Buying Google Home? Here are the best smart home products to go along with it When buying any gadget (no I'm not planning on buying a Google Home device but it has piqued my interest from an IoT perspective) it is always worth first considering what its ecosystem consists of and how open are its standards. For example as an Android user you're not going to buy an Apple Watch, or as a Linux user you're not going to a Microsoft Surface tablet, or a non-Samsung user you're not going to buy a Samsung Gear watch. Even if you are not yet purchasing the Home (or an Amazon Echo) it is also worth considering what devices are potentially compatible with it before choose devices. In this way you are ready to connect them to the Home in future if you buy one. While the Home has been designed from the ground-up to help you schedule appointments, manage to-do lists and answer any queries you might have, it’s also aimed at helping you more easily control your smart home. Considering that, you might be wondering which smart home devices Google Home works with. Before diving into the list of actual devices that work, we should talk about standards – there are a total of five standards that work with Google Home, each covering a different set of devices, and include Google Cast, Nest, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings (see what devices it in turn supports at http://ift.tt/1PyQI44) and IF by IFTTT. Instead of covering them platform-by-platform, however, they’re separated into the five categories where you’re most apt to use them: TV, Smart Speakers, Smart Thermostats, Lighting and a Miscellaneous category to catch everything else. While some devices run without any extra setup, some of the devices require a “hub” to get anywhere – for example, if you want to use a SmartThings device, you’ll need a SmartThings Hub. If you want to use Philips Hue devices, you’ll need a Hue Bridge. You… http://bit.ly/2gOD73H
Comments