Smart Light Switch from TP-Link

A Smart Light Switch, without Sacrificing Common Function

Just about everyone wants to change or upgrade the home they live in.  And even the wealthiest people never quite get what they want out of their home(s). But with a simple change, a poorly placed switch can be upgraded to a whole new world of possibility.

Using the TP-Link WiFi Light Switch (HS200), it is possible to effectively move the position of the light switch to the kitchen.  Via Google Home devices, like the Google Home Mini, and their ability to receive commands through voice control, the kitchen light switch can be operated from anywhere in the home. The TP-Link Kasa app can also be used to operate the switches, if voice control is not an option.

... But Why a WiFi Switch?

I've long used SmartThings Home Control with both Zigbee and Z-wave and the mere fact that I already have WiFi devices and coverage in my house bewilders me for their necessity.  I recognize that Z-wave requires less power than WiFi, but for something that is hard-wired for power, (like the HS200) it works just fine.   Power conservation is not the problem at hand.

Convenience an' all that...

Skeptics may question whether it is actually convenient to have a mere single light switch converted to automatic for $40, when a standard switch costs no power to operate and barely $2 to purchase.  But in my experience it is the paradigm shift from single manual to multi-use control that is the key.  Were it my decision, no light switch or power outlet in the world would be singly manual. 

The added function of remote access and / or voice control offers more channels of access to lighting control. A person does not need to physically interact with anything to operate a device.  Using the light switch is as simple as speaking.  

Managed Control

Short of obsession, the level of automation in my home is probably not the same as that of Bill Gates' home, but I'd wager that I have more home automation that 90% people.  Yes, I do this because I enjoy it, which probably exceeds even the level that some geeks put to the task. Digital informational feedback is exciting to me; it seems to offer a modicum of control.  

I see home automation as an inevitability, like the automobile in years past. The more automation we can get from the tools on which we rely, the better our lives can become.  In the 1800's it was common for a person to walk the streets in at dusk and dawn to light and extinguish the street lamps.  Later in the early 1900's, a person stood in the middle of the street to direct traffic.  Through automation these monotonous jobs have been re-allocated to a machine.  

It is a realistic expectation that in the near future many devices will be more automated and connected, offering more precise control and better feedback.  It will be possible to recognize better ways to do work and home activities.  Personal ease will enable even further action beyond that which is today inhibited by too often required manual operations.  The future is bright and Smart devices are leading the way.

Check out the TP-Link WiFi Light Switch HS200 on Amazon: