COVID-19 has meant we’ve spent more time in our houses than ever over the last year. As KRS Holdings explains, it has already changed the way many of us feel about where we live, and it seems likely that at least some of the changes will last far beyond the end of the pandemic. For instance, working at home, working out at home, entertaining at home are now likely to be a permanent part of our future. 2020 was a year when home technology came into sharp focus as the streets emptied, helping us live our lives and stay connected. 2021 is set to be a similarly transformative year. Here are three of the biggest and most transformative trends we’ll see this year.
Home-Working Technology
Although a lot of workers are champing at the bit to return to the office, it’s clear that working from home is here to stay. It looks likely that some will take the opportunity to be based permanently at home while others will adopt a hybrid half-home, half office working week. 2020 saw ad-hoc solutions to the problem, and video-based apps like Zoom saw a huge uptake as millions of people around the world attended virtual meetings. The “home office” is ripe for a technology revolution and 2021 will see the tech become far more integrated into our houses in a much more immersive manner. It’ll take the form of better and more automated scheduling and smoother-operating calendar tools. Video-conferencing will go down the road of augmented reality, mimicking the feeling of actually being a room together. On a perhaps more negative note, companies will be looking hard at employee-monitoring apps too.
Home Security
With much of the workforce returning to the office (even for just part of the week) in 2021, many will be worried about the security of their homes. This year will be huge for home security technology, with wide-scale adoption of systems such as smart locks, door & window sensors and motion detectors. Surveillance cameras with facial recognition systems that can automatically issue police alerts will become more commonplace too. Users will get alerts on their phones or tablets no matter where they are, and they will also be able to look at video footage and images in real time. Smart smoke and CO2 detectors will also start to do brisk business.
Smart Kitchens
Looking at the same four walls in 2020 has created an interest in improving our homes and the tech within them. More and more domestic tasks will become automated, and the kitchen seems set to be at the cutting edge of developments. Devices such as smart fridges and ovens are already available; smart ovens can be controlled remotely and automatically know the best temperature and time for cooking different types of food. They can even recognise different family members and adjust their settings accordingly. Smart kitchen devices can communicate with each other and will transform home living. They understand the food you need when it is needed (and before you do) and can compile and order the whole weekly shop for you based on your dietary requirements – imagine the time savings!
Final Thoughts
These are just three of the advancements we’re going to see in our homes this year. 2021 is going to be another transformative year. As people our lives are going to be increasingly shaped by the technology in the place where we shelter, eat, sleep, bathe and interact with our loved ones. Of course, the driving force behind these technologies is connectivity – the better your broadband, the more you can benefit from the advancements. Head online and compare today’s best broadband deals and get what you need to join the revolution.