Description

Book Synopsis
Michael Miller is a popular and prolific writer of close to 200 non-fiction books, known for his ability to explain complex topics to everyday readers. He writes about a variety of topics, including technology, business, and music.

Table of Contents
1 Making Your Life Easier with Smart Home Technology 3
What Is a Smart Home? 4
How Smart Home Technology Works 6
Smart Communications 6
Smart Operations 7
Smart Interactivity 8
What Can Your Smart Home Control? 9
Smart Lighting 9
Smart Heating and Cooling 11
Smart Home Security 12
Smart Appliances 13
Smart Home Entertainment 14
Smart Home Control 15
And More… 15
Why You Need to Turn Your Home into a Smart Home 16
Saving Time and Effort 16
Saving Money and Conserving Energy 17
Doing More 17
2 Understanding Smart Home Hubs and Controllers 21
Understanding Smart Home Technologies 21
X10 23
Insteon 24
Wi-Fi 25
Bluetooth 25
Z-Wave 25
ZigBee 26
Comparing Smart Home Systems 26
Insteon 27
SmartThings by Samsung 28
Wink 28
And More… 29
What Works with What? 30
Comparing Smart Home Controllers 34
Apple HomeKit 35
Amazon Echo and Alexa 36
Google Home 37
3 Automating Your Home Lighting 41
Considering Smart Lighting Systems 41
Insteon 41
LIFX 42
Philips Hue 42
Wink 43
Other Systems 43
Using the Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting System 44
Connect the Hue Bridge 44
Connect to the Hue Dimmer Switch 46
Control Your Lights with the Dimmer Switch 48
Connect to the Hue App 48
Create a Room 50
Add More Lights or Accessories 52
Turn Lights On or Off with the Hue Smartphone App 54
Dim Your Lights 55
Adjust a Light’s Color Temperature 55
Select a Scene 57
Create a New Scene 58
Create a New Home & Away Routine 61
Create a Wake Up Routine 65
Create a Go to Sleep Routine 66
4 Automating Heating and Cooling 71
Understanding Smart Thermostats 71
How Smart Thermostats Work 72
Should You Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat? 74
Evaluating Smart Thermostats 75
Carrier Cor Wi-Fi Thermostat 76
Ecobee 77
Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat 78
Honeywell Lyric Round Wi-Fi Thermostat 79
Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat 80
Nest Learning Thermostat 80
Using the Nest Learning Thermostat 83
Set Up and Configure Your Nest Thermostat 84
Control Your Thermostat 90
Set the Temperature 91
Program Your Nest 93
Learning Your Routine 94
Connecting Your Nest to Other Smart Devices 95
5 Automating Home Security 99
Adding a Smart Doorbell 100
How Smart Doorbells Work 100
August Doorbell Cam 101
Ring Video Doorbell 103
SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell 105
Installing a Smart Door Lock 106
How Smart Door Locks Work 107
August Smart Lock 108
Kwikset Kevo 111
Kwikset Premis 112
Schlage Connect 113
Schlage Sense 113
Yale Assure Lock with Bluetooth 114
Using Smart Security Cameras 115
How Smart Cameras Work 115
Arlo Q 117
Arlo Pro 118
Canary Flex 119
Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor 120
Working with Smart Smoke and CO Detectors 122
Birdi 123
Halo+ 124
Nest Protect 124
Assembling a Smart Home Security System 126
Samsung SmartThings 127
Wink 128
Canary 128
Piper 130
iSmartAlarm 131
SimpliSafe 132
6 Automating Your Kitchen and Laundry 135
Understanding Today’s Smart Appliances 136
Smart Operation 136
Smart Monitoring 137
Smart Energy Savings 137
Smart Maintenance 137
Smarter Food Storage with Smart Refrigerators 138
GE Connected Refrigerators 138
LG SmartThinQ Refrigerators 139
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerators 140
Smarter Cooking with Smart Ranges and Ovens 142
GE Wi-Fi Connected Ovens and Ranges 142
LG SmartThinQ Ranges 143
Samsung Wi-Fi Ranges 144
Smarter Dishwashing with Smart Dishwashers 145
Bosch Dishwasher with Home Connect 145
GE Wi-Fi Connected Dishwashers 145
Smarter Cleaning with Smart Washers and Dryers 146
GE Wi-Fi Connected Washers and Dryers 147
LG SmartThinQ Washers and Dryers 148
Whirlpool 148
7 Automating Home Entertainment 153
Watching Smart TV 153
What’s Inside a Smart TV 154
What a Smart TV Does 155
Using a Typical Smart TV156
Using a Smart Set-Top Box 158
Streaming Audio Throughout Your Home 159
Using the Amazon Echo as a Speaker 160
