers, but small enough to install in a bathtub that just has terrible ledge configurations (like mine).

The one downside to this caddy is that it’s not cheap at about $140. But, as with all Simplehuman products, the goal is that you pay once for a high-quality, well-designed product that always works how it’s supposed to.

After nearly 5 years of using it, there’s been no rust, no warping, no shapeshifting, and no loose screws since I got it in 2015. If you’re looking for a smart caddy that will serve multiple roommates, a weirdly shaped tub, or just a large product collection, this is the one I recommend wholeheartedly.

Ya ea que eté en la univeridad compartiendo un dormitorio o implemente tenga compañero de cuarto para que el alquiler ea má barato, aquí le motramo cómo configurar u dipoitivo

Contenido:

• Puede compartir el acceso a sus dispositivos
• Los dispositivos duplicados pueden coexistir normalmente sin problemas
• Tenga cuidado con los asistentes de voz
• Si alquila, sepa qué dispositivos están permitidos

Ya sea que esté en la universidad compartiendo un dormitorio o simplemente tenga compañeros de cuarto para que el alquiler sea más barato, aquí le mostramos cómo configurar sus dispositivos inteligentes para que funcionen bien con varios miembros del hogar, así como con otros dispositivos que sus compañeros de cuarto puedan tener.

Hubo un tiempo en el que ni siquiera tendrías que preocuparte por esto, porque smarthome no era realmente una gran cosa. Pero ahora, los dispositivos inteligentes se están volviendo más comunes y muchas casas y apartamentos se están llenando de estos ingeniosos dispositivos.

Si vives solo o con tu familia, no hay mucho de qué preocuparte, pero si tienes compañeros de cuarto, las cosas se complican un poco. La buena noticia es que todavía es bastante fácil hacer que todo funcione.

Puede compartir el acceso a sus dispositivos

Si te sientes generoso y quieres compartir el amor de la casa inteligente con tus compañeros de cuarto, la mayoría (si no todos) de los dispositivos inteligentes te permiten compartir el acceso con otras personas.

Esto les da a sus compañeros de cuarto la capacidad de controlar sus dispositivos inteligentes, como luces, cerraduras de puertas e incluso el termostato. Incluso puede establecer diferentes permisos para otros usuarios, de modo que puedan controlar dispositivos, pero no necesariamente realizar cambios en la configuración de backend.

Compartir dispositivos smarthome suele ser una buena idea desde el principio, especialmente si algún espacio común en el dormitorio, apartamento o casa utiliza dispositivos smarthome.

Los dispositivos duplicados pueden coexistir normalmente sin problemas

Si usted y su compañero de cuarto tienen el mismo dispositivo inteligente, como algunas luces Philips Hue, pueden coexistir sin problemas y no debería tener que preocuparse por las interferencias.

Esto significa que, siempre que los dispositivos estén en dos cuentas separadas, funcionarán bien por sí mismos. Entonces, si configura las luces Hue en su habitación y su compañero de cuarto hace lo mismo, los dos concentradores Hue Bridge no se interpondrán en el camino del otro.

Sin embargo, puede encontrarse con una situación en la que solo un tipo de dispositivo inteligente puede gobernar la tierra, como un termostato inteligente. Por lo tanto, si usted y su compañero de cuarto llevan su termostato Nest a la mesa, solo podrán instalar uno de ellos y mantener el otro con un repuesto de respaldo, desafortunadamente. A partir de ahí, puede comenzar a discutir sobre a qué temperatura se debe ajustar, pero eso no es ni aquí ni allá.

Tenga cuidado con los asistentes de voz

Es increíble tener dispositivos como Amazon Echo y Google Home como compañeros inteligentes, pero ahí es donde puede ser un poco arriesgado cuando tus compañeros de habitación también tienen el mismo asistente de voz que tú, y aquí es donde los dispositivos inteligentes duplicados comienzan a chocar con cada uno otro.

Si tienes un Echo y tu compañero de cuarto como Google Home, en general estás bien, ya que ambos usan diferentes palabras de activación. Sin embargo, si usted y su compañero de cuarto tienen un eco, especialmente si están usando diferentes cuentas de Amazon, probablemente querrá cambiar la palabra de activación en una, para no activar accidentalmente el eco de su compañero de cuarto.

