Common items ranging from your car to refrigerator to even your home thermostat are getting “smarter” and connecting to each other and other appliances; and this “Internet of Things (IoT)” will greatly change the way American families live.

For example, in the kitchen “You’ll be able to receive alerts that products for daily use are running out and need replacing. You’ll be able to remotely consult your refrigerator or pantry from your phone,” according to Arthur Ziviani, Senior Member of IEEE (the  world’s largest professional organization advancing technology for humanity) and senior researcher at the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing.  Dr. Yu Yuan, another IEEE member and founder of CATE Global and CEO of Motiveware Technology, also predicts that “An intelligent machine or robot will soon take over the kitchen as cook, servant and nutritionist.”  While Dr. Yuan believes the these changes are exciting, he also believes that for IoT to reach full potential, a single communications standard will be needed so that products from different companies can communicate with each other and be in sync: “I could be locked into one system, and that’s a big issue,” says William Webb, another IEEE Fellow, main consultant at Affini and CEO of Weightless SIG.

Other concerns are security; a recent “Hackathon” event hosted by MIT reinforced this potential, but very real, danger. Even a smart trash dumpster can present a threat: “Someone could hack in and see that there’s been no trash disposed of in the past few days. They can assume you’re not home and break in,” says Webb.

A popular IoT item, programmable thermostats, allow homeowners (and apartment dwellers) to predetermine when heat or air conditioning will turn on or off. They can also store multiple daily settings to further customize heating and cooling schedules not only based on the time of day, but also the day of the week. Programmable thermostats are available in a variety of models; some can be linked to a home’s wireless system so that automatic adjustments can be made even when you’re not at home.

The location of the thermostat is very important; it needs to be placed where it can get the most accurate reading of the house. It should be on an interior wall away from direct sunlight, doorways, drafts and windows. It should not be directly facing an air vent. And avoid placing furniture above or below the thermostat; these will interrupt the air flow.

It’s best to consult with an HVAC expert to figure which particular thermostat will work best for your home; some dwellings may benefit from a dual or multi-zoned system (this allows you to adjust the temperature independently from other floors of a home).

Sources: “Will smart home technology change the way we live?” by Statepoint-Vindy Homes-The (Sunday) Vindicator, April 24, 2016 and “How thermostats save money and energy” by MetroServices-Valley Homes-The (Sunday) Vindicator, July 13, 2014.