I’ll be the first to admit my interests outside of work are very analog. I collect pens and notebooks for writing and doodling, I’ve attempted crochet, and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty with gardening. And when it comes to tech and other upgrades, it usually takes me a while to get with the program–unless I had a dire need to.
Writing for Next Upgrade the past year, however, changed that. And while I haven’t turned my home into a full-fledged smart home, I’ve tried my hand at making smart upgrades that work for me!
Let there be light
My first foray into smart home tech needed to be practical, reliable, and cost-effective. And what better way to start, than with a smart bulb–a device that checks all the aforementioned boxes? It was also timely because I needed a replacement bulb for my desk lamp.
So, I purchased the Crabtek Smart Bulb via Lazada, as recommended by Elaine, my Managing Editor. Sure, it might have been more spendy than a “dumb” lightbulb, but its sheer customizability made this work for me. I liked that I could change the light modes from white to yellow, according to the mood I wanted to set. I also liked automating it to switch on and off on my set schedule.
Time to get smart about health
Back then I only had my smartphone to tell me what time it was, track my sleep, and count my daily steps. While that was a convenient option, I also needed something that was actually closer to my body, literally and figuratively. Enter the Xiaomi Band 6, a smart fitness tracker I bought as a late birthday gift–a recommendation by my good friend and fellow Associate Editor, Gracey.
Other than sleep metrics and steps, the Mi Band 6 gave me details on my heart rate and oxygen saturation. While it wasn’t strictly a medical-grade device, it was a good way to get me started on being more mindful of my health.
Much later, I switched to the Huawei Band 7. Other than its aesthetics–I preferred a larger watch face–I particularly enjoyed its Healthy Living Shamrock feature, which reminds me to drink water, take some deep breaths, log my blood pressure reading, and a host of other tasks!
Going ergonomic
In the course of time, I had to replace my old office chair–preferably with one that was sturdier and had a mesh back and adjustable headrest. While I was doing my research, our Content Writer Gi was singing praises to his new Sihoo chair. He said it was comfortable enough to work in, and “a good investment for the back.” That sealed the deal for me. Within weeks, I was assembling my Sihoo M18.
My last–and possibly most important–upgrade
When I moved from NCR to a quieter and more idyllic province, I upgraded my Internet connection from PLDT Home’s Plan 1299 to 1699. I had initially taken the starter plan because I didn’t think working from home would be permanent. However, when I fully transitioned to full-time freelancing, I wanted a home WiFi connection that was fast, robust, and able to support my work and leisure activities. So far, so good!
Working in Next Upgrade brought me to the next upgrade in my home life and my productivity. I may have been skeptical about some of these changes at first, but they have benefited me in ways I didn’t imagine they would.
What will be your next upgrade this year? I’m already thinking of mine!
EDITOR'S NOTES:
This article is part of our social experiment on nextupgrade.ph. We call it: "So I Tried It" (stylized via hashtag as #SoITriedIt).
#SoITriedIt is a special series featuring the personal experiences of the Next Upgrade Editorial Team as we embrace the smart home lifestyle ourselves. As we take that first step to do things better and smarter, we hope we will inspire all of you to jumpstart your smart home journey.