Sin embargo, lamentablemente no puedes cambiar la palabra de activación en Google Home. Entonces, si ambos tienen Google Homes, necesitarán un poco de planificación para asegurarse de no activar accidentalmente su Home. O intente compartir su Google Home si se siente cómodo haciéndolo, que es un buen camino a seguir si no le importa hacer algunos sacrificios.

Si alquila, sepa qué dispositivos están permitidos

Existe la posibilidad de que, si tienes un compañero de cuarto, probablemente estés alquilando un apartamento o un dormitorio, en cuyo caso hay reglas que debes cumplir. Y es posible que no pueda utilizar ciertos dispositivos inteligentes en esta situación.

Por lo general, los inquilinos no pueden cambiar las cerraduras de las puertas (si desea obtener una cerradura inteligente) o el termostato (si desea obtener un termostato inteligente). A veces, si lo pides amablemente, te lo permitirán, pero generalmente no podrás instalar un puñado de dispositivos inteligentes que requieran cambiar cosas en la residencia.

Sin embargo, muchos dispositivos se pueden conectar directamente a un tomacorriente, y esa es una excelente manera de hacerlo para un inquilino. Y, por lo general, puede usar sus propias bombillas, por lo que las luces inteligentes también son excelentes.

Las reglas variarán según el propietario, obviamente, pero si alquila un lugar, puede ser una buena idea consultar con el suyo para ver qué está permitido y qué no.

Quer você esteja na faculdade compartilhando um dormitório ou apenas tenha colegas de quarto para tornar o aluguel mais barato, como configurar seus dispositivos smarthome para que eles brinquem bem com vários membros da família, bem como outros dispositivos que seus colegas de quarto possam ter.

Era uma vez um tempo em que você não teria que se preocupar com isso, porque o smarthome não era realmente uma grande coisa. Mas agora, os dispositivos smarthome estão se tornando mais populares, e muitas casas e apartamentos estão se enchendo com esses aparelhos bacanas.

Se você mora sozinho ou com a família, não há muito com que se preocupar, mas se você tem colegas de quarto, as coisas ficam um pouco mais complicadas. A boa notícia é que ainda é bastante fácil fazer tudo funcionar.

Você pode compartilhar o acesso aos seus dispositivos

Se você está se sentindo generoso e quer compartilhar o amor smarthome com seus colegas de quarto, a maioria (se não todos) os dispositivos smarthome permitem que você compartilhe o acesso com outras pessoas.

Isso dá aos seus colegas de quarto a capacidade de controlar seus dispositivos smarthome, como luzes, fechaduras e até mesmo o termostato. Você pode até definir permissões diferentes para outros usuários, para que eles possam controlar os dispositivos, mas não necessariamente fazer alterações em quaisquer configurações de backend.

Compartilhar dispositivos smarthome geralmente é uma boa ideia desde o início, especialmente se algum espaço comum no dormitório, apartamento ou casa utilizar dispositivos smarthome.

Dispositivos duplicados geralmente podem coexistir apenas finos

Se você e seu colega de quarto tiverem o mesmo dispositivo smarthome, como algunsPhilips luzes Hue, Eles podem coexistir sem problemas, e você não deve se preocupar com interferência.

Isso significa que, desde que os dispositivos estejam em duas contas separadas, eles funcionarão bem por conta própria. Portanto, se você configurar as luzes de Hue em seu quarto e seu colega de quarto fizer o mesmo, os dois centros de Hue Bridge não entrarão um no outro.

No entanto, você pode se deparar com uma situação em que apenas um tipo de dispositivo smarthome pode governar a terra, como um termostato inteligente. Portanto, se você e seu colega trouxerem seu termostato Nest para a mesa, você só poderá instalar um deles e manter o outro com reserva de backup, infelizmente. A partir daí, você pode começar a discutir sobre como a temperatura deve ser definida, mas isso não é aqui nem ali.

Seja cauteloso com os assistentes de voz

Dispositivos como o Amazon Echo e o Google Home são incríveis de ter como companheiros de smarthome, mas é aí que pode ficar um pouco arriscado quando seus colegas de quarto também têm o mesmo assistente de voz que você, e geralmente é aqui que os dispositivos smarthome duplicados começam a entrar em conflito uns com os outros.

