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If you want to turn your old homeinto a smart home, you'll need to do more than just learn some DIY tips. You would also need to link up the different smart devices with a smart home hub.

The purpose of the hub is to store all the rules and logic and this happens either in the cloud or on a local server.

Examples of smart home hub includes Amazon Alexa , HomeKit or cloud based hub like IFTTT. These smart home hubs let you connect different devices and services together, creating "recipes” for the home.

For example, let’s say you want yourPhilips Hue light bulbs to turn on when your BOSCH washing machine has completed its washing cycle. You would create a recipe like this:  

IF BOSCH washing machine completecycle = YES 

THEN turn on Philips Hue light bulbs 

You can also use IFTTT to sendyourself a text message or an email when the cycle is complete. 

1. Before You Begin

The first step in building your smarthouse is to establish objectives. Then, choose the one you care about most: energy saving, convenience, or comfort. The device you choose for your smart
home will change depending on your priority.

2. Connect Smart Devices Using a Smart Home Hub

One example of a cloud based smarthome hub is IFTTT. IFTTT’s name comes from the programming conditional statement “if this, then that.” 

Although IFTTT is primarily used like a smart home hub to communicate with smartdevices in your home, it may also be used to connect various smart devices together. 

IFTTT is a fantastic tool that canhelp you connect all of your smart devices in your home to create a cohesive experience. With IFTTT, you can set it up so that when one device performs an action, it will trigger another device or group of devices to do something as well. This makes for a much more seamless and efficient smart home overall! 

3. Ensure Your Smart Home Is Set Up Securely

A lot of people are excited about thepotential of the Internet of Things (IoT). The idea is that everything in your home will beconnected to the Internet and be able to talk to each other. While this is common, there are certain security issues that might arise from it. 

Because everything in your home will be connected to the Internet, it is possible for hackers to hack into and gain access to your devices and use them to spy on you or even control them.  

How Does IoT Work? 

IoT devices are connected to theInternet and are able to communicate with each other within the cloud based account. They can also be controlled remotely using a mobile app or a web browser.  

An IoT ecosystem contains web-linked intelligent devices that use built-in systems, like processors and communication hardware, to gather data, send it out, and take action based on what they learn from their surroundings. Usually, these IoT devices share the sensor information they’ve collected by connecting to an edge-computing device like a local server or an on-site smart home hub where the data is either sent within the home network for logic processing and analysed right there locally. 

4. Convert Your Old Devices Into a Smart Device

If you have an old webcam lying around, put it to good use by turning it into a smart camera! 

Smart security cameras are a fantastic way to stay up-to-date on activity in your home, even when you're away. It also gives you the peace of mind knowing that your home is being monitored, even when you're not there. 

It is also important that when you start to add on other smart devices to your home, that you ensure that they are compatible with your smart home hub or Application.  

As much as you can it would be betterif you avoid needing to use various applications to coordinate all of your smart devices. 

The Home-A-Genius Difference 

As IoT is a common solution given bymany smart home providers, here at Home-A-Genius, we provide you a better solution that is more secure and versatile. 

Home-A-Genius smart home in Singapore operates withinthe local network; i.e. it works independently withoutthe internet, while connecting the devices within the same network.  

This means that your data iscollected and stored locally on your devices and not in the cloud. So, you don't have to worry about anyone hacking into your system to get hold of your
data. 

No Internet connection is needed tostore rules and logic - as they are all stored with the local server in your home. 

While our hub works on edgecomputing, we also allow for cloud backup to allow for system restoration if need be. 

Most people know that motion sensors are used in things like automatic lights, but few people know how they actually work. In this blog post, we're going to take a look at how motion sensors work and where the best places to put them are.

What Is a Smart Motion Sensor? 

Smart motion sensors are ways of detecting movement in and around your property, which then has an impact on your home's functionality. For example, a smart motion sensor might turn the lights on automatically when you enter a room. They may also send you an alert if an intruder is attempting to break into your house. The objective of motion sensors is to offer security and help your home operate more smoothly and efficiently, in the end.

How Do Smart Motion Sensor Work? 

The most popular smart motion sensors utilise passive infrared (PIR) technology. PIR detectors detect infrared radiation emitted by humans and other animals as body heat. As a result, when the temperature rises suddenly, your gadget will notice the change and notify your control panel.

It is worth noting that PIR sensors can be set to ignore small fluctuations in temperature; therefore you don't have to worry about your pets setting off alarms inadvertently.

There are also microwave motion sensors. These emit radio waves in aspecific range and return them back to the sensor after they have bounced off the moving thing (or person).

There are also motion sensors that employ both of these technologies, but they are not as prevalent.

The Many Types of Smart Sensors  

• Temperature sensors - which have smart thermostats tomonitor temperature throughout your house
• Lightsensors - it reads the amount ofsunlight in your home, and allows you to automate certain lighting features
• Smokedetectors - to detect fire outbreaks in your home
• Waterleak sensors - to detect leaks in your home
• Airquality sensors - todetect contaminants in your home

Ways To Use Motion Sensors In Your Home 

(1) Protect Your Entryways 

One of the most obvious ways to use a motion sensor is to protect your home’s entryways. By placing a sensor near your front door, you can be alerted whenever someone approaches, whether it’s a family member coming home or an intruder. You can also set up your system so that the lights turn on automatically when the sensor is triggered, making it easier to see who’s there and deterring burglars.

