Knock, knock. Who’s there?
No, that’s not the start of a joke, but a real question.
With all due respect to Paul McCartney, I think we may need to update his idea: Someone’s knocking at the door, someone’s ringing the bell, do me a favor, open the door and let ‘em in. In today’s world, I want to know who’s on the other side of my door before I open it and let them in.
Okay, Brad, how should I do this?
It’s easy, Ring.
Yeah, I get it, ring the bell, but how does that tell me anything.
No, not ring, Ring, the new smart doorbell!
You’ve probably seen the ads for Ring by now. Someone comes to the door, rings your doorbell, and you can see and talk to them from your smart phone. Pretty cool! There are battery powered units or wired in units available. Both are easy to install, and they work with your home WiFi to connect to your phone. They really are a great idea. They’re way better than the old peepholes to tell who’s on the other side of your door. And you can tell who’s at your door, even if you’re not there.
Your local Ace Hardware store also has a wide variety of other smart devices available.
Thermostats: We’ve got Nest, Honeywell and Lux available in a variety of styles and price ranges.
Smoke & CO detectors: Nest & First Alert units alert your phone when there’s an emergency. Talk about adding peace of mind if you’ve got kids or pets at home, or travel a lot.
Security Cameras: Several models that connect to your phone and let you see what’s going on when you’re not around.
Switches, Timers & Power Strips: Connect electrical devices and lights to these devices from wion and turn them on from afar. Not only secure, but nice to come home to a well-lit home too!
Light Bulbs: Smart bulbs than can be controlled from far away.
Padlocks: No need for a key or a combo when you’ve got the new Master Lock smart padlock. Great for gyms or work lockers too.
What good are smart devices if you feel you’re too dumb to figure them out? No problem, just come in and ask our helpful hardware folks for answers to your questions on these devices.
These many devices are just the start of making your home smart. Check in to you Ace Hardware store from time to time and see what they’ve added. Thanks, and tell them Brad Nale sent you!
Sorry if you’ve got that song stuck in your head now.