Are South African homes SMART? Are you using technology like the smart plug? The answer is almost there… and its becoming much more easier with TP Link’s suite of products. IOT technologies are fast moving towards ‘connected’ or ‘smart’ homes which once often caused our eyes to roll. The great news is that this doesn’t have to come at ludicrous cost with the technology being exclusive to those in Sandton and Camps Bay.
How Smart Plugs Are Changing How We Live
TP-Link’s WiFi Smart Plug are recasting the connected home in a pragmatic, everyday light. The smart plug is a pretty simple device. It plugs into any standard outlet and then you plug whichever device you want to control into the smart plug. The most basic functionality of this smart plug, is that it lets you control whatever is plugged into it to from your phone (via the free TP Link Kasa phone app for either iPhone or Android). Effectively at a minimum, this means switching your connected electronics on and off remotely, no matter where you might be.
For those wanting to go green and conserve energy, the plug allows you to program it. For example, you can ask it to keep track of when the sun goes down (by checking online) and to switch itself on when this happens. Or you can set an endless variety of ‘scenes’ for your home. For example, with a few different smart plugs, you can turn on a home cinema system, a dimmed light in the corner and some other mood-setter with one pre-programmed tap on the phone.
The plug works by connecting to your home Wi-Fi (get fibre here) and gives your phone access no matter where you are. One of the most useful applications is its ‘away’ mode. If you attach a lamp to the plug, the away mode will make sure that the light switches on and off in a random fashion, making it look like there’s someone in the house which will help against would be criminals. Check out our great camera options for your home here
Kasa Smart Plug features
One of the most interesting features is an energy-usage counter. The plug reports back to your phone how much energy the connected device has used and how long it has been running. It even gives you your average consumption and run times that day or over the last seven or 30 days. It’s also made to work with Amazon’s Alexa, most commonly used through its Echo gadget. Key features of the plug include:
· Control from Anywhere – Remotely control your connected devices on your smartphone.
· Compact Design – Fits into sockets without blocking adjacent ones.
· Voice Control – Free up your hands with simple voice commands. Works with Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings.
· Schedule and Timer – Set a schedule or timer to switch your devices on or off automatically.
· Multiple Safety Guarantees – Overheating protection and PC flame retardant material help minimize burning hazards. A sliding safety cover protects children from electric shock.
· Grouping – Use Grouping to combine your smart plug with other Kasa Smart devices for seamless control with one single tap on your smartphone
