Smart Home Section
Smart home systems allow you to control various home devices and receive status notifications via smartphones, tablets, and other smart products, making life more convenient. How can you build a smart home? If your home is already connected to the internet, you can connect some ready-made smart home products or accessories to smarten existing devices, or add voice assistant devices like Amazon, Apple, or Google.
Common Smart Home Products
| Smart TVs | After connecting to the internet, you can use apps to access content or programs distributed online, including videos and music, and freely choose what to play. |
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| Smart Lighting | Such lighting can be wirelessly controlled and the color and brightness of the light can be adjusted via a mobile app. They can switch between cool and warm light based on preset times or conditions and emit colorful lights to create an atmosphere. |
| Smart Home Appliances | Wi-Fi-controlled home appliances are available on the market. |
| Smart Video Doorbells | Equipped with network surveillance camera functions, allowing consumers to see outside the door via a smartphone, and some even allow conversation with visitors. |
Adding Smart Elements to Existing Appliances
| Smart Switches | Mainly for lighting, replacing the original power switch with a smart switch allows Wi-Fi operation. However, this type of installation requires a qualified electrician, making it generally more costly. |
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| Smart Plugs | Simply plug these into power outlets to smartly control the power switch of appliances. |
| Smart Infrared Remote Control Centers | Any appliance controlled by infrared remote can be operated via a networked smart infrared remote control center, allowing consumers to issue commands via a smartphone. |
| Smart Sensors | Many brands offer various sensors, such as human body sensors, door/window switches, temperature and humidity sensors, gas leak detectors, and smoke detectors. Users can monitor the environment and receive notifications via a smartphone. |
When purchasing smart home products online from outside the local area, consumers should check if the products are suitable for local use due to voltage and plug specifications and ensure they meet international electrical safety standards.
Tips for Safe Use of Networked Products
While networked products offer high-tech convenience, they can also lead to personal privacy leaks if not used carefully. Consumers should remember these tips from the Hong Kong Police Force:
| Understand Product Design | Read the manufacturer's product information and third-party reviews, articles, or reports related to the product to check for any safety or privacy issues. Also, understand if users can enhance security by changing passwords and adjusting privacy levels, and if the manufacturer regularly provides software updates to fix security vulnerabilities. |
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| Check Manufacturer Background | Be cautious if the manufacturer has been involved in fraud, theft, or other illegal activities in the past. |
| Set Strong Passwords | Avoid using default passwords, as they are usually easily found by attackers. It's best to set unique, long passwords for each device or service, mixing uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols. |
| Set Maximum Security | Many networked devices have the lowest security settings by default and collect a lot of important personal data. Users should manually change to the highest security and privacy settings. Regularly resetting devices can also help remove any malicious programs. |
| Regularly Update Software | Users should check firmware update of the devices regularly (or enable automatic updates). Apps used to control devices on smartphones should also be updated regularly. |
| Turn Off Unnecessary Features | Devices may have many unnecessary features that continuously monitor users. Turn off these features when not in use, including cameras, microphones, and location tracking. |
| Regularly Check the Network | If you notice abnormal situations such as decreased transmission speed or unknown devices connected to the network, seek help from professional network security personnel promptly. |
Wood Furniture Section
Do you consider sustainable consumption when purchasing wooden furniture? Making wooden furniture requires cutting down trees, and some logging companies over-harvest or even burn forests to increase profits, destroying animal habitats, natural water systems, and releasing large amounts of carbon, exacerbating climate issues. Overharestivng also affects the livelihoods of indigenous people who rely on farming, hunting, and harvesting forest resources like rubber.
To reduce such situations, consumers can take an extra step:
1. Choose FSC-Certified Products
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, non-profit international organization that controls the legal and sustainable sources of wood through standards for good forest management and chain of custody standards for wood processing and sales. Products with the FSC label meet FSC standards and are certified.
2. Reject Endangered Species
Before buying furniture, ask the store about the type of wood and reject products made from endangered species, such as rosewood and red sandalwood. Also, choose simple, durable, and easy-to-maintain wooden furniture.
