SPECIAL SECTION HOME IMPROVEMENT
M
ixed materials, textures and technology are just a few
of the major home trends in 2018. Homeowners
are foregoing selling and updating their current
homes with fresh ideas and innovative technologies.
Thinking of upgrading a room or two? Check out 2018’s trends
in home features and furnishings.
SMART HOME
The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to a growing network
of devices that allows objects to connect and exchange data.
These devices are increasing at a rapid pace throughout many
industries. Wearables allow consumers to track their steps
and keep a closer eye on their fitness, and connected cars
are equipped with internet access to send information to
manufacturers or to drive themselves. The smart home is one of
the most popular and accessible markets for IoT application.
• Everything is connected: This can include heating
and cooling your home, turning on a light with a simple
command, locking your front door from work, even checking
to see if you have milk in the refrigerator from the grocery
store. These are all features that make up a smart home.
The list continues to grow, with ways to track and monitor
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everything in your home. Devices are learning how you live—
when you get up and when you leave for work—and can
adjust room temperatures, turn off lights and safeguard your
home. All of which can be monitored from your smart device.
• Energy tracking devices: These devices connect to your
electricity meter to monitor how much energy you’re using,
from tracking appliance usage to providing recommendations
on how to save on energy. If cutting down on bills is on your
list for 2018, a household monitor or individual appliance
monitor may be just what you need.
• Residential electric vehicle charging stations: Growing
in popularity, hybrid and electric vehicles need somewhere
to charge up before hitting the open road. These charging
stations are accessible at home, allowing you to charge from
a typical household socket. With advancing technologies,
higher voltage charging stations are available to charge a car as
much as four times faster than a typical charging station.
• Importance of keeping IoT devices secure: IoT devices are
growing exponentially, and security features aren’t necessarily
keeping up. There are only a few regulatory standards set in
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