I recently went to New York for a conference where the latest developments in smart home technology were presented. Some amazing innovations are already here and more are coming down the pike. Here are a few of my favorites already on the market.
LG Film. A 1mm thin television that you can roll up and put in your pocket. Yes, you read that right. Imagine the possibilities — putting it on your car dashboard, in your kitchen, out on your back deck or in front of your soaking tub (anywhere with an almost magnetic technology). This product is truly innovative.
Kitchens by ALNO that include a 13-foot Touch Screen LED computer backsplash for you kitchen you can use for many purposes, such as Skype, surveillance, TV, Internet and controlling Sonos music platforms. The backsplash is operated by iPad, iPhone and control panel technology and even has multi-view screens. This certainly would make watching cooking shows in the kitchen a bit easier.
Echo by Amazon. The Echo is a wireless speaker and voice command device. Its capabilities are growing by leaps and bounds. Currently, the device (whose voice is known as “Alexa”) can stream music, provide weather forecasts, set timers and alarms, and manage your to-do list. You can connect Echo to any of your other devices and stream any service using Bluetooth technology.
The Welcome. This product has a camera with facial recognition. When someone in your family comes home, you will get a text message such as, “Your daughter Emily has come home.” It also alerts you immediately about intruders.
Echobee. This program knows (and can send alerts) when people come and go from the house, using sensors in every room of the home.
Thermostat and security functions like Nest & Roost Battery. Both of these devices “talk” to your phone to let you know when batteries are getting low on smoke detectors and other safety features. Nest also learns how you use your heating and cooling systems and can even dim lights, etc.
LG Oled. This is a 65-inch, 4mm wide smart television that combines best-picture quality with an ultra-premium picture-on-glass design. Essentially, it has all of the best benefits of an LED or plasma TV and is thinner than an iPad. The Oled retails for $10,000.
CleverPet uses smart hardware to offer animals engagement anytime, but it is mostly meant to be used when their owners are out of the house. It uses smart hardware to teach pets through advanced cognitive and behavioral science techniques. The CleverPet platform is built around the Hub, which uses light, sound and touch pads to engage pets to solve increasingly complex brain teasers. They are then rewarded with treats for their efforts.
Wifi Chips. These chips, the size of a quarter, can be put onto any device. For example, you could put one in your umbrella. If rain is forecasted, the handle will glow blue so you know to take it when you leave the house.
As more smart products come on the market, we anticipate that new homes will be built with smart programs supporting them.
We also expect a corresponding shift in home design. For example, as consumers purchase more goods online, we may start to see small rooms built in homes where packages can be delivered. You may see homes with more than one home office as technology makes telecommuting even easier and more commonplace. We are excited to see what comes next. Interested in smart home technology? Reach out for more information.
