Let's roll.
(dramatic music)
Warning: smart door locks can lead to experimentation
with other smart home devices.
If you or someone you love has an electronic door lock,
stay tuned to find out how these sneaky smart devices
can take over your home,
making everything more secure and more convenient.
Electronic locks have been around since the 70s,
so they are far more pervasive than you might think.
In fact, smart locks are usually hiding in plain sight.
You might see one at your neighbor's house,
find one at your best friend's house
or an electronic lock could even be lurking
at your parents' house.
But how do you know for sure
that you've come face to face with a smart lock?
Let's find out.
First of all, they're gonna be bigger than a standard lock
or a deadbolt.
This is what's going to be on the inside of a home.
If you see this on the inside of a door,
then you know there's a smart lock in the house.
They're also going to have a keypad.
It's because you can open the lock without using a key.
Tricky.
And many smart locks use Bluetooth.
Bluetooth locks will usually have LED lights
and that's a dead giveaway that something smart is going on.
The most common side effects of electronic locks
are convenience and security
but some long term users, who move on to bigger
and better smart home devices may also experience savings
and energy efficiency.
Let's dig a little deeper into convenience.
There's no more fumbling for your keys
while you're juggling backpacks, kids, or bags of groceries.
And when it comes to security,
gone are the days of stashing a spare key
under the welcome mat or using an obvious hide-a-key rock.
House sitters, dog walkers,
kids who need to get in after school,
you can give all of them a personalized code
or electronic key that you can change or cancel at any time.
There will be no more worry
about lost keys out there in the world
that could give a stranger access to your home.
You'll know you're in trouble if you start browsing
the internet or stalking the aisles of Home Depot
for things like smart lightbulbs, smart thermostats
or a smart home hub like Amazon Echo or Google Home.
If you feel the need for fancier, trickier gadgets
to keep you excited about home automation,
these are the smart home devices you need to watch out for.
Smart lighting.
You can find smart light bulbs on porches,
they're in living rooms, or even in a front hallway
or a bedroom.
Once you get your hands on a smart lightbulb,
it's only a matter of time before you set a routine
to automatically turn the lights on
when the door is locked or unlocked.
Smart plugs are another culprit.
These sneaky little buggers can turn anything
that plugs into an outlet into a smart device.
A coffee pot, your Crock-Pot, the TV, your flat iron,
your kid's nightlight or sound machine.
You name it, these things can become smart
with a smart plug.
And, finally, we have smart home hubs.
These are highly dangerous because they trick you
into thinking they're just fun little devices
that you can talk to or ask about the weather.
Amazon Echo or Google Home can coordinate
all of your smart devices to work together.
And once you have routines set up,
all you have to do to indulge your craving
for home automation is tell Google or Alexa to
"Turn on the light," "Lock the door,"
or "Make sure I turned off the iron."
At first glance, keyless locks may seem harmless,
even helpful, but if you don't watch out,
you could find yourself going down a path
that leads to more and more smart home gadgets.
Before you know it, you'll wake up to a home
that's the perfect temperature,
with the stimulating scent of coffee
already permeating the air.
Your life will be full of smart home routines
and automated support.
(sigh)
But you can get help.
For more information about the effects of smart home devices
and how they can lead to extra security, simplicity,
and even savings, check out all of our home automation
buyer's guides on SafeWise.com.