Every month I team up with U.S. Cellular and share a little about my Samsung Galaxy S7 Smart Phone. This is one of those posts.
Vacation time for many is just around the corner. We don’t have any big plans for vacations this year. We have quite a few weddings and weekend outings planned but nothing that will take us away for an extended period of time. I know that many of you are not that way. You have busy schedules and vacations planned.
Not to scare anyone but according to the FBI, a home burglary occurs on average every 20 seconds in the U.S., and there is an increase in the summer months, due in part to families heading out on vacation while the kids are out of school. Fortunately, the latest connected home devices can provide vacationers with remote access to monitor and manage a variety of functions to help keep their homes secure, no matter where their travels lead.
In years past, vacationers simply stopped the mail and arranged for someone to pick up the newspapers and mow the lawn to give the appearance of being home. Now there is a host of additional ways to remotely protect your home with the latest connected devices that can be accessed anytime, anywhere via a smartphone.
Almost one third of smartphone owners recently surveyed by U.S. Cellular said they use their device to control their home security system, lighting or other smart home technology at least once a day. Almost half note theyuse this technology once a month or more.
Some of the devices U.S. Cellular recommends for vacation bound consumers to provide some peace of mind include:
There are several devices, ranging in price from less than $20 to around $200 that can go a long way toward ensuring a more relaxing vacation.
With Nest Cam Indoor, homeowners never have to worry about what is going on back home again. Nest Cam allows vacationers to look after the house, 24/7, with live video and a 160-degree wide-angle view, all from a smartphone. It even provides phone alerts if motion or sound are detected, so homeowners instantly know if anything is amiss.
Nest Protect: While no one wants to deal with a fire or other issue when away from home, fast response time can greatly impact the outcome and help minimize damage, and that’s where Nest Protect comes in. Just knowing that Nest Protect can send instant phone alerts for smoke and carbon-monoxide, while also calling attention to a low battery or sensor failure, can make it easier to relax and enjoy the time away.
Chamberlain MyQ Garage Door Opener is another great option for anyone who has ever been hundreds of miles into a trip and is suddenly worried whether the garage door was left open. MyQ Garage Door Opener will send an alert if a door is open at any point while the homeowner is away, even allowing the user to remotely close it via a Samsung Galaxy S7 or other tablet.
Ring™ Video Doorbell is a handy device that enables homeowners to respond to someone at the door, even when they’re not home. With Ring Video Doorbell, homeowners can see, hear and speak to anyone who stops by the house, and always know when a package arrives.
I probably should worry more about burglary, theft and the like but I really don’t. We live in a small town with close neighbors. People are watching my house more than I could possibly know. There really is no way to be anonymous in a small town. I love that…but for most, there is not that luxury and apps such as these are needed.
It always amazes me to see and hear about all the things a smart phone can do!! I never imagined it could do any of this!!