Take a look around and you’ll notice something futuristic about the world we’re living in today. Machines have subtly infused themselves into every aspect of our lives and home offices are no exception. If you haven’t made the upgrade to a smart home office, you might be missing out on productivity boosters, and a little bit of fun too.
Here are five smart devices to elevate the vibe in your home office.
1. Voice-Activated Speaker
You’ve probably already optimized your website for voice search. You might’ve also seen or used a smart speaker in your home or at a friend’s house, but have you considered adding one to your home office? Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Home are excellent additions for helping you maintain productivity without losing focus. Ask a question, check your schedule, or simply check in on what the weather is like to motivate you to stay indoors (or not). Use your new virtual assistant however works best for you.
2. Thermostat
Did you know that the temperature of the room can impact your productivity? Still, you don’t want to have to fuss with adjusting it based on humidity, quick drops of temperature, or other factors. You want to set it and forget it, letting it run efficiently in the background. That’s where having a smart thermostat can help. Thermostats, such as Nest or ecobee3, can help you set up your office environment for success.
3. Doorbell Monitor
Imagine this: You’re at home and a salesperson rings your door. You don’t have time to hear their pitch but you answer anyway in hopes that it’s the package you’ve been expecting instead of someone who will waste your time. If you had a smart doorbell, you wouldn’t have run into this scenario.
Smart doorbells, such as Ring or Nest, help you see and talk to the person on the other side of the door. You’ll know who’s there and can save yourself enormous amounts of time not bothering with people who won’t help you stay productive and on task.
4. Time Keeper
If you bill hourly, or just want to track how much time you spend on specific tasks, you’ll want a smart time keeper on your desk. Products like ZEIº or TimeFlip give you a physical device that you can use to track your time. When you’re done, the way you’ve spent your time is automatically calculated and broken down into time sheets, productivity pattern analyses, and other statistics.
5. Smart Coffee Maker
No home office is complete without a full coffee cup on the desk, but what happens when that coffee cup is empty? When you’re in the zone and want a caffeinated boost but don’t want to have to get up from your desk to make yourself a drink, having a smart coffee maker on standby is essential.
Smart coffee makers range in features. Many, like the Smarter Coffee maker, let you set the alarm time for the coffee to start brewing from your desk, bed, or even from that meeting across town. Others, like the Nespresso Expert Espresso Machine, let you select coffee cup size and a recipe for the machine to make. Create the perfect foam latte from your desk!
Just the Beginning
As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to take hold, you’ll start to see more devices permeate the market. These five are just the beginning of what you can do to make your home office feel more productive, comfortable, and even a little futuristic.
Image: Stock Unlimited