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Back to basics, how to get started on your smart home journey
Tue, 22nd Aug 2017
FYI, this story is more than a year old

With gadget after unnecessary gadget coming out for smart homes it can be a bit overwhelming to get started.

Despite all of the extensions you can get for your connected home, I think it is good to start with a foundation of three basic accessories.

I will not be mentioning the likes of Google Home and Amazon Echo here, as neither of these products is needed to operate the following devices, instead, I want to focus on three items that could make life just a little bit easier.

Here are three must have smart devices:

Elgato Eve wireless room sensor

Elgato's Eve Room senses indoor air quality, temperature and humidity and makes that personal environmental data accessible via a free app on your iPhone or iPad.

That information helps you learn how to feel better in your home, powered by a sophisticated sensor analysing volatile organic compounds.

Taking advantage of Apple's HomeKit technology, Eve offers ease of use, advanced security and tight integration with Siri.

Eve Room is powered by long-lasting, replaceable batteries, so you don't even have to deal with power cords.

This device means you can remotely monitor air quality in your house on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

One case where this could be incredibly useful is when a house needs to be fumigated, any pet owner has needed to do it at least once, this device will let you know when your home is safe to enter again.

Philips Hue White starter kit A19 E27

The Philips Hue White Starter Kit lets you create a customised lighting environment in your home from virtually anywhere.

Users can control their Hue white system wirelessly from an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Once users download the Philips Hue app they can start creating unique light settings that match their activity or mood.

The starter kit contains two Hue light bulbs and the Hue bridge.

Once users connect the Hue bridge to their Wi-Fi they can control up to 50 Hue bulbs simultaneously via the Hue app.

As a bonus Hue light bulbs use five times less power than traditional halogen lights, making them an eco-friendly option.

Google Wifi

Google Wifi optimises and extends your home network.

The device automatically selects a clear channel and a fast band to find you the strongest Wifi signal.

This makes the product vital to ensuring the smooth operation of a connected home.

Most connected devices will be linked up with your Wi-Fi this device ensures that that Wi-fi runs smoothly and that your connected devices receive the data they need.

Google Wifi lets you prioritise a device for strong performance when it matters most.

Google Wifi points also work together as a connected and scalable system, meaning you can extend the range of your Wi-Fi as much as you see fit.