Magid: Inexpensive gadgets that make life a bit easier

I have had Alexa Echo devices from Amazon in my house for years so when it s time for bed all I have to say is Alexa turn off the lamp to darken our bedroom I also use my voice to play music or get answers to questions especially now that Amazon has upgraded my devices to Alexa which uses AI and a large language model similar to ChatGPT to provide detailed answers to almost anything I might ask Google Assistant which works with Android devices and Google speakers has similar functions Related Articles Magid Paper isn t dead yet and neither are printers and scanners Magid DIY holiday cards projects plus safe shopping Larry Magid Macs are on sale and Windows PCs have gotten better Magid Most of Google Apps work on iPhones but not vice-versa Magid Amazon upgrades Alexa with AI and a new Echo for kids Pushing buttons vs using your voice There are times when I don t want to use my voice such as turning off the bedroom lights or adjusting our heater when my wife is sleeping so as not to wake her So I installed a Amazon Basics Smart Dimmer Switch and Remote which works with Alexa to do anything or any series of things that can be set up as an Alexa routine The switch which is wireless and runs off a coin-size battery can be placed anywhere and can run eight different routines by offerings a short and long press for each of its four buttons I have it set up to turn the light on with a short press of the top button turn it off with the bottom button and use long presses to dim or brighten the bulb I ve programmed another button to control my heating system and one to control my bedroom dehumidifier I could also venture buttons to play music arm our defense system or perform anything else that can be done with an Alexa routine I bought an identical remote for my wife s side of the bed and a third remote to control the lights in my garage including one button that runs a routine turning the lights on for minutes and another that keeps them on for minutes so I don t have to worry about forgetting to turn them off Another Alexa routine turns off all the lights at midnight just in affair we forgot and I have other routines that turn on the downstairs heat in the morning and one that turns on chargers for a scant minutes a day to make sure my devices are topped off but not overcharged because a few of my devices may not have the battery management systems built into smart phones Creating routines via AI Creating Alexa routines has never been daunting but used to be a bit cumbersome Now thanks to the AI in Alexa it can be done with simple voice commands like Alexa create a routine to turn on the bedroom light for minutes or turn off the bedroom light and the garage light and arm the safeguard system Once these routines are created you can run them with your voice assign them to a button on the remote or configure them to run on a schedule such as sunrise sunset or a specific time You can also have Alexa turn on lights when an Echo device detects someone entering a room or when it hears a sound such as water running an appliance beeping or a dog barking One routine from the Alexa gallery will soothe your crying baby by playing lullabies at night Echo smart speakers start at about when they re not on sale and a lot less when they are I have also used Alexa to turn old appliances into smart appliances I have an old heater that I can turn on and off with my voice or a remote switch because it s connected to an outlet with an Alexa-compatible smart plug The speakers attached to my computer turn off automatically late at night but I can turn them back on with my voice The fixture for the porch light near my front door has been there since the house was built in but it now has a smart LED bulb that not only turns on and off automatically but can be dimmed or set to a rainbow of colors by voice commands or the smart remote Smart plugs cost as little as each sometimes less when on sale and smart bulbs start at under There are also smart sensing devices like the Govee Smart Air Quality Monitor and Amazon Alexa Air Quality Monitor that are also smart thermostats and hygrometers that can turn smart heaters dehumidifiers humidifiers and air purifiers on or off depending on the conditions in the room I have a Molekule air purifier that runs almost silently when the air is clean and kicks into high gear when it detects smoke or other pollutants in the air It works with Alexa but doesn t require it for automatic operations Motion Sensor Lights Not all the lights in my house are connected to Alexa Specific are totally rechargeable LEDs with motion sensors I purchased several under-cabinet lights for as little as for a three-pack that come with stick-on adhesive plates that attach to walls cabinet doors on staircases or the underside of cabinets to hold the light by its strong built-in magnet Of the ones I tried my favorite is the Gritin inch Under Cabinet Lighting Rechargeable which costs for a -pack on Amazon The sensors turn them on when I open a door or drawer or when I approach a location where they re installed such as the one above my kitchen sink They can easily be removed from their magnetic mount and charged with the included USB cable They come in various lengths and have switches that let you choose when they should be on off or activated by motion when it s dark or optionally even when it s not I have them installed in several cabinets and even trip with one to place in hotel rooms so I can find the bathroom in the middle of the night For all the hype around AI and smart homes it s not must about cutting edge and expensive machinery but small conveniences that quietly improve daily life A inadequate low-cost gadgets and a minimal simple routines can make life just a little bit easier Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist Contact him at larry larrymagid com