Have you ever, after leaving your house to go on vacation, had a flash of doubt in your mind: “Wait — did I lock the door?” . . . .
Wouldn’t it be great if, using your smart phone, you could just pull up an app and view the status of your door: “Unlocked.”
Then, instead of turning around and going back home to lock it, you simply tap an onscreen command. The door status changes instantly to “Locked.”
Technology has made this possible.
Home automation technology has been around for a while, and it’s steadily improved over the years.
You first need a hub, a kind of wireless router, that will talk to all the devices. Then, you need devices — switches, wall outlets, moisture detectors, lights, video cameras, and, yes, door locks.
I found this article that is short and sweet and provides a good introduction. It’s a little old — 18 months, which can be ancient in the face of Moore’s Law — but its general information, and even some of the links, are still valid:
http://www.engadget.com/discuss/z-wave-and-home-automation-1qxo/
From my research, it seems like the Smartthings Hub is the best to buy since it recognizes several different communications technologies:
For door locks, it seems like Kwikset and Schlage products get the best reviews: