The Top 5 Home Gadgets for 2014

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With a new year just begun, it’s time to start wondering what types of must-have gadgets are going to be on everybody’s wish list in 2014. If you or somebody in your household is a techie, here are some great gadgets to keep an eye on next year.

Nest Learning Thermostat

Not all thermostats are created equal. The Learning Thermostat from Nest seems like something out of science fiction, but it’s available today. What it does is study your activity throughout the day: when you’re home, and when you’re not. Over just a short period of time, it will be familiar enough with your family’s routines that it will be able to take direct control of your heating and cooling systems. What this does is help to take some of the guesswork out of saving on your utilities budget. Since the thermostat knows when you’re home and when you’re away, it can adjust the temperature in your home accordingly. You can even assume direct control from almost anywhere thanks to a companion app for your tablet or smartphone.

Google Chromecast

If you’ve been waiting for an inexpensive way to climb aboard the streaming video bandwagon, Google has come up with the perfect solution: the Chromecast. The Chromecast is a tiny device that plugs into your TV’s HDMI port. It offers access to most of the leading streaming movie and TV show content, and it does it all without any wires. Best of all, you can use your favorite smartphone or tablet as a remote and second screen.

ADT Pulse App

You might have heard the phrase “smart home” once or twice. If you’ve been curious about exactly what that meant, but didn’t have ten million dollars to build one, it might be time to check out ADT Pulse. If you want the smart home experience on a budget, ADT Pulse is a great way to add a powerful layer of security to your home, while saving money on your utility bills thanks to great automation features. In addition, you’ll be able to monitor your home’s security from afar using a mobile device of your choosing.

Philips Hue Connected Bulbs

This is a gadget that might feel like a gimmick at first, but once you start figuring out what it’s capable of, the Philips Hue bulbs might change the way you think about lighting. The bulbs interact with your smartphone, automatically or manually. For example: the bulbs will track your phone throughout the house and turn off the lights when you leave. You can even set them to flash when you receive an email or when a package is delivered to the front door.

Sonos Wireless Speakers

Finally, here’s something for the music lover in your household. The Sonos wireless speakers are the perfect way to stream all of your favorite music to every room in the house. Whether you have a huge iTunes music library or you prefer to use the leading streaming services like Spotify or Pandora, the Sonos wireless speakers have you covered. Best of all, there isn’t any time-intensive setup, wiring, or programming: the Sonos speakers are ready to go, right out of the box.

Stacey Waxman is a freelance tech writer. She can be found typing away on her laptop in Cleveland, OH. Stacey welcomes your feedback via email.

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