Using Google Home as a Speaker 161
Using the Harmony Hub 162
Getting to Know the Harmony Hub 162
What’s It Work With? 164
Setting Up the Harmony Hub 164
Using the Harmony Hub 165
8 Examining Other Smart Devices and Applications 169
Smart Devices for the Living Room 169
Smart Plugs 170
Smart Outlets 171
Smart Wall Switches 171
Smart Motion Detectors 172
Smart Window Coverings 173
Smart Vacuums 174
Smart Devices for the Bedroom 175
Smart Bedding and Accessories 175
Smart Devices for the Kitchen 176
Smart Coffee Makers 177
Smart Cooking Appliances 178
Smart Devices for the Garage 178
Smart Garage Door Openers 178
Smart Car Adapter 180
Smart Devices for Outdoors 181
Smart Irrigation Systems 181
Smart Lawn Mowers 181
9 Controlling Your Smart Home with Wink 185
Getting to Know Wink 185
Setting Things Up 187
Connect the Wink Hub 2 188
Add a New Device via Barcode Scanning 190
Manually Add a New Device 193
Using the Wink App 196
Turn a Device On or Off 196
View Information from a Sensor 197
Create a Shortcut 199
Activate a Shortcut 201
Automating Activities with Robots and Events 202
Create a Robot 202
Remove a Robot 206
Create an Event 206
10 Controlling Your Smart Home with Apple Home 213
Understanding Apple HomeKit 214
How HomeKit Works 214
What’s Compatible with HomeKit 215
Adding Devices and Rooms 216
Add a New Device 217
Add a New Room 219
Assign an Accessory Device to a Room 220
Create a Scene 222
Controlling Your Smart Devices 223
Control a Device or Scene 224
Controlling Devices and Scenes with Siri 225
Automating Multiple Devices 225
Create a Location Automation 227
Create a Time Automation 229
Create a Controlled Automation 231
11 Controlling Your Smart Home with Amazon Alexa 235
Understanding Alexa—and Echo 236
What Alexa Does and How Alexa Works 236
Using Alexa as a Smart Home Controller 236
Meet Amazon’s Echo Devices 237
Amazon Echo 237
Amazon Echo Dot 238
Amazon Echo Show 239
Which Echo Is Right for You? 239
Setting Up Your Echo Device 240
Set Up Your Device 241
Changing the Wake Word 246
Working with Alexa 249
Employ General Commands 250
Tell Alexa What to Do 251
Using the Alexa App 252
Tour the Alexa App 252
Link Accounts from Other Services 254
Working with Alexa’s Skills 257
Find a Skill 257
Add a Skill to Alexa 260
Using Alexa to Control Your Smart Devices 261
What’s Compatible? 261
Connect a Smart Device to Alexa 261
Working with Device Groups 264
Controlling a Smart Device with Alexa 266
12 Controlling Your Smart Home with Google Home 269
Understanding Google Home and the Google Assistant 270
Setting Up and Using Google Home 271
Set Up Your Device 272
Navigate and Configure the Google Home App 278
Working with the Google Assistant 282
Wake Words 283
Employ General Commands 283
Tell the Google Assistant What to Do 284
Using Google Home to Control Your Smart Devices 285
What Does Google Home Control? 285
Pair a Device with the Google Assistant 286
Use the Google Assistant to Control Your Smart Devices 289
13 Using Smart Technology for Independent Living 291
Making Daily Living Easier 292
Use a Voice-Controlled Personal Assistant 292
Install Smart Lighting Systems 293
Employ a Smart Doorbell 294
Install a Smart Door Lock 294
Consider a Smart Thermostat 295
Keeping You and Your Loved Ones Safer 297
Install a Smart Door Lock 297
Employ Smart Door and Window Sensors 298
Add Smart Cameras 298
Use a Personal GPS Tracker 299
Employ a Personal Safety Device 300
Embracing In-Home Care 303
14 Adding More Functionality with IFTTT 305
Understanding IFTTT 306
How Does IFTTT Work? 306
Why Would You Want to Use IFTTT? 307
What Does IFTTT Work With? 308
Using IFTTT Applets 308
Link a Device or Service to IFTTT 309
Find and Activate an Applet 311
Manage Your Applets 313
Creating Your Own Applets 313
Understanding the Parts of an Applet 313
Create a New Applet 314
15 Evaluating Privacy and Security Concerns 319
Privacy Concerns 320
What Do They Really Know About You? 320
How Much Privacy Do You Need? 322
Security Issues 323
Spyware and Botnets 323
Seizing Control 325
What Can You Do? 326
Making Your Smart Home Safer 327
Is It Safe Enough? 328
16 What’s Next? (ONLINE ONLY)
Glossary 331
Index 335