Se você tem um Echo e seu colega de quarto como Google Home, você está bem, já que ambos usam palavras de despertar diferentes. No entanto, se você e seu colega de quarto tiverem um Echoespecialmente se estiverem usando diferentes contas da Amazon, provavelmente desejarãoMudar a palavra wakeEm um, para não acionar acidentalmente seus colegas de quarto Echo.

No entanto, você não pode alterar a palavra de despertar no Google Home, infelizmente. Então, se vocês dois têm o Google Homes, você vai precisar de algum planejamento para se certificar de que você não vai acidentalmente acionar a sua casa. Ou tentarCompartilhe seu Google HomeSe você está confortável fazendo isso, que é uma boa maneira de ir se você não se importa em fazer alguns sacrifícios.

Se você alugar, saiba quais dispositivos são permitidos

Há uma chance provável de que, se você tiver um colega de quarto, provavelmente alugue um apartamento ou um dormitório, caso em que existem regras que você deve cumprir. E é possível que você não será capaz de usar certos dispositivos smarthome nesta situação.

Normalmente, os locatários têm permissão para trocar as fechaduras das portas (se você quiser obter uma fechadura inteligente) ou o termostato (se você quiser obter um termostato inteligente). Às vezes, se você pedir com educação, eles permitirão, mas geralmente vocêNão será capaz de instalar um punhado de dispositivos smarthomeQue exigem mudar as coisas na residência.

No entanto, muitos dispositivos podem simplesmente se conectar a uma tomada, e essa é uma ótima maneira de escolher um locatário. E você geralmente pode usar suas próprias lâmpadas, então as luzes inteligentes também são ótimas.

As regras variam de acordo com o proprietário, obviamente, mas se você está alugando um lugar, pode ser uma boa ideia verificar com o seu para ver o que é permitido e não permitido.

What is a smart home?

There are no specific requirements to make your smart home, well smart. Installing one or more different smart devices into your home would categorize your home as a smart home. You can make your home as smart as you want it to be. There are many different devices that can be installed to enhance your home living.

How to turn your home into a smart home.

1. Choose Your Assistant

The first step to making your home into a smart home is choosing your assistant. The most popular voice-controlled assistant s are the Google Home and Amazon Echo. These devices are similar but still have differences . The assistant will help you to use your other smart devices. Say “O.K Google, turn on the lights” or “Alexa, play music”.

When selecting other devices for your smart home, make sure that those devices are compatible with your assistant.

2. Smart Lighting

With smart lighting you can walk into your home and say “Alexa, I am home” and program which lights you would like to turn on once that is said. Some of the options can dim and have multi-colors. Smart lighting can also be controlled from a phone app which allows you to control your home lights even when you’re not at home. This is a great security feature if you’re away from home or on vacation but don’t want your home to appear empty. Some systems require a bridge to connect the device to Wi-Fi. The bridge allows you to control multipl e devices all at once and when you are outside of your home.

3. Smart Plug

The smart plug is a great way to start turning your home into a smart home. These plugs can be found for as cheap as $15 a plug. You will be able to use an app to turn on/off what is plugged in or use voice activation from your assistant when you’re at home . For example , t he app will allow you to turn off your bedroom light from miles away. You can control when your plug ins are using energy or no t to stay energy efficient. Schedules can be created to turn on/off certain devices at specific times. There are also smart plugs d esigned for the outdoor elements so you can conveniently control your patio or holiday lights with ease.

4. Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat is a great way to be energy efficient by tracking your usage . This thermostat will allow you to improve your energy use by sensing patterns in the home to adjust the temperature based on movement at certain times of the day . You can see on your app the daily and monthly energy history and where you can cut back to save energy and money. Read about the different options and which one fits best in your lifestyle.

5. Home Security

Smart Cameras

Smart cameras can be placed inside or outside of the home. These cameras connect to an app allowing you to watch what is happening inside or outside of your home wherever you are at. The app will notify you when motion is detected on the cameras. If you choose to install cameras, make sure that you are on a secure network to keep your private life confidential.

