Christmas is upon us and for many it’s about that time for their tree to get decorated and put up on display. However, we’re now feeling the full force of the 21st century and all that comes with it. Yes, smart technology is what I’ll be going on about today. You don’t have to settle for that regular old Christmas lighting you’ve been accustomed to for years on end. You can now make for yourself a smart Christmas tree this holiday and we’re here today to show you how. Don’t fret, it’s pretty easy.
Smart technology has made it possible for you to setup Christmas decorations that happen to be much more interactive. Things like smart light bulbs and smart watches have offered people more freedom over their homes and houses than ever seen before. Such technology now allows you to control light output and devices in your home using your smartphone via the ever-growing and powerful internet. Oh, and that’s not all, you can do this via voice command control as well.
It doesn’t even require you to get a lot of technology either by the way. Although, for the tasks that are a little more complex you may need to get more smart gadgets if you want your tree to be that bit smarter. Just like several other lights and electronics in your house, your Christmas tree can be connected to Google Home or Alexa. You can even go as far creating routines for your tree. Anyway, let’s take a look at how you can do this.
The Power Of Smart Plugs
Smart plug devices can transform your tree into a smart Christmas tree. There are so many excellent smart plug products for almost any budget you might have. Some of the most popular products of this kind are theAmazon Smart Plug as well as the third generation Echo Dot. They both roughly for around fifty bucks or so. However, there’re several other brands on the market available to you. Anyway, wouldn’t it be really cool if your Christmas lights went on as soon as presents are set for delivery? Okay, we know Santa Claus is not in the business of sending emails, however, Ebay, Amazon and several other online shops and stores are.
When you use internet-connected power switches, for example, Belkin Wemo switches, you can use applications on your smartphone to turn particular devices off and on as you please. Getting a product such as this will help instantly transforms your regular old tree into a smart Christmas tree. That’s not all though, it’s as easy as plug-and-play. Once you plug in your tree using such a device your Christmas tree decorations can now be internet controlled.
The Outstanding Applications Involved
Oh yes, the fun does not end with the smart plug alone. Apps such as If This Then That (IFTTT) which help you create some specific rules for your smart plug can come in super handy. Not to mention quite enjoyable to use. With this app, when certain triggers are detected, such as an Amazon email stating your package has been set for delivery, your tree’s decoration lights will automatically go on. How cool is that, right? In fact, it happens to be a very simple procedure all together by the way. A lot of this is thanks to the apps easy to grasp rules building process. ‘IF’ is the first trigger you set followed by ‘Then That’ which is the action you intend the device to take. Pretty much anyone should be able to work their way around this application,don’t you think?
Smart Christmas Tree Decoration Lights
If you feel like the smart plug route is not something you’re willing to consider then you can opt for smart lights strips as Christmas tree decorations. While some of them, for instance TreeHue and Twinkly, are made specifically for these holidays, others such as Rxment RGB LED lights and Nexlux LED lights can be used to decorate your house all year round. Birthdays, Bar mitzvahs, Easter holidays and so and so forth. Depending on the smart lights you choose to opt for, most of them will have features such as color changing, dimming lights, app controls, pulsing to the music’s beats as well as voice control commands via Google Assistant or Alexa.
Using such lights is certainly a much more complex way of making your Christmas tree smart, however, it’s still one of the best ways you can do this. Hue LightStrip Plus is a product that achieves this super well. This product is basically a set of LED lights thats compatible with Phillips Hue’s ecosystem. It can also be controlled using the IFTTT applications as well. Not only can it be turned off and on using the app, but it can also change color through using certain triggers. Unfortunately, though, this product happens to be way more expensive than what the smart plug sockets go for. You’ll have to keep that in mind.
Your Christmas Will Never Be The Same
Breaking from the norm is never an easy thing no matter the situation. We know that all too well here at Gadget Gang. However, times have changed drastically, and a lot of it is largely due enhanced technology and the Internet of Things (IoT). Adapt or die as they say. Change is inevitable and honestly, you really don’t need to fight it that much, do you? This year, don’ t only make a few devices in your house smart, make your Christmas tree smart as well. Besides how awesome it’ll make your home look, it also happens to such great fun. Don’t get left behind, especially when the Gadget Gang has got yourback like this. Come with us to the new world. You will not regret it.
Happy Holidays! Oh, and a ‘smart’ one at that as well.