Technology

Most people would agree that the Internet has become a vital part of our everyday lives. One day, while looking through flyers to see sales items, I could realize that most home appliances advertise smart or Wi-Fi as keywords. Nowadays, most home devices must connect to the Internet to bring out the most advanced functions. New products that connect to Wi-Fi are rapidly pouring out, which has led to the spread of smart appliances.

I experience that Internet has become a part of my life by looking around my places daily. First, I start the morning with a smart speaker linked to the Google Assistant. For example, with just two sentences: "Hey Google" and "Good morning", I can hear the current time, today's weather, and the latest news. I can get any answers I want, either in Korean or in English. Second, I listen to any music via the Bluetooth speaker. To give an example, a few years ago, I purchased a CD and played it via audio. However, now I can play any music on YouTube through the speaker linked to the Bluetooth of my smart phone with high-quality music. Third, the heater and air conditioner in my home are also controlled by means of Wi-Fi connection. For instance, I can set the temperature I prefer in advance as each day and time. In addition, I can change the temperature at any time through the application even when I am not at home. Also, I can turn any power on and off at a preset time by way of the Wi-Fi switch. For example, without the hassle of turning on and off anytime, I can set the on-off time as schedule through an already-installed app on my smart phone. Furthermore, since an Internet-connected thermo-hygrometer is installed in my son's room, the humidifier can be turned on with a switch-on function through the app even if the humidity falls below the appropriate level in the middle of night. Finally, I can instantly watch the videos I want on YouTube at any time by linking the TV and the smartphone. Like this, there are many smart home appliances that I use as essential tools everyday life.

Few weeks ago, when a power outage broke out in my home, I could feel how much I live with the benefits of the Internet. Now I am looking forward to switching to smart home appliances, which would be the washer and the dryer that can be booked and turned on and off at any time even from outside, or the refrigerator that can records the freshness of ingredients and find recipes. As saving on time and labor will lead to a convenient life, I believe that it will be necessary to pay constant attention to information related to newly developed Wi-Fi connected home appliances.