3. Consider Bamboo Products
Bamboo grows quickly and has a shorter growth cycle than other trees. Choosing bamboo furniture helps alleviate the over-harvesting of forest trees. Additionally, bamboo cultivation does not require pesticides, reducing environmental pollution.
Furniture Installation Section
More and more consumers are choosing to buy large furniture online, but often need to assemble it themselves after receiving it. Improper installation can lead to fatal accidents! Here are some safety tips for installing large furniture:
1. Hanging/Wall Cabinets
If you are a DIY novice, you may not have the right tools, materials, and enough experience to install hanging/wall cabinets yourself. It is recommended to hire an installation professional. However, whether you do it yourself or not, you should understand the following construction points:
| 1. Solid Walls | Can only be installed and attached to solid walls such as concrete or brick walls. Walls made of hollow bricks, sand bricks, or light bricks may not support the weight of hanging/wall cabinets. |
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| 2. Pipes and Wires in the Wall | Check if there are hidden pipes or wires in the wall and the location of buried pipes before installation. Otherwise, the installation may damage pipes and wires, and voids in the pipes may affect the screws' grip on the wall, affecting load-bearing capacity. |
| 3. Expansion Bolts | Large hanging/wall cabinets may require expansion anchor bolts for sufficient support. Expansion bolts are usually made of metal, and when tightened, the metal shell at the end expands to grip the wall. The larger the screw diameter, the greater the load-bearing capacity. Regardless of the type of screws used, pay attention to the drilling depth and diameter to match the screw specifications, otherwise, it will affect the load-bearing capacity. Ensure that at least 2-3 screws are embedded on the left and right sides, middle, and connection to the ceiling of the hanging cabinet, and distribute them evenly to support the cabinet's weight. |
| 4. Additional Support | If the design allows, add 1-2 support brackets,such as metal trusses, under the hanging cabinet. |
| 5. Location | Avoid installing hanging/wall cabinets in places where family members spend a lot of time (above sofas, beds) to prevent fatal accidents. |
Consumers should also note the load-bearing capacity of hanging cabinets and avoid placing heavy items such as metal kitchenware inside. Place the items evenly and do not pull or climb on the hanging/wall cabinets. If you notice the cabinet tilting or gaps between the cabinet and the wall, immediately seek inspection by a professional.
2. Large Floor Cabinets
Large, tall cabinets such as bookcases, wardrobes, and storage cabinets can hold more items, but consumers should pay attention to their structural safety, i.e., whether the various parts of the cabinet are sufficiently supported and stableto prevent accidents:
| 1. Shelves and Frames | Check the materials used for each part, press the back and shelves toensure their firmness. Check if the joints between the boards are properly connected, and if the screws are tightened or missing. The frame should also be upright. |
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| 2. Drawers | Open the drawers or pull-out surfaces to ensure they are correctly installed and the slides are smooth (if too much force is needed, the cabinet may tilt forward), and they are solid and firm. Tighten the screws inside, and the drawer bottom should be of sufficient thickness. |
| 3. Cabinet Doors | Open and close the cabinet doors to check if the hinges are smooth, the handle positions are symmetrical. |
Consumers must place the cabinet on a flat surface and gently push or press one side after installation to check the cabinet's stability.
Additionally, it is strongly recommended to install enough wall-mounted "positioning" screws, straps, or corner brackets on top of the cabinet to prevent it from collapsing. When placing items, avoid top-heavy arrangements. If there are children at home, avoid placing remote controls, sweets, toys, etc., on top of the cabinet to prevent children from climbing the cabinet to retrieve these items, causing danger.
Disclaimer
This article has been translated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the translation, it may not be perfect and could contain errors or inaccuracies. The original article at 【佈置家居懶人包】換新家電傢俬 有咩要注意？ should be referred to for the most accurate information. The Consumer Council does not assume any responsibility for any error, omission, or ambiguity in the translated content. If you have any question or concern about the translation, please refer to the original article or consult a professional translator.
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