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(StatePoint) — You can make this holiday season a bit merrier by giving your family the gift of a smart home. A gift that keeps on giving, connected devices can add security and convenience to your home easily. Start with a few basic smart home prod- ucts and add to or change your tech over time as needed. Start with the basics Get started with a hub that serves as the brain of your smart home, allowing the rest of your devices to communicate with one another and giving you control of your home wherever you are. While you're away, monitor your home and receive notifications on the status of things like "is the door locked?" "did the lights get left on?" and "who's home?" through an app. Many Z-Wave hub options like Wink, SmartThings, and Nexia work with popular voice assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo, so your family can easily control home devices with sim- ple voice commands like, "Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree!" and "Hey Google, set dining room lights to 50 percent." Once you've selected a smart hub, mix and match any Z-Wave device you want to customize your smart home. Hubs also let you set customizable sequences called scenes, so you can do things like program your lights or music to turn on when you walk in the door. Smart outlets make any device or appli- ance "smart" by adding the ability to be controlled from your hub's app or by voice command. There are over 2,100 certified Z- Wave products from a variety of brands to choose from, so you can start with the basics and expand as you go. Be safe Adding smart security devices protects your home, offering you peace of mind and added convenience. Keyless smart locks like August or Yale give you remote access and control of who can enter your home. Door and window sensors, like options from Fibaro or Sensative, send you a notifi- cation whenever someone enters or exits. DIY security solutions, like Piper NV and abode monitor your home and can even provide video clips. Boost comfort, save energy Manage smart lighting from your phone. You can also create scenes with smart lighting devices like Eaton's light dimmer switch, Enbrighten's smart bulb or Jasco's wireless on-off switch to activate the lights when you wake up or turn them off when you leave and lock your front door. Smart thermostats ensure that you conserve energy by keeping your home comfortable when you're there and efficient when you're not. Add fun Get festive this holiday season with voice control speakers, like Amazon Echo and Google Home. Smart speakers can activate smart home scenes and can also play music and videos with easy voice prompts. Set color-changing LED strips from Aeotec to activate in your favorite colors (or red and green!) when you play music, wake up in the morning, or even watch a movie. You can also plug your Christmas tree or other holiday lighting into an appliance module and easily turn them on or off via smart scenes or through your phone as you pull into the driveway. For holiday party ideas, smart home inspiration, shopping and more, visit Z- Wave.com. With any budget, you can give your fami- ly a smart home this season, adding on more devices and capabilities as you go. HOME DECEMBER 2017 6 Give yourself the timely gift of a smart home this holiday season djma/stock.Adobe.com An electronic hub can control many of your home functions, allowing you to turn your Christmas tree on by voice — for starters. Adding technology over time can help you more conveniently control your home as well as improve safety for your family

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