It's convenient to have one of the best universal remotes to control all of your home entertainment systems, but what if you want to control not only your smart home devices, but also the older, not-so-smart gadgets in your home?

This was the problem I had in my house: in addition to the TV, I also have a ceiling fan and fireplace that I can control with a remote, but I didn't want to clutter up my coffee table with a bunch of remotes

The solution: an IR (infrared) blaster, a smart home device that sends signals to control a variety of older household devices, including TVs and ceiling fans If your remotes are scattered around the house, you can use this device to copy the signal of each button's action and digitize your collection Think of the IR blaster as a universal remote control that provides a bridge to the smart home

You can control all your devices with just an app on your smartphone or voice commands This makes the devices you already own visible to the smart, allowing them to be integrated into automation and controlled from anywhere For example, if a temperature sensor detects that a room is too hot, this blaster can automatically send a signal to turn on a ceiling fan Below are five clever ways to make your home more efficient with this gadget

Electric fireplaces and the best space heaters are essential for cold winters If it comes with a remote control, simply point the remote at the IR blaster, press the button to get the command, and add it to the IR blaster's app While controlling these appliances with your phone, you can also automate the automation to automatically turn on the appliances when the room gets cold Add a temperature sensor to the room (the latest Echo Dot and Apple HomePod have them built in) and create the automation If the room gets too cold (say, below 65 degrees), trigger the IR blaster to send a "power on" command to the fireplace (During the summer months, this works well with one of the best smart air conditioners as well)

Each morning, the user can automatically wake up to news, music videos, or favorite TV channels Simply copy the signal from the TV remote's power button and incorporate it into the wake-up schedule automation This could be as simple as "turn on the TV at 9:00 am using (TV power on) Remember to keep your cable box and streaming apps running while you sleep

Do you have roller blinds or projector screens that can be controlled remotely? You can raise or lower the blinds at specific times, such as when you wake up in the morning to let the sun in Or, when it gets dark outside, you can roll down your home theater screen and dive into a movie marathon

If your light bulbs or string lights come with a remote control, you can copy their functionality to the IR Blaster app: change the color of the lights at certain times of the day, automatically turn them off if no activity is detected in the room for a certain period of time, or simply use voice commands to switch The user can manually control the power without having to walk up to the switch

Similar to a fireplace in the winter, a temperature sensor can be used to turn on cooling devices when a room becomes too hot in the summer; an IR blaster can be used to set a fan to the desired speed, or pre-set cooling settings on window or wall air conditioners to turn on without action and effectively cool a room cool the room

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg, as IR blasters are compatible with a wide variety of electronic devices, including older DVD players and home theater systems However, IR blasters require a clear line of sight to what you want to control, so you may need one in more than one room in some homes