Starting Your Smart Home | Renter’s Edition

Nice post @AnkerOfficial , i am really interested in trying out the eufy Lumos Smart Bulb, also want to bring up a product from Anker here - Anker Power Cube, saw this recently at friend’s place, nice device for connecting multiple power points and USB connectors.

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I guess I better get on the “smart home” bandwagon. I don’t even have a smart bulb :stuck_out_tongue:

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hmm maybe add more cameras in and out hopefully eufyCam would be out then…got few smart plugs already and just install the Ring alarm system. Maybe next I’ll do the thermometer into smart since there are rebates from my electric company.

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I’m my OLD accommodation, the landlord (city council) had this way of charging you for heating using a wireless system.

Each radiator had a wireless device that compared radiator heat Vs apartment temperature, the difference you paid for … Still not sure how it worked. However, it was meant (yeah right!) to be cheaper than the previous method, and apparently more accurate?

I live in a different apartment now (I moved in with my fiancée) that’s still run by the city, but in this place, we pay our own bills n set our own heating n water, which comes off a pre-payment card.

Apart from WiFi, n smartphones, we have no smart wireless devices. No bulbs, no sockets, no thermostat, nothing. Not even a sound system or Alexa.

Would I want??? Hell yeah!

Cold dark night, … Light on, heating on, all while sat on the bus. Fell asleep, and left the hallway light on… Open one eye, get phone, and turn it off.

I have a couple times, got my sky HD box to record while out. I’ve also used sky box to show photos from my phone on my TV (it’s not a smart TV either)… It’s just a feature of the sky box.

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I dream of a smart home - about the same way I dream of owning a home… :grin:

In my vision, everything that can - and make sense to be - is integrated into the system. Heating/cooling, lights, blinds, plugs, locks, doorbell, garage door… And I almost purchased a basic Philips Hue kit once it was discounted (no Eufy lights up here in Canada, unfortunately…)

I guess I’ll focus on owning a home before I can make it smart.

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We have our Eufy Genie hooked up to our lights. It’s one of those small things that shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but we absolutely love it! Not only is it convenient to say “Alexa, turn on the lights,” but it’s also really nice to be able to program them to turn on and off when we are away.

I’d love to have the Eufy vacuum, but we bought a Roomba a long time ago and don’t have a need to replace it at this point.

I’d love to hear about Anker coming out with a way to retrofit garage door openers (pipe dream?). What about non-standard light bulbs, like Edison bulbs? Anker brand thermostat? Light switches for 2 gang switches? Just some thoughts… :slight_smile:

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Nice post :slight_smile: I would like to have the EufyCam at home

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When we bought our first house 2.5 years ago we started off replacing all the old incandescent bulbs and CFLs to LED. Now my goal is to build us a smart home and cutting the cord. But living in the country (30 minutes from the closest Walmart) we find its hard to find high speed internet.

We have a limited capped internet plan that makes almost impossible to cut the cord or have a lot of smart features.

Since there is new high speed unlimited wireless internet is in our area we will be switching over. We already have a smart thermostat, a somewhat smart (non WIFI Eufy Robovac), 3 smart plugs and Eufy Smart Blub on the way. We plan to add a smart security and Eufy Security Cam system. Hopefully they will add doorbells and few other security options.

I am just tired of all these devices needing their own app and no way to connect in a universal smart app that can work with all manufactures.

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You don’t have to.

A lot of smart features can be achieved via temporary devices… Sockets, Alexa amazon, Soundcore, eufy security, light bulbs, are all things that don’t need to be hardwired, and just your home WiFi.

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Isn’t there the HOME SMART/START universal app?
I remember (I say remember, it’s more a vague thought!) On CNet recently about a lot of products working through home smart (something like that?) app, and CNet critising eufy smart mini for not working with it.

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Congrats on your new place!

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I’m currently in a rented house. I am so looking forward to buying my own place and installing a smart heating system. That is truly a “smart house” to me. I don’t generally have a standard working day, so I’m not always home at the same time. I’d love to be able to turn the heating up or down depending on when am due back.

The only wireless things I’ve got in the house are cameras. One of which purely monitors my pet parrot’s cage, which is proving to be very useful :smiley:

I’m looking into getting controllable lighting for the main rooms, however all the ceiling fittings in my house are bayonet fittings. All the deals on lights seem to be for screw fittings :frowning: I may just get them changed over :smile_cat:

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Facing the same thing…luckily I’m handy with a screwdriver :grin:

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You can buy adapters, to turn bayonet to Edison sxrew fixtures, or buy new Edison sxrew bulb things (proper word escapes me!) And replace the bayonet fittings. It’s 2 wires, you cannot go wrong.

I know on some lamps, they can’t be replaced, but you can get adapters for those.

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Looking forward to testing the eufy Smart Plug Mini, also if the eufy Lumos Smart Bulb goes on sale I can add it to my Alexa smart home. I like the fact that it does color. People think im a show off by talking to Alexa and having her turn on and off lights. My girlfriend thinks I have control issues and I take it out on my Alexa. LOL.

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Yea, I’m pretty ok when it comes to DIY. It’s just getting the time to do it :sweat_smile:

As all your doing is swapping g the light bulb fitting, it should only be a 5-10 mins job.

These just pop in like a bulb!

Smart homes are the only way to go. The convenience is mind blowing. Also most of the smart devices save money, so really a no brainer here.

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Too much technique will cause more failures.
I will never do this.

Old school computer scientist.:zipper_mouth_face:

There exists no program without an error…

They’re addictive! Especially if you can control them with a voice assistant (I use Alexa).

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