Find the bonus online chapter and other helpful information on this book’s website at
http://informitcom/title/9780789759894


My Smart Home for Seniors

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      Computing Graphical and digital media applications Tablets and other portable devices: consumer / user guides

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Michael Miller is a popular and prolific writer of close to 200 non-fiction books, known for his ability to explain complex topics to everyday readers. He writes about a variety of topics, including technology, business, and music.

      Table of Contents
      1 Making Your Life Easier with Smart Home Technology 3
      What Is a Smart Home? 4
      How Smart Home Technology Works 6
      Smart Communications 6
      Smart Operations 7
      Smart Interactivity 8
      What Can Your Smart Home Control? 9
      Smart Lighting 9
      Smart Heating and Cooling 11
      Smart Home Security 12
      Smart Appliances 13
      Smart Home Entertainment 14
      Smart Home Control 15
      And More… 15
      Why You Need to Turn Your Home into a Smart Home 16
      Saving Time and Effort 16
      Saving Money and Conserving Energy 17
      Doing More 17
      2 Understanding Smart Home Hubs and Controllers 21
      Understanding Smart Home Technologies 21
      X10 23
      Insteon 24
      Wi-Fi 25
      Bluetooth 25
      Z-Wave 25
      ZigBee 26
      Comparing Smart Home Systems 26
      Insteon 27
      SmartThings by Samsung 28
      Wink 28
      And More… 29
      What Works with What? 30
      Comparing Smart Home Controllers 34
      Apple HomeKit 35
      Amazon Echo and Alexa 36
      Google Home 37
      3 Automating Your Home Lighting 41
      Considering Smart Lighting Systems 41
      Insteon 41
      LIFX 42
      Philips Hue 42
      Wink 43
      Other Systems 43
      Using the Philips Hue Personal Wireless Lighting System 44
      Connect the Hue Bridge 44
      Connect to the Hue Dimmer Switch 46
      Control Your Lights with the Dimmer Switch 48
      Connect to the Hue App 48
      Create a Room 50
      Add More Lights or Accessories 52
      Turn Lights On or Off with the Hue Smartphone App 54
      Dim Your Lights 55
      Adjust a Light’s Color Temperature 55
      Select a Scene 57
      Create a New Scene 58
      Create a New Home & Away Routine 61
      Create a Wake Up Routine 65
      Create a Go to Sleep Routine 66
      4 Automating Heating and Cooling 71
      Understanding Smart Thermostats 71
      How Smart Thermostats Work 72
      Should You Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat? 74
      Evaluating Smart Thermostats 75
      Carrier Cor Wi-Fi Thermostat 76
      Ecobee 77
      Emerson Sensi Wi-Fi Thermostat 78
      Honeywell Lyric Round Wi-Fi Thermostat 79
      Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat 80
      Nest Learning Thermostat 80
      Using the Nest Learning Thermostat 83
      Set Up and Configure Your Nest Thermostat 84
      Control Your Thermostat 90
      Set the Temperature 91
      Program Your Nest 93
      Learning Your Routine 94
      Connecting Your Nest to Other Smart Devices 95
      5 Automating Home Security 99
      Adding a Smart Doorbell 100
      How Smart Doorbells Work 100
      August Doorbell Cam 101
      Ring Video Doorbell 103
      SkyBell HD Wi-Fi Video Doorbell 105
      Installing a Smart Door Lock 106
      How Smart Door Locks Work 107
