SALTZMAN: Save money and time with smart home devices

Anyone remember Rosie, the robotic housekeeper who petered around The Jetsons in the 1960s?

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“I swear on my mother’s rechargeable batteries,” she once joked, when asked by Judy Jetson to keep a secret.

Fast forward 60-odd years, and while we still don’t have a domestic robot serving us cocktails – though Elon Musk is working on a humanoid helper, as you may have seen last week – today’s smart home devices are designed to make your living space safer, more energy efficient and easier to maintain.

For added convenience, many of these gadgets are automated, too, such as a Wi-Fi thermostat that can detect room occupancy and adjust temperature accordingly. But many are controlled with a companion app or by using your voice via a smart speaker (such as a Google Nest, Amazon Echo, or Apple HomePod).

The following is a look at some ways to bump up your home’s I.Q.

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PROTECT AGAINST WATER DAMAGE

Water shutoff valves, like Moen’s Flo Smart Water Monitor & Shutoff (from $609), connect to your home’s water supply, and can detect flow rate, temperature and pressure throughout the entire home. It can detect an issue like a frozen or burst pipe, or if a child left a bathroom faucet running, and can turn it off for you and notify you via the app.

There are no monthly fees, and home insurance providers may give you a discount of you have it installed, says Moen.

If you don’t have the budget, a more affordable solution is Moen’s Leak Detectors ($69) to place around a water heater, washing machine, sump pump, or any spot there could be a potential water leak. You’ll be immediately notified if a leak is detected, via the Moen Smart Water App, text, phone call, or email.

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CUT ENERGY USE WITH MONITORS, SMART PLUGS

After connecting it to your electrical panel, solutions like Schneider Electric’s Square D Wiser Energy Smart Home Monitor (from $399) gives homeowners useful insights into activity and energy use – in real time.

Using the Schneider Home companion app, you can see a colour-coded view of your home’s energy usage, create custom notifications (such as when devices are on or off), analyze trends and set goals. The app also works with inexpensive Schneider X Series wiring devices (from $44), such as controlling or automating lighting – now with Matter support for easier setup, better compatibility and security.

On a related note, for as low as $29 for a 4-pack, Govee smart plugs can give you greater control over all your devices, and cut down on “vampire power,” which refers to plugged-in electronics that – while turned off – still “suck” electricity, therefore costing you money. For example, set your dishwasher to only run during off-peak hours to save money on electricity costs.

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MOTORIZE WINDOW SHADES

From Toronto-based RYSE, SmartShade ($199) is the first device to motorize any window shade that has a beaded chain.

Once you affix the device to the inside of the window frame and loop the metal or plastic chain, you can have your blinds raised or lowered in four ways: press the button on the device itself; use the RYSE app (even when you’re not at home), tell your smart speaker to do the task (works with Google, Alexa, and Apple), or set schedules to raise and lower the blinds at certain times of the day. (Some of these options require the RYSE SmartBridge, for $99).

RYSE SmartShade is also ideal for hard-to-reach windows or for those with mobility or dexterity challenges.

SMART TV TO GO

This ain’t your daddy’s television.

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LG StanbyME (from $1,399) is a portable and wireless TV – with a 27-inch touchscreen display that can be rotated and swiveled from horizontal to vertical format based on what you’re watching – and it’s on wheels to be rolled from one room into another.

Thanks to its built-in battery, you can watch up to three hours of content – such as a Disney movie in a kid’s room during a sleepover, following a recipe in the kitchen or engaging in an online fitness class – without having to plug it in.

On a related note, StanbyMe is also compatible with various devices, so you can stream your favourite content from your phone, tablet or laptop.

It also features LG’s ThinQ app, which lets you manage compatible kitchen and laundry appliances – such as preheating the oven or checking the status of your washing machine.

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FOOD PREP GOES HIGH-TECH

Known as a high-quality and high-tech kitchen appliance company, Australia’s Breville already has a Wi-Fi-connected Joule Oven Pro and programmable Breville Barista Touch Impress espresso maker, and now they’re dishing up a high-performance food processor that works with its Breville+ mobile app.

The stainless steel Breville Paradice 9 ($519) is designed to make food prep easier and more efficient – even in small kitchens – as it features a compact design yet with a wide feed chute and 9-cup capacity. Ideal for chopping, slicing, shredding, and kneading dough, this powerful and versatile food processor is bundled with a range of accessories, each of which is colour-coded to coincide with the recipes on the app. Smart.

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IS YOUR HOME COMPUTER SMARTER THAN YOU?

Your home is now smarter, so shouldn’t we be keener when it comes to our cyber hygiene?

Unfortunately, a recent RBC survey found while Canadians are more aware of today’s cyberthreats, 77% of those surveyed admitted to risky online behaviour that puts our data (and wallet) at risk – such as reusing the same passwords or logging onto unsecure public Wi-Fi hotspots.

RBC’s latest Cyber Safety Index also revealed not all of us are keeping software and operating systems updated, nor are we limiting who follows us on social media. One-third of respondents don’t opt for multifactor authentication when logging onto online banking accounts and a similarly low percentage (30%) “always or often” use virtual private networks (VPN) to remain anonymous when on Wi-Fi.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, so bookmark RBC’s Be Cyber Aware website for a handful of simple tips.

– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book Apple Vision Pro For Dummies (Wiley)

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