6 Smart Tech Updates for Every Part of Your Home

Remember when your dad would scold you for leaving the lights on when you left a room? If only today’s smart bulbs (and cell phones) had existed back then, you could have turned off the lights right from an app and avoided the lecture altogether. You can also dim the lights while watching a movie, change the color to the best hue for reading and even set them to a timer while you’re on vacation. Time to get some new bulbs, huh? 

Blackout shades are a must for sound sleeping. But trying to get up and moving in a dark room after your alarm goes off is tough. Really tough. That’s where motorized shades come in. When you purchase your motorized shades from Graber, they’ll come with an easy-to-use remote that lets you control all of your shades together or individually. In addition, the shades will be cordless, which is much safer for kids and pets. Just use the remote to raise them right from your bed and let the natural light in, helping your body (and mind) feel more awake.

Graber products are custom made to order for each unique window size. Contact a Graber window treatment expert near you to learn more.  

Not only are you cleaning egg yolk off your hands, but you now have to clean the faucet handle after touching it. At least that’s how it was before you got a hands-free faucet. Moen’s MotionSense technology turns on the water when you pass your hand in front of the sensor, making cleanup that much easier—not to mention more sanitary. 

If you live anywhere between suburbia and the countryside, your yard is d-a-r-k at night. And the porch light only reaches so far. Make sure Grandma and other guests don’t fall down on your watch by upgrading to solar-powered path lights. These low-maintenance lanterns are powered by the sun—no cords, batteries or lighters necessary.

None of us are strangers to the shower waiting game: You turn it on, you stick your hand in the water every few seconds to see if it’s warm yet, and you hope you made the right call when you finally jump in. The bad news: We usually make the wrong call. The good news: We can stop that from happening. It’s called a temperature display shower head, and it’s exactly like your regular one, except fancier because you can watch the water temperature creep up to your ideal warmth. Never hop into a freezing (or scalding) shower again.

Picture this: You’re home alone and the doorbell unexpectedly rings. It could be  a) a delivery person who needs a signature, b) your annoying neighbor, c) a creepy man you don’t recognize or d) one of your kids who forgot their key. So you kind of have to answer it, but wouldn’t it be nice to know who’s standing on the other side before you open the door? That’s where doorbell cams come in. They record live footage of anyone who approaches your door (even if they don’t ring the bell), so can you always see who’s there by checking the corresponding app on your phone. Some even sync up with Google Home and can learn faces and announce visitors. You’ll also be able to see who’s been dropping by when you’re not home by setting up notifications. Genius.