Skip to main content

Google Home partners with KB Homes to make houses smarter

Home developers throughout the country compete to provide the best experience to their customers, but most focus on details like the quality of the countertops, hardwood floors versus carpet, and other design features. KB Home is taking home design to the next level by providing its own smart home system in several locations across the country.

KB Home operates under the belief that smart home technology is the way of the future, but the way most people integrate it into their home tends to be a bit haphazard. The average person’s first foray into the field of smart home tech is with a single device: maybe smart lights or a smart A.I. assistant. The rest of the technology in the home builds from there, but not all devices are compatible with one another. Some devices require complicated workarounds in order to communicate back and forth.

Recommended Videos

KB Home wants to make smart home design easier by providing a system that works seamlessly with all of the devices in your home. Select communities in Jacksonville, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles will come with a curated set of smart home devices that work together right out of the box and provide homeowners with a solid base of smart home technology and functionality to build from.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

These devices might be a homeowner’s first exposure to smart home technology, so KB has curated the devices to be as simple as possible, to allow homeowners to ease their way into this new field. The devices built into the home include Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Wi-Fi, and a Nest Hello video doorbell.

These smart home devices cover the spectrum of technologies. The Google Home and Google Home Mini provide access to smart speakers and a smart assistant. The Google Wi-Fi demonstrates how smart home technology can improve everyday conveniences, and the Nest Hello doorbell is part home security, part ease of use.

KB Home will also provide optional smart home devices that include smart lights, motorized shades, and connected appliances. It is their belief that homeowners should be able to customize their home as they see fit.

The first open house for KB Home’s new smart home designs will be September 15, 2018, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time at the Stapleton Starlight Collection in Denver, Colorado.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
Your Google TV can now control smart home devices
The Home Panel on Google TV Streamer.

In late September, Google announced a new feature for Google TV called the Home Panel that would make it easier to control all of your (compatible) smart home devices from a single location. The feature first appeared on the Google TV Streamer and then later on Chromecast, but it has now rolled out to Google TVs from other companies including Hisense, TCL, and others.

The Home Panel offers a lot of utility. It shows your lights' current brightness level, the volume level of speakers, and even live streams from security cameras. The demo video Google has on its blog shows that the user can even adjust the thermostat. All of this is done through the remote, so you don't even have to get up off the couch.

Read more
Prepare for Halloween with these smart home gadgets
A Ring Video Doorbell next to Halloween decorations.

It’s officially spooky season, and that means Halloween is right around the corner. And if you’re hoping to have the most haunted house on the block, it’s worth looking at how today’s best smart home devices can help you achieve your goal. Whether you’re throwing a costume party, spending the night curled up with a scary movie, or expecting to have hundreds of trick-or-treaters lining up at your door, there’s a good chance upgrading your smart gadgets can make the spooky season all the more exciting.

Here’s a look at how video doorbells, smart lights, and other smart devices can help you celebrate Halloween.
Update your video doorbell with a terrifying chime

Read more
Ring Protect rebrands to Ring Home and adds 24/7 recording
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 installed near a door.

Ring owners seeking to unlock everything their devices have to offer are likely familiar with Ring Protect Plans. By paying a monthly fee, you can access features such as 180-day video history, snapshot capture, and smart alerts. Today, Ring has officially rebranded Ring Protect to Ring Home -- and it’s gained some cool functionality while still retaining the same pricing structure.

Previously offered as Ring Protect Basic, Protect Plus, or Protect Pro, you’ll soon be greeted with Ring Home Basic ($5 per month), Home Standard ($10 per month), and Home Premium ($20 per month). All that’s changed here is the name, as your monthly payments will remain identical to the old Protect Plans. However, you can now add individual services to the Home Standard and Home Premium Plans -- so if you want to tack on a Virtual Security Guard or Alarm Professional Monitoring, you can do so for an extra fee.

Read more