Welcome to Tech and the City, where my lock is smarter than my ex and—No, no, let’s go again: Welcome to Tech and the City, where we explore my passionate, intimate and deeply committed relationship with tech. 

This time it’s how I’m creating my dream home one smart device at a time. 

And… I couldn’t help but wonder: will my future smart fridge eventually judge me harder than my therapist or or my robot-vacuum give me the eye-roll?

• My home knows me better than most of my exes.

• Manifesting a smart fridge with deep moral concerns about my cheese intake.

• Running Apple everything, except one Xiaomi vacuum that refuses to fit in.

• Siri > Google/Alexa, but Matter means even Android people are allowed in my kingdom.

• Apple ecosystem is my go-to; Matter makes it accessible for Android and Alexa users too.

• Soon adding: motion sensors, LED strips, air magic, Hue Play, and a fridge with opinions.

Okay, fine, I don’t have a smart fridge. Yet. But I fantasize about one like other people fantasize about vacations in Bali. One the syncs with my supermarket cart. One that warns me when my hummus starts growing a beard. One that side-eyes me when I try to sneak in for a midnight snack. 

“You know,” it’d say in disappointed tone, “The Withings smart scale and I have been talking and… We’re concerned. You’ve put on a bit of weight and your Apple Watch says you haven’t closed your rings in, like, 10 days now? Do you think it’s a good idea to binge-watch Breaking Bad while breaking your healthy habits?”

Am I spiraling? Maybe.

While the fridge is still fantasy (or an episode of Black Mirror), my apartment already knows me better than most of my friends.

And yes, I find that comforting. 

Is it sad? Possibly. 

Do I care? Not remotely.

Smart tech does make home feel more alive. More responsive. And yes, more emotionally available than most people I’ve dated.

Here’s how it goes:

The moment I enter a 50-meter radius, my apartment gets ready. Buzz. My Nuki Opener unlocks the intercom. By the time I reach my floor, my Nuki Smart Lock Pro swings open my door like a butler who also knows I’ve had a long day.

Inside, my Philips Hue lights have already set the mood. And if I say “Goodnight” to Siri, the entire apartment powers down. 

It’s seamless. It’s smooth. Frankly,  it’s romantic.

My home knows me, anticipates me, accepts me. 

That’s more than I can say for all but my current relationship. My apartment loves me back!  

As welcoming as my home it is to me, it doesn’t like strangers. Like that time I left a date alone in the living room for five minutes to take my dogs for a quick wee-wee. The moment I stepped outside of my 50-meter zone? Lights off, TV off, music paused. 

Thankfully the date stayed in the dark waiting for me. A keeper for sure. 

To make my home behave like a personal butler mixed with a caring, secretly-in-love-with-me-roommate, I rely on:

• Nuki Opener and Smart Lock Pro to unlock the building and my front door like I’m royalty coming home.

• Two yellow HomePod Minis (Siri might be sexist but at least she keep the smart devices in line) paired with my Apple TV 4K and 65” OLED LG, turning my living room into a private cinema (with surround sound right behind my head — trust me, game changer).

• Philips Hue lights in every corner because overhead lighting is a crime (I don’t make the rules). 

• A few smart plugs that make my old devices to act like boomers on Facebook.

• Oh, and a Xiaomi X20+ robo vacuum that doesn’t really fit in.

Look, my smart home is already doing the absolute most, more than some people do in their actual relationships, but I am far from done. 

First on the list? Motion sensors. Because if my lights aren’t chasing me around like around my dogs and, well, a needy ex, then what’s even the point of life? 

Then: 

• Humidifiers and air purifiers for my plant babies 
• LED strips in the corridor for core ambience
• Philips Hue Play in the living room for that immersive TV experience
• Aaaand yes! A smart fridge! 

The short answer? I’m an Apple sheep and I am not afraid to say it. The Apple ecosystem is… chef’s kiss. 

The slightly longer answer? I want my smart home to feel effortless, not like a group project where I’m the only one doing the work.

Amazon’s ecosystem (at least what I tried) felt complicated, laggy, and emotionally taxing.

Google Home is lovable but clumsy, especially when connecting multiple devices.

And the cheaper brands? Let’s just say… I’m simply out of their league.

This is why we end up with Apple and Apple Home-enabled devices. I have everything connected and controlled by one single intuitive app. The installation process is straightforward and easy and everything from pressing a button for an action to a complicated automation is easy, effortless and intuitive. 

 It’s like being in a relationship with an empath sensing your every need, anticipating your moves etc. etc. 

But, and this is the plot twist, I don’t want to be locked into only Apple. Because apart from my deeply committed relationship with tech, I’m also in a relationship with an Android user. So I need to keep my options open.

Here’s the reality: 

I may live in Apple’s ecosystem, I don’t live in an Apple-only universe. I want my android-using partner and friends to feel just as at ease as I do.

Enter matter, a smart-home communication standard that lets devices from different brands to talk to each other without the drama. This of this like Esperando for smart homes. 

What this means? I can control devices through my Apple ecosystem. My Android-using partner can control those same devices. 

No extra hubs. No brand wars. No “Sorry, it only works for me.” It keeps my home flexible, open, and future-proof. And that’s why it matters.

At this point, my smart home is basically the most high-functioning relationship I’ve ever had. It unlocks doors for me, sets the lighting to “main character” without being asked, and only gets passive-aggressive when I leave someone alone for five minutes.

But I want our relationship to evolve. More devices, more automations, more moments where my home knows me a little too well. I want it to learn my habits, anticipate my moods, track my dogs, coddle my plants… Is it so difficult to ask? 

Because at the end of the day, the dream is simple:

a home that grows with me, glows for me, and revolves around me. Like any truly healthy relationship should.

If you like stories and photography, you can follow me on insta @con.ark. Thanks in advance.