https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/22/smart-home-gift-guide-ideas/

A year ago I accidentally turned my house into a smart home. What started out as an easy (and lazy, let’s be honest) way to switch off the radio in the kitchen without getting up from the couch quickly became an obsession to remotely control and automate as much of my house as possible.

What makes a smart home? In my house the lights, outlets and window blinds can be controlled from my phone, at home or anywhere in the world, but you can extend it to other things, like air conditioners, sprinklers and garage door openers. Or thermostats, speakers, security cameras and just about anything electrical. And by adding smart home tech that can detect temperature, humidity or motion, you can automate your house to turn the light up at sunset, set the sprinklers on when the weather is dry, turn on the air conditioning when it’s warm or alert you if the doors open when you’re not at home.