(2) Detect Leaks 

Sensors may be used to detect a variety of water leaks and rapid changes in water temperature. This aids in the prevention of flooding and other forms of water damage in your property. To get the most out of your sensors, position thembeneath dishwashers, sinks, and any other devices that are susceptible to leak. Then connect your smart device to the sensors to receive alerts about leaks or other water concerns as soon as they are detected.

(3) Light Control 

Ina ddition to turning lights on and off, some home automation systems allow you to dim and brighten them as well. This can help you save energy and create the perfect ambiance for any occasion. You can also set your lights to turn on and off at specific times or when certain conditions are met, such as when someone enters the room.

(4) Monitor Areas In Your Home 

In addition to monitoring activity at your home’s entrances, you can also use motion sensors to keep an eye on activity in other rooms. If you have valuable items in a room, you can place a sensor there to alert you if anyone goes near it. These sensors can also be helpful in keeping an eye on children or elderly family members who may need assistance.

Where Can You Place Your Motion Sensors 

(1) Near Your Valuables 

If an intruder moves or tries to steal your valuable things, a motion detector near or behind them will trigger the alarm.

(2) Above Doorways - Entry Points 

Motion sensors placed above doorways hide them from view while making it nearly impossible for intruders to enter without setting off the alarm.

(3) Corners 

Installing a motion sensor in the corner of your room will provide your device with the most comprehensive view of the area beneath. Just make sure the sensor is pointed at the door and there are no obstacles in its path.

(4) "Blind Spots" 

Installing a motion sensor in a "blind spot" - an area where the view is obstructed by your security camera, or in areas in the home where view is limited can be wise.

In conclusion, proper placement of your home security devices is critical to ensuring the safety of your home. By following these simple tips, you can be sure that your home is as secure as possible.

Having a smart home system in Singapore is becoming increasingly popular. With a simple voice command, we can now operate smart devices in our home with ease thanks to Google, Alexa, and Siri. However, many find it difficult to come up with good names for their smart devices. In this
blog post, we will provide some tips on how you can name your smart devices for better voice control. 

1. Name Groups After Rooms or Purpose

E.g. security, lighting, heating. 

For example, you might name your groups after the rooms they're in. Living Room is a good name for a group of gadgets in your living room, as is Study for one in your study. In general, this method works quite well; however, there are some exceptions. 

If you have several devices in oneroom that perform different functions, you might want to give them more specific names. 

For Home-A-Genius, we are able to zone the rooms according to its function. This way, users can segment the room accordingly.  

2. Be More Specific

When choosing a name for your device,make sure that it is something simple and easy to remember, but also unique enough that it won't be confused with other devices. For example, you might want to name your light "Living Room Light" instead of just "Light". This way, you can easily tell Google or Siri which light you want to turn on or off. 

Google has the ability to do room awareness, which allows you to tag a Google device to a certain room. This way, you can simply let Google know to “turn on lights” and Google will know which
lights you want to turn off.  

3. Use Descriptive Names

This is similar to the previous tip. A good name for a device should be descriptive enough that you can easily tell what it is without having to look at it. 

For example, if you have a lamp inyour living room, you might want to name it Living Room Lamp. If you have a second lamp in the same room, you might want to name it Desk Lamp or Floor
Lamp. 

You should also name your scenes according to your intent. i.e. lights at 100% is meant for cleaning mode. Your scene should be “Turn on Cleaning Mode” instead of the need to adjust brightness via the LCD switch. Should you feel the need to manually adjust the brightness too often, you might not be using your smart home to its fullest.  

4. Use Different Names

E.g. lamp, light 

If you have multiple devices that performthe same or similar functions, be careful when naming them. For example, you might have a lamp and a light in your living room. Calling them both "light" would probably lead to confusion. In this case, you might want to give them more specific names.  

5. Be Careful of Similarities

"Similar names can cause command confusion" 

If you are not careful in yournaming, it might cause some confusion as well - see example below: 

Naming convention 1:

Group name: Study Room 

Device name: Study Room Light 

Problem: “Turn on the Study room light” is what you tell your smart home. However, because your group and device names are identical, it may switch on all of the devices in the group named ‘Study room' that are labeled as "Lights," rather than just the device named "Lounge Room Light." 

Naming convention 2 (a better alternative):

Group name: Study 

Device name: Study Room Light 

Solution: You instruct yoursmart home to "turn on the study Room Light." However, because the names of your group (study) and device name (study Room Light), they are not identical, the device name "study room light" will just be turned on. 

The reason we choose to name thegroup ‘Lounge’ and not ‘Lounge Room’ is because we tend to control the main light with our voice more frequently than the entire room. And “Turn on the Lounge Room Light” rolls off the tongue nicer than ‘Lounge light’. 

On the rare occasion you may actually want to turn on all the lights in the room, you would simply say “Turn on Lounge Lights”. 

Make Sure Your Naming Conventions Are Meaningful 

When you start adding a lot of devices and groups to your home, it becomes more important to have consistent and meaningful naming conventions. This will help you keep track of what’s what, and make it easier to find devices when you need them. 

In conclusion, when setting up your home automation system, be sure to give some thought to how you would name your devices and groups. Taking time to plan will save you a lot of headaches down the road!