Tech the Halls

You walk into the mall and you hear it. Christmas music. It seems like yesterday you were celebrating Halloween and you can’t believe that the holiday season is already in full swing. All year long you’ve been waiting for grandma’s cooking, your aunt’s outrageous stories about your little cousins and the countless traditions that truly make this the most wonderful time of the year. But, with everything you have on your to-do list, how will you get your home ready for the holidays?

Get “smart” and let the hottest smart home technology help take some of that holiday stress away. The best part? All you need is a reliable, powerful high-speed Internet connection to get the job done.

Get a head start on the holidays and check out our top picks for the best technology to help alleviate that holiday stress.

Let There Be Light

With smart lights, you can bring vibrant colors into your holiday display and control them from anywhere on your phone or smart device. The Philips Hue Smart Light Starter Kit gives you the ability to control the flashing pattern, timers and brightness all from the Philips Hue app. Screw in your lightbulbs, connect your Kinetic Internet router using the provided network cable, download the app on your phone or smart device, connect to your lights… and voilà! That means, on Christmas morning all you have to do is kick back and light up the room in your favorite holiday colors… after you’ve opened your gifts of course!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Inviting the neighborhood over for a holiday get together? Get the help of app-connected outlets like the iHome ISP6X Wi-FI Smart Plug. It’s simple, you plug it into your home's regular outlets to control your decorations and appliances, download the app and all of the fun is at your fingertips. It also works outdoors, so you don't have to freeze when you go to turn them off late at night.

Do you Hear What I Hear

From “This Christmas,” to “Let it Snow,” it just doesn’t feel quite like the holidays without the right music. The Amazon Echo smart speaker works with hundreds of smart home gadgets and will let you jam out to your favorite holiday playlist, all at the sound of your voice. You can also ask Alexa to automatically turn on or off your decorations, ask for your Kinetic Wi-Fi password, play music or ask for Santa's location. Amazon Echos even allow you to buy presents directly off Amazon or set alarms so you aren’t late for the office holiday party. What could be easier?

Here Comes Santa Claus

Ready to become the king or queen of Christmas in your neighborhood? The Orchestra of Lights Wi-Fi hub is where all the magic happens. When people pass your place, they are sure to think Santa is right around the corner. The hub syncs with other Orchestra of Lights products to create the ultimate holiday light show. You can even enjoy music detection with six built-in holiday songs or your own music with Bluetooth technology. Download the free app to control dozens of color and lighting effects straight from your smartphone.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Using smart home tech, you can capture Santa delivering gifts by using cameras like Nest Cam or Blink. Connecting these smart cameras to your Kinetic Internet router will enable you to place them anywhere throughout your home or apartment. You can also use them as outdoor smart cameras to keep an eye on all of your decorations, or to check on the packages that should be delivered just in time for the holiday.

Before you hit the store to get your smart home decorations, there is one vital step you need to take. Check your Internet connection. While smart devices are great and can change the way we live, they won’t work without the proper Internet speeds. “Internet speeds can make or break enjoying smart home technology,” said Danny Ferguson, Texas president for Windstream. “With the right speeds, the possibilities are endless. Contact your service provider today to make sure you have all of the speed you need to keep your smart home running smoothly all season long.”