2 Home Technology Services That Are Must-Haves For The Holiday Season
Over the years, technology has made the holiday season easier -- the ability to buy those holiday gifts online has eliminated much of the holiday shopping stress you likely once endured when you had to fight for parking spots and wait in long lines to purchase the "must-have" toys of the year, and those single-serve coffee machines allow you to please every guest at your holiday parties by providing them with the hot beverages they love. There are so many more ways that technology can make the holiday season less stressful, more enjoyable, and safer for your family that you may not know about them all and how they can help you. Read on to learn about two home technology services that are must-haves for the holiday season and why.
1. A Whole-Home Audio System
There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than to listen to your favorite holiday music. Listening to music while you shop online, wrap gifts, bake cookies, and assemble those fun gingerbread houses with the children can make every activity more enjoyable. Of course, holiday music is also a must-have when your friends and family gather at your home. If you just have a stereo system in one room, such as your living room, then you likely can't enjoy the tunes when you are wrapping gifts in the bedroom or eating with guests in the dining room.
A whole-home, multi-room audio system allows you and your guests to enjoy that holiday music no matter where you or they are in your home, and many systems allow you to play different music in each room. This can allow you to play the children's favorites in the playroom while they are waiting for the adults to finish cooking dinner and, when you need a break from the crowd, you can even relax in your bedroom and enjoy those songs that help relieve your stress.
While you can send audio to every room in your home by placing wireless speakers in each room, these speakers can be a bit bulky, and you will choose and place them strategically to help keep them from being eyesores. In-wall and in-ceiling speakers are a better option, and contrary to popular belief, they don't have to be installed in a home while it is being built.
Wired and wireless in-wall multi-room audio systems are both available. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, but audio professionals agree that wired multi-room home audio systems simply produce the best sound. Also, since the audio signal is being sent directly from the main audio receiver to the speakers through small wires, you don't have to worry about potential signal interference that could turn a happy holiday moment into a silent one.
2. A New Home Security System
While any security system is better than none, home security system technology has evolved over the years, and new systems are equipped with features that can keep your family safer. The holiday season is prime-time for home invasions due to criminals knowing that many homes contain more valuables than they do during other times of the years; they break in during the holidays hoping to walk out with all of the great gifts the homeowners purchased for their loved ones.
Aside from the fact that newer home security systems often contain more advanced features than older ones, new systems are more secure against criminal hacking. Once older wireless systems become popular, criminals learn how to hack into them to steal security codes and passwords that they can then use to disarm the systems before they enter.
However, this doesn't mean that a new system with wireless components can also be hacked into. Security system companies have outsmarted the criminals and are now sending encrypted wireless signals that hackers cannot use to their advantage to break into your home.
What new security systems have to offer in addition to encrypted wireless signals include higher-resolution security cameras and remote access from your smartphone or computer when you away from home. Remote access can especially come in handy during the holiday season when your family members are coming in and out of your house so frequently that you may forget to arm your system in the midst of the chaos; you can check on your system when you are away from home to make sure the system is on, and if not, turn it on.
Technology makes life easier and more enjoyable in many ways year-round, but it can improve your life during the holiday season the most. Be sure to take advantage of what home technology services have to offer you and your family this holiday season to make it more enjoyable and keep your family more secure.
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