Smart home technology has best site become a mainstream option for all, not just the wealthy and tech-savvy. The tech industry has responded with ever more sophisticated solutions. Many people think of smart home technology as devices like Google’s Nest or Amazon’s Echo, but it encompasses many other options for your home. This includes everything from remote-controlled lighting and heating to CCTV, home security systems, doorbells, and smart locks. Some let you keep track of children or elderly relatives as well as pets to monitor electricity or water usage, and so on.

The key to any good smart home system is integration, which is why the top products on the market are those that can work with other systems and devices to make your home smarter. For instance the smart light bulb can communicate with the central hub to set your lights to a specific schedule or to turn them off after you leave the house. A doorbell with video could warn you of unexpected visitors and your alarm system can call the police or fire departments. Once you’ve got the hang of IFTTT (If This Then That) and Stringify, you can utilize services such as Stringify to automate your devices in more complex ways.

Of course, bringing new smart devices into the home is not without its own concerns. CNET works hard to understand the policies of companies, raise privacy concerns and make inquiries directly to companies.