Amazon Amazon's Echo Dot.
The industry-wide attempt to connect everything your house to the internet has brought up a host of security concerns, a convoluted web of competing networking standards, and more than a few gadgets whose motivation for being "smart" amounts to, "why not?"
But just because you shouldn't dive headfirst into this Internet of Things doesn't mean every smart home device is a waste. They don't eliminate the smart home's conceptual issues, and they're all relatively pricey, but taken individually some gadgets can make your day to day a little more convenient, without upending your habits completely.
If you're intrigued by the idea of the smart home, but not sure of a good place to start, here are a few devices we're comfortable recommending.