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4 smart home devices that can make everyday life easier

From smart plugs to security cameras, these smart home devices can make everyday tasks easier while giving you more control over your home

Sebastian Scholz (Nuki) / Unsplash

A smart home can sound more complicated than it actually is. The idea brings to mind thermostats that adjust themselves, cameras that watch your property from a phone and appliances that somehow know when you need them. However, you don’t have to outfit your entire house with connected gadgets to get some of the benefits.

A few relatively simple devices can handle everyday annoyances. A smart plug can let you turn off a lamp or appliance from your phone. A video doorbell can show you who is at the door without making you get up. A security camera can keep an eye on a room while you’re away. These are small upgrades, but they can change how you interact with your home.

Reader’s Digest rounded up smart home devices across several categories, focusing on products that are easy to set up and use. These products show that “smart” does not necessarily mean complicated. 

The appeal is simple: Instead of making your home feel more technological, the right devices can make routine tasks disappear into the background.

WeMo Smart Plug makes a simple outlet much smarter

Thomas Kolnowski / Unsplash

The WeMo Smart Plug is one of the easiest ways to start building a smart home because it doesn’t require replacing an appliance or learning a complicated system, according to Reader’s Digest. Plug it into an outlet, connect a device such as a lamp or fan, and you can control that device remotely through the Apple $AAPL -2.66% Home app or with Siri and Apple HomeKit.

That makes the plug useful for more than turning lights on and off. You could use it to check whether you accidentally left a flat iron plugged in or shut off an appliance that........

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