The song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music is not specifically about the holidays but is often in holiday song playlists. This probably comes from the line "brown paper packages, tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things."

With the holidays approaching, there will be lots of packages—lots of favorite things—being delivered. And the smart home products available to expedite and safeguard those packages? Those security features have arrived.

From smart home doorbells to new, installable smart mini-fortress mailboxes, smart home technology has a lot of ways to help with home deliveries. And Evolve Technologies can help with that help.

DELIVERY AND THE OLDER SNAIL MAIL

Gen Xers will remember mail-order shopping in the days of yore: paper magazines or paper catalogs. A live human took your order of J. Crew khakis over the phone, and you'd get it in maybe two weeks. There was also mailing a paper check in an envelope. Today, we can order mayonnaise through a host of eager delivery services by smartphone and get it in six hours.

In days of yore, the process for getting our favorite things—khakis, novelty t-shirts, books, expensive steaks shipped in dry ice—was much more complicated and slow.

Embracing Smart Locks: A Look at Home Safety in the Modern World
Technology for the student has changed significantly in just thirty years. Computers were once blocky
monitors in the library. They required physical discs and a squat hard drive the size of a suitcase sat
nearby. Then, suddenly, it's all inside a liquid-crystal-display folding computer. Nowadays, can you
imagine wrapping your kid's laptop in a brown paper grocery bag like the old days with textbooks? 

Teachers today do not know the hassles of chalk-dusted hands, elbows, clothes, etc.
The same can be said for home security: it's changed enormously. When the kiddos leave school or their sports, clubs, or cello lessons and head home--to hopefully do their homework--getting into the house is
different. Like kids now having iPads and teachers using dry-erase markers, home security has shifted
significantly with the rise of "smart locks".

These advanced devices have moved the field forward dramatically changing our concept of safety
within our homes. Our front doors, traditionally the Facebook wall (and main line of defense or
drawbridge) of the house, have now been upgraded with the introduction of many smart locks made for
home - a game-changer in the industry.

Demystifying the Concept of Smart Locks
The term "smart lock" might sound technologically intricate, but at its core, it's a relatively simple concept. Essentially, a smart lock is an advanced electronic lock mechanism powered by smart home
devices. What separates smart locks from traditional lock systems is their ability to eliminate the need for
physical keys entirely.

Instead of conventional metal keys (or in addition to them), the smart lock operates using digital keys,
fingerprints, voice commands, or even a smartphone app. The result is a secure entry system that adds
an additional layer of convenience and safety to our homes.

Texas smart home garage, foyer, and mudroom possibilities

Your garage can be your launching and landing pad for home. (Mudrooms have made a comeback, more on that in a minute.) But it's easy for the garage to become a dusty location for cars that's usually very hot or cold.

It's where tools, bikes, and sometimes refrigerators only used for drinks go. It's the outer boundary for wearing pajamas. But the garage can be more. 

The First Shall be Last: Garages as Arrival and Departure

The garage is the last thing you see leaving home and the first place you see getting back. It's a space that might need a plan.

There's a lot of design that can be added to the garage for a nicer look. Pulling into a tidy space when you're starting or ending the day adds a lot to the home itself.

The garage is also a major boundary for your home. Front doors still have style. They determine where your mail goes and can even add value to your home. But how often do you the front door? 

Smart doorbells integrate a host of features to serve as a home security system as well as conventional doorbell features on-demand from where ever you are.

Now more than ever, Dallas homeowners are relying on smart doorbells for their home security benefits by providing piece of mind when they are away. Whether you need to check on a package that was recently delivered, let a family member in your home, or provide instructions to the delivery team, smart doorbell technology allows you to accomplish this.

HD Video 

Home or away, seeing who’s there with a video doorbell cam from a phone is more than a small convenience. Concentrating on a major work project or drawing a bath for a toddler are involved tasks. Hitting a button to see live video and confirm drop-off is sometimes essential.

Smart doorbells, including our main brands, Chime from Control4 and Ring, have clear video quality that can be accessed easily from your phone or smart home devices. With proper wifi and smart home setup, doorbell cameras can give a 150 to 180-degree field-of-vision view. Real-time, distinct video recordings of what’s right outside. IR specifications even enable night-vision and automatic security light tie-ins.

Imagine a world where you can control everything in your house with the command of your voice, a tablet, or a smartphone. That means answering the door without leaving the comfort of your couch, monitoring your entire house even when you’re at work, and locking up all entrances with just one tap before you hit the sack.

Now, what if we told you that such a world exists right now?

Welcome to the world of smart homes.

What Is a Smart Home

Smart home technology connects your appliances, thermostat, locks, and more, to one main centralized system. This system can be controlled with a device such as your mobile phone and allows you to manage your house--even when you’re far from the hustle and bustle of Dallas.

To paint you a better picture, here’s what it’s like to live in a smart home.