Future of Siri, Alexa and Google Home with open-source smart home standards

Building a smart home isn't as difficult anymore. However, making devices from different brands talk to each other can get difficult at times. With the new Project CHIP - Amazon, Apple, Google, and Zigbee Alliance aim to build an open-source smart home standard that can finally help consumers set up their preferred control system without being ruled over by brands.

Project CHIP with Apple, Google, Amazon, and Zigbee Alliance

Almost every part of our home can be connected to the internet today. Be it thermostats or your coffee maker, you can use smart home technology to control all of these devices. But with more power comes great responsibility, and with so many smart home devices, it’s getting tougher to understand what works for you and how.

The lack of an industry-wide connectivity standard has been one of the major reasons why we, as consumers, haven’t been able to build that ideal smart home ecosystem in our lives yet.

Now with the launch of CHIP – the open-source smart home standard, things might finally be on track. But before we head there, let’s take a look at some of the best smart home gadgets you can easily control with Siri, Google, and Alexa.

First things first, what is an open-source smart home?

When you decide to build a smart home, the first thing you do is look for gadgets that can help your home stay connected. However, with competing brands launching similar products for home automation and security, it’s getting difficult to build your own “Internet of Things” inside the house. Devices might not want to talk to each other simply because they come from different brands. But an open-source smart home can finally break that norm and help you build the dream smart home of your choice.

Setting this kind of a futuristic smart home might not be as easy as it sounds but once you get there, you’ll never want to come back to what it is now.

Tell me more about Project CHIP

Thanks to smart home connectivity brands like Apple, Google, and Amazon, we can finally aim for an open-source smart home standard sooner than we thought before. Project CHIP is what they call it and based on everything that’s been decided so far, it seems like a promising 2020 for smart home gadgets.

As told on the official website, “Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) is a new Working Group that plans to develop and promote the adoption of a new, royalty-free connectivity standard to increase compatibility among smart home products, with security as a fundamental design tenet.”

The working group, as of now, includes big-shot companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance. The Zigbee Alliance board member companies include IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), Silicon Labs, Somfy, and Wulian.

The aim is to help consumers with setting up smart home products from different brands and make them compatible with each other. If the goal is met, you will be able to get the device of your choice and setup with your preferred control system. For example, if you like Alexa and get a Google Home product, you will still be able to control it with Alexa.

Best smart home gadgets you can buy now

These eight smart home gadgets are already compatible with Siri, Google Home, and Alexa. With open-source smart home standards, things will just get even better (and smarter).

Denon HEOS 5 Multi-Room Media System

From such a compact package, you’ll get two precision tweeters and two mid-woofers that provide incredible bass. On top of that, this multi-room speaker can handle large living spaces. You won’t miss out on the lyrics when you’re across the room. Furthermore, this medium speaker even responds to voice commands. Whether you use Alexa, AirPlay 2, Siri, Google Assistant, or Josh.AI, it’ll communicate with the HEOS 5.

August Smart Lock Pro + Connect

This system gives your smartphone the power to be a smart key for your door. There’s no more need for physical keys. Totally advanced for your modern world, the Smart Lock Pro comes with the August Connect Bridge. Using Wi-Fi, the entire system is accessible from your iOS or Android device. And, most conveniently, it installs with your existing lock and handle in place. The Smart Lock Pro uses DoorSense and Auto-Lock technologies. With this, the smart lock can detect if your door is or isn’t closed all the way. The Smart Lock Pro also works with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa for total control with just your voice.

Delta Trinsic Voice-Activated Faucet

The Delta Trinsic Voice-Activated Faucet makes your time in the kitchen so much easier. It does this by responding to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, providing you with instant access to water. Furthermore, it will even dispense the exact measurements. If you need four cups of water to cook rice, there’s no need to pull out the measuring cups. Additionally, you can tap it with your wrist to activate it if your hands are covered with dough.

Hive View Outdoor Security Camera

Even when you aren’t there, this home security camera notifies you of anything unusual going on. It’ll send a message right to your connected device to tell you immediately if there’s suspicious activity. Because it has a 130-degree wide-angle lens, this camera sees pretty much everything. Furthermore, its 1080p HD night vision ensures it works just as well in the dark. Plus, with two-way talk abilities, this smart security camera lets you communicate with whoever’s at your door.

D-Link Full HD Wi-Fi Camera

By using two-way audio, you can have conversations with people in your home in real-time, no matter where you are. The camera also uses sound and motion detection and sends a smart alert to your phone if anything happens. You can always check in on your home through your mobile devices as well. In fact, you can watch live video streaming while you’re away. It also works with both Google Assistant and Alexa. If you want to take a closer look at something, simply pinch to zoom.

ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control Intelligent Thermostat

The ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control Intelligent Thermostat responds to a variety of voice assistants. This is convenient because whether you use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, this home thermostat will listen. An intelligent addition to your smart home, this thermostat doesn’t detect only temperature. In fact, the SmartThermostat can also tell how many people are in a room, and it will adjust its settings accordingly. Furthermore, you get to determine just where this device senses temperature.

Shark ION ROBOT Voice Control Robotic Vacuum

The Shark ION ROBOT comes with dual spinning side brushes to remove debris from edges and corners. It also comes with Smart Sensors that seamlessly move across carpets and floors. The robot even uses proximity sensors to assess and adapt to surrounding objects. You can also use BotBoundary strips to stop your robot from entering certain areas. Furthermore, you can easily schedule and monitor cleanings using your smartphone. Finally, the Shark ION ROBOT also features voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Philips Hue Go Portable Smart Light

Incredibly intelligent, this device uses an app to give you total control. Within the app, you have access to millions of colors as well as shades of white light. You can also sync the light to your music, movies, and even games to add in another dimension. The Hue Go Light is totally wireless and complete with a built-in lithium-ion battery. Lasting up to three hours, you can bring the light to any room of the party. If that’s not smart enough, the Hue Go Light is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.

What are your thoughts on the open-source smart home standard? Share with us in the comments below.

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