      August Smart Lock 108
      Kwikset Kevo 111
      Kwikset Premis 112
      Schlage Connect 113
      Schlage Sense 113
      Yale Assure Lock with Bluetooth 114
      Using Smart Security Cameras 115
      How Smart Cameras Work 115
      Arlo Q 117
      Arlo Pro 118
      Canary Flex 119
      Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor 120
      Working with Smart Smoke and CO Detectors 122
      Birdi 123
      Halo+ 124
      Nest Protect 124
      Assembling a Smart Home Security System 126
      Samsung SmartThings 127
      Wink 128
      Canary 128
      Piper 130
      iSmartAlarm 131
      SimpliSafe 132
      6 Automating Your Kitchen and Laundry 135
      Understanding Today’s Smart Appliances 136
      Smart Operation 136
      Smart Monitoring 137
      Smart Energy Savings 137
      Smart Maintenance 137
      Smarter Food Storage with Smart Refrigerators 138
      GE Connected Refrigerators 138
      LG SmartThinQ Refrigerators 139
      Samsung Family Hub Refrigerators 140
      Smarter Cooking with Smart Ranges and Ovens 142
      GE Wi-Fi Connected Ovens and Ranges 142
      LG SmartThinQ Ranges 143
      Samsung Wi-Fi Ranges 144
      Smarter Dishwashing with Smart Dishwashers 145
      Bosch Dishwasher with Home Connect 145
      GE Wi-Fi Connected Dishwashers 145
      Smarter Cleaning with Smart Washers and Dryers 146
      GE Wi-Fi Connected Washers and Dryers 147
      LG SmartThinQ Washers and Dryers 148
      Whirlpool 148
      7 Automating Home Entertainment 153
      Watching Smart TV 153
      What’s Inside a Smart TV 154
      What a Smart TV Does 155
      Using a Typical Smart TV156
      Using a Smart Set-Top Box 158
      Streaming Audio Throughout Your Home 159
      Using the Amazon Echo as a Speaker 160
      Using Google Home as a Speaker 161
      Using the Harmony Hub 162
      Getting to Know the Harmony Hub 162
      What’s It Work With? 164
      Setting Up the Harmony Hub 164
      Using the Harmony Hub 165
      8 Examining Other Smart Devices and Applications 169
      Smart Devices for the Living Room 169
      Smart Plugs 170
      Smart Outlets 171
      Smart Wall Switches 171
      Smart Motion Detectors 172
      Smart Window Coverings 173
      Smart Vacuums 174
      Smart Devices for the Bedroom 175
      Smart Bedding and Accessories 175
      Smart Devices for the Kitchen 176
      Smart Coffee Makers 177
      Smart Cooking Appliances 178
      Smart Devices for the Garage 178
      Smart Garage Door Openers 178
      Smart Car Adapter 180
      Smart Devices for Outdoors 181
      Smart Irrigation Systems 181
      Smart Lawn Mowers 181
      9 Controlling Your Smart Home with Wink 185
      Getting to Know Wink 185
      Setting Things Up 187
      Connect the Wink Hub 2 188
      Add a New Device via Barcode Scanning 190
      Manually Add a New Device 193
      Using the Wink App 196
      Turn a Device On or Off 196
      View Information from a Sensor 197
      Create a Shortcut 199
      Activate a Shortcut 201
      Automating Activities with Robots and Events 202
      Create a Robot 202
      Remove a Robot 206
      Create an Event 206
      10 Controlling Your Smart Home with Apple Home 213
      Understanding Apple HomeKit 214
      How HomeKit Works 214
      What’s Compatible with HomeKit 215
      Adding Devices and Rooms 216
      Add a New Device 217
      Add a New Room 219
      Assign an Accessory Device to a Room 220
      Create a Scene 222
      Controlling Your Smart Devices 223
      Control a Device or Scene 224
      Controlling Devices and Scenes with Siri 225
      Automating Multiple Devices 225
      Create a Location Automation 227
      Create a Time Automation 229
      Create a Controlled Automation 231
      11 Controlling Your Smart Home with Amazon Alexa 235
      Understanding Alexa—and Echo 236
      What Alexa Does and How Alexa Works 236
      Using Alexa as a Smart Home Controller 236
      Meet Amazon’s Echo Devices 237
      Amazon Echo 237
      Amazon Echo Dot 238
      Amazon Echo Show 239
      Which Echo Is Right for You? 239
      Setting Up Your Echo Device 240
      Set Up Your Device 241
      Changing the Wake Word 246
      Working with Alexa 249
      Employ General Commands 250
      Tell Alexa What to Do 251
      Using the Alexa App 252
      Tour the Alexa App 252
      Link Accounts from Other Services 254
      Working with Alexa’s Skills 257
      Find a Skill 257
      Add a Skill to Alexa 260
      Using Alexa to Control Your Smart Devices 261
      What’s Compatible? 261
      Connect a Smart Device to Alexa 261
      Working with Device Groups 264
      Controlling a Smart Device with Alexa 266
      12 Controlling Your Smart Home with Google Home 269
      Understanding Google Home and the Google Assistant 270
      Setting Up and Using Google Home 271
      Set Up Your Device 272
      Navigate and Configure the Google Home App 278
      Working with the Google Assistant 282
      Wake Words 283
      Employ General Commands 283
      Tell the Google Assistant What to Do 284
      Using Google Home to Control Your Smart Devices 285
      What Does Google Home Control? 285
      Pair a Device with the Google Assistant 286
      Use the Google Assistant to Control Your Smart Devices 289
      13 Using Smart Technology for Independent Living 291
      Making Daily Living Easier 292
      Use a Voice-Controlled Personal Assistant 292
      Install Smart Lighting Systems 293
      Employ a Smart Doorbell 294
      Install a Smart Door Lock 294
      Consider a Smart Thermostat 295
      Keeping You and Your Loved Ones Safer 297
      Install a Smart Door Lock 297
      Employ Smart Door and Window Sensors 298
      Add Smart Cameras 298
      Use a Personal GPS Tracker 299
      Employ a Personal Safety Device 300
      Embracing In-Home Care 303
      14 Adding More Functionality with IFTTT 305
      Understanding IFTTT 306
      How Does IFTTT Work? 306
      Why Would You Want to Use IFTTT? 307
      What Does IFTTT Work With? 308
      Using IFTTT Applets 308
      Link a Device or Service to IFTTT 309
      Find and Activate an Applet 311
      Manage Your Applets 313
      Creating Your Own Applets 313
      Understanding the Parts of an Applet 313
      Create a New Applet 314
      15 Evaluating Privacy and Security Concerns 319
      Privacy Concerns 320
      What Do They Really Know About You? 320
      How Much Privacy Do You Need? 322
      Security Issues 323
      Spyware and Botnets 323
      Seizing Control 325
      What Can You Do? 326
      Making Your Smart Home Safer 327
      Is It Safe Enough? 328
      16 What’s Next? (ONLINE ONLY)
      Glossary 331
      Index 335

      Find the bonus online chapter and other helpful information on this book’s website at
      http://informitcom/title/9780789759894


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