Smart Doorbell

The smart doorbell has a built-in camera so you can see who is at the door an d talk to them without having to go to the door. These devices are easy to install and inexpensive. This will also notify you when motion is detected.

Smart Lock

Smart locks are keypads t hat allow you to lock or unlock your door without a physical key. Like other smart devices, t here is an app that allows you to control the feature f rom your phone. Smart locks are a great convenience and safety asset if you are someone who forgets their keys , often has trouble finding them or simply doesn’t remember if you locked the door when you left the house.

Review your home insurance policy with your local agent to make sure you are properly covered.

What Is a Smart Home?

A smart home refers to a convenient home setup where appliances and devices can be automatically controlled remotely from anywhere with an internet connection using a mobile or other networked device. Devices in a smart home are interconnected through the internet, allowing the user to control functions such as security access to the home, temperature, lighting, and a home theater remotely.

Key Takeaways

• A smart home allows homeowners to control appliances, thermostats, lights, and other devices remotely using a smartphone or tablet through an internet connection.
• Smart homes can be set up through wireless or hardwired systems.
• Smart home technology provides homeowners with convenience and cost savings.
• Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of smart home technology.

How Smart Homes Work

A smart home’s devices are connected with each other and can be accessed through one central point—a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or game console. Door locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even appliances such as the refrigerator can be controlled through one home automation system. The system is installed on a mobile or other networked device, and the user can create time schedules for certain changes to take effect.

Smart home appliances come with self-learning skills so they can learn the homeowner’s schedules and make adjustments as needed. Smart homes enabled with lighting control allow homeowners to reduce electricity use and benefit from energy-related cost savings. Some home automation systems alert the homeowner if any motion is detected in the home when they’re away, while others can call the authorities—police or the fire department—in case of imminent situations.

Once connected, services such as a smart doorbell, smart security system, and smart appliances are all part of the internet of things (IoT) technology, a network of physical objects that can gather and share electronic information.

Security and efficiency are the main reasons behind the increase in smart home technology use.

Smart homes can feature either wireless or hardwired systems—or both. Wireless systems are easier to install. Putting in a wireless home automation system with features such as smart lighting, climate control, and security can cost several thousand dollars, making it very cost-friendly.

Hardwired systems, on the other hand, are considered more reliable and are typically more difficult to hack. A hardwired system can increase the resale value of a home. But there is a drawback—it’s fairly expensive. Installing a luxury and hardwired smart system can cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars.

The global home automation market was valued at about $24 billion in 2016, growing to $45.8 billion in 2017. In the U.S. smart home market, the number of active households is expected to amount to 77.0m users by 2025. Video entertainment and smart speakers are currently the largest component of smart home technology, followed by home security and monitoring services. Smart speaker technology has fully penetrated the U.S. market, where more than one-third of households currently use a device like the Amazon Echo (Alexa) or Google Nest.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Homes

Installing a smart home technology system provides homeowners with convenience. Rather than controlling appliances, thermostats, lighting, and other features using different devices, homeowners can control them all using one device—usually a smartphone or tablet.

Since they’re connected to a portable device, users can get notifications and updates on issues in their homes. For instance, smart doorbells allow homeowners to see and communicate with people who come to their doors even when they’re not at home. Users can set and control the internal temperature, lighting, and appliances as well.

For the cost of setting up the smart system, homeowners can benefit from significant cost savings. Appliances and electronics can be used more efficiently, lowering energy costs.

While the smart home offers convenience and cost savings, there are still challenges. Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of the technology. Adept hackers, for example, can gain access to a smart home’s internet-enabled appliances. In October 2016, a botnet called Mirai infiltrated interconnected devices of DVRs, cameras, and routers to bring down a host of major websites through a denial of service attack, also known as a DDoS attack.

Measures to mitigate the risks of such attacks include protecting smart appliances and devices with a strong password, using encryption when available, and only connecting trusted devices to one’s network.

As noted above, the costs of installing smart technology can run anywhere from a few thousand dollars for a wireless system to tens of thousands of dollars for a hardwired system. It’s a heavy price to pay, especially since there may be a steep learning curve to get used to the system for everyone in the household.