There are no specific requirements to make your smart home, well smart. Installing one or more different smart devices into your home would categorize your home as a smart home. You can make your home as smart as you want it to be. There are many different devices that can be installed to enhance your home living.

1. Choose your smart home assistant

The first step to making your home into a smart home is choosing your assistant. The most popular voice-controlled assistants are the Google Home and Amazon Echo. These devices are similar but still have differences. The assistant will help you to use your other smart devices. Say “O.K Google, turn on the lights” or “Alexa, play music”.  

When selecting other devices for your smart home, make sure that those devices are compatible with your assistant. 

2. Invest in Smart Lights

With smart lighting you can walk into your home and say “Alexa, I am home” and program which lights you would like to turn on once that is said. Some of the options can dim and have multi-colors. Smart lighting can also be controlled from a phone app which allows you to control your home lights even when you’re not at home. This is a great security feature if you’re away from home or on vacation but don’t want your home to appear empty. Some systems require a bridge to connect the device to Wi-Fi. The bridge allows you to control multiple devices all at once and when you are outside of your home. 

3. Smart Plug

The smart plug is a great way to start turning your home into a smart home. These plugs can be found for as cheap as $15 a plug. You will be able to use an app to turn on/off what is plugged in or use voice activation from your assistant when you’re at home. For example, the app will allow you to turn off your bedroom light from miles away. You can control when your plugins are using energy or not to stay energy efficient. Schedules can be created to turn on/off certain devices at specific times. There are also smart plugs designed for the outdoor elements so you can conveniently control your patio or holiday lights with ease. 

4. Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat is a great way to be energy efficient by tracking your usage. This thermostat will allow you to improve your energy use by sensing patterns in the home to adjust the temperature based on movement at certain times of the day. You can see on your app the daily and monthly energy history and where you can cut back to save energy and money.

5. Home Security

Smart cameras can be placed inside or outside of the home. These cameras connect to an app allowing you to watch what is happening inside or outside of your home wherever you are at. The app will notify you when motion is detected on the cameras. If you choose to install cameras, make sure that you are on a secure network to keep your private life confidential.

Whether you’re looking to begin coding as a hobby, a new career, or just to enhance your current role, the first thing you’ll have to do is decide which programming language you want to start with.

There is no right answer, of course. Choosing the first language will depend on what kind of projects you want to work on, who you want to work for, or how easy you want it to be. Hopefully, this guide will help give you a better idea of which one you should pursue.

1. Python

Python is always recommended if you’re looking for an easy and even fun programming language to learn first. Rather than having to jump into strict syntax rules, Python reads like English and is simple to understand for someone who’s new to programming. This allows you to obtain a basic knowledge of coding practices without having to obsess over smaller details that are often important in other languages.

Python also is ideal for web development, graphic user interfaces (GUIs), and software development. In fact, it was used to build Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify, so it’s clearly in demand among employers in addition to having a faster onboarding.

Though it has its advantages, Python is often thought of as a slow language that requires more testing and is not as practical for developing mobile apps as other languages.

2. C#

While C is one of the more difficult languages to learn, it’s still an excellent first language pick-up because almost all programming languages are implemented in it. This means that once you learn C, it’ll be simple to learn more languages like C++ and C#.

Because C is more “machine-level”, learning it is great for teaching you how a computer functions. Software Developer Joel Spolsky compares it to understanding basic anatomy before becoming a medical doctor, making it the best way to code efficiently.

In this way, C is an exceptional choice to become a master coder and a talented developer from the get-go if you’re willing to take on the challenge.

3. Java

Java is an object-oriented and feature-heavy programming language that’s in high demand. It’s been built under the premise of “Write once, run anywhere,” meaning that it can be written on any device and work cross-platform.

This makes it one of the most desired (yes, we mean high-paid) language skills. So, if you’re looking to learn a language that’s going to get you a great career, this might be the one, especially since top employers for Java programmers include eBay, Amazon, and IBM.

Additionally, Java is often used for Android and iOS app development, as it’s the basis of the Android operating system, which makes it one of the best choices if you want to build mobile apps.

While it may not be as easy to pick up as Python, Java is a high-level language, and so it’s still relatively beginner-friendly. However, it has a slow startup and will take beginners much longer to deploy their first project.

Building a website for you or your business has, traditionally, always been quite an expensive endeavor. This is because at the very least, you would have needed to pay for hosting, domain registration, and – unless you designed and developed the website yourself – professional assistance to build the website. 

However, in the last few years, advances in technology mean things have changed, and now it’s more than possible to build a website for free, without spending a cent. One of the simplest ways to do this is choosing one of the best website builders, signing up for your preferred service’s free plan, and then creating your own site yourself. 

The best thing about undertaking this process yourself is that you don’t need to have any web development or design experience. That’s because the more complex elements of the website building process are taken care of for you. Here, we’ll outline the steps you need to take to build a website for free.

1. Choose a free website builder

There are numerous free website builders on the market. Most have their own sets of pros and cons, which means you will need to spend a little time choosing the best option for your needs.

For example, Wix is the world’s most popular builder, and it comes with a great free plan. However, the sheer power of its editor means that a lot of people have trouble learning how to use it, and it might not be the best choice for absolute beginners.

On the other side of the equation are options like the GoDaddy builder, which is quite basic but extremely easy to use. It doesn’t offer anything near the power of competitors like Wix, but it’s a great choice for absolute beginners with little confidence.

2. Create An Account

Most website builders with a free forever option are very easy to get started with. Usually, you will be asked to provide a few personal details, such as your name, email address, and a password. You shouldn’t ever have to enter payment information when signing up for a free website builder. 

Every free website builder worth using has some sort of template library. Here, you will find a selection of high-quality, professional designs that you can use as a starting point for your new site. In most cases, templates are heavily categorized, allowing you to quickly filter them according to the type of site you want to build. 

3. Choose A Subdomain

Most free website builders, including Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy, provide you with a branded subdomain. In general, you will be able to customize this, but it will have some sort of extension related to your builder. You won’t be able to connect your own domain without upgrading to a paid plan. 

For example, Weebly gives you a domain that looks like “mywebsite.weebly.com” and lets you customize the “mywebsite” part. On the other hand, GoDaddy simply sets your domain as “websitename.godaddysites.com”, and you can’t change this. 

4. Settings Set-Up

Now that you’ve signed up for a new account and selected a template, it’s time to start editing your website. Start by customizing global design settings. GoDaddy allows you to select a color scheme and two universal fonts, but some other builders let you change even more than this.

5. Add new pages and personalize your menu bar

Before you start editing your site’s content, it’s a good idea to create the pages you’re going to need and link to them from your main menu. Most website builders make this very easy to do, and many even have templates for things like contact and service pages.

6. Customize Your Page

Once you’ve created the pages you need, it’s time to jump into the content creation and page design processes. Some website builders, like Wix and HostGator, use a drag-and-drop interface that lets you position design elements exactly where you want them.