The smart home of our dreams is almost here

We expect our phones, tablets, and sometimes even our watches to be connected. The next great platform, however, is about connecting everything in your home — from lights and windows to coffee machines and slow cookers. The Internet of Things is the catch-all phrase used to discuss a vast array of various now-connected objects that may or may not want to talk to one another. That’s why Apple has HomeKit and Google introduced Brillo / Weave: everyone wants to own that common language for your light bulbs.

That isn’t to say you need to wait to augment your living space. To find out more, we spent a day with Matt Emmi, co-founder of ultra-high-end smart home integrator OneButton (the same company that showed us how rich people watch Furious 7), to see how the wealthy enhance their homes. On the other end of the spectrum, we gave The Verge’s own Sean O’Kane an assortment of popular Internet of Things devices to test in his apartment.

Hey, guess what? Top Shelf is back! This is the third episode in a four-part series that will explore how technology is changing our lives. You can check out our past episodes right now, including baby tech and digital comics.