5 home products you didn’t know could connect to the internet

(NC) More of us are discovering the convenience of a connected home. But while smart thermostats and voice-controlled assistants grab headlines, many others can also make your home run more efficiently and effectively. Here are five to consider: 1. Your light bulbs. Turning off the light in your kitchen while you’re tucked into bed is just the beginning. With wireless light bulbs, you can pre-set the desired brightness of the lights in each room, create light timers around the house to coincide with sunrise or sunset, and even change the colour of the lights around the house. 2. Your oven. If you’ve ever arrived home from work late only to have to wait patiently for the oven to heat up before you can get dinner underway, you’ll immediately understand the benefits of a connected oven. GE Appliances, a leader in wireless connectivity, offers a whole suite of WiFi Connect appliances, which means you can use your smartphone to control your range, dishwasher, fridge or your laundry pair. 3. Your doorbell. Never wonder who’s at the door with a new smart doorbell. High-definition cameras connect directly to your smartphone to let you see who’s ringing your bell — no matter where you are in the world. Features like built-in motion sensor detectors can also send alerts to your phone if someone even approaches your door. 4. Your sprinkler. With a WiFi-connected sprinkler, schedule watering times from your smartphone to save on watering bills all summer long. Some models can even adapt to local weather, automatically skipping a scheduled watering cycle if rain is predicted. The future of lawn care is available now. 5. Your window shades. Even your window dressings can connect to the internet. With automatic shades, you can integrate your blinds with other smart home gadgets like your light bulbs, scheduling when you’d like the blinds to open and close. Find more information online about WiFi connected appliances at geappliances.ca/ connect. www.newscanada.com