No matter the size of your get-together, you may want to incorporate some sort of atmosphere. An impeccable way to do this is to use music, ambient noises and mood lighting. Some may even take it a step further and incorporate patterned screen displays or put up slideshows of their new vacations or outings.
Here are a few other ways that you can incorporate your smart technology into your home gatherings.
Lighting and music are no longer exclusive. You can play your favorite music straight from your color-changing mood lighting. These bulbs can be hooked up to your smartphone, tablet, smart television or virtual assistant. Most only need a Wi-Fi connection or bluetooth connection, but others use both or newer connective technologies. You don’t need any special lighting setup, either. Just screw it in and connect it to your device.
The idea of these bulbs is to have the setting in an all-in-one feature that can be fine-tuned by the user. They can also coordinate with your playlist, taking the manual work out of color coordinating your favorite music. For example, if a softer jazz plays through the small speaker inside the bulb, the tempo and other musical facets are calculated and a matching color and brightness is assigned to the song, giving you an all-around relaxing experience.
Smart plugs are ideal for any size gathering. Like most connective technology, they can integrate with your device via Wi-Fi. These plugs go into the normal outlet, but can be told when to turn on whatever is plugged into it. They’re great for turning off lighting, turning on projectors or televisions for viewing, adjusting special effects machines and a host of other items.
They’re similar to outlet timers with rotaries, but instead of the manual labor, you can control your device from an accompanying smart screen (phone, tablet, television, etc.). So if you’ve cleaned up and gone to bed but forgot to turn off the karaoke machine, you don’t have to worry. Just flip the app on and turn it off from wherever you are.
Virtual assistants are now the norm. They come standard in just about every smart device a consumer could buy. But did you know that they’re excellent for helping with your favorite shindigs? Not only can you control your smart devices from your virtual assistant, you can also use it during musical or visual party games.
All you have to do is call out to them, tell them what to play (you may even hum or tap a beat for music) and they’ll get it going for you. This is great for games such as musical charades where you may want to hear the song after your guests have given you their version.
Smart entertainment technology can help boost your home gatherings just as much as other smart home technology can boost your savings. They’re inexpensive and can be customized to meet just about any need.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
