SmartHome Updates

CES 2016

By Anca Gagiuc on Jan 18, 2016 in Technology

Smart home technology becomes smarter every year. Alongside televisions, cameras, and a multitude of stunning gadgets, smarthome devices have become a significant part of the CES electronics trade show, held every year in Las Vegas.

A wide array of sensors and connected appliances were on the show at the event. It appears that some of the star items now sport IoT features—like televisions, which can support to control other devices around the house and through the screen. In fact, TVs continued to be the main draw of CES.

Panasonic showed off its TV with an almost completely transparent screen (it looks like tinted glass). The demo presents a display attached to shelving with various home décor behind it. The wood beneath the glass is actually where all the technology is hidden. Inside are micro LEDs that beam out the picture to the glass panel. The display maxes out at 1080p and the developers behind it are not satisfied with the current level of transparency, but I doubt people hate the tinted glass look. Looking into the future, it’s easy to see what it will be able to enable—weather, news, custom notifications, all without turning the cable box on.

LG presented its signature refrigerator. This is one of the two exciting ones presented this year at the event. It features four doors and a panel on one of them that allows to see the insides of your fridge without opening it. Moreover, the LG model has darkened glass that requires you to tap on it, using the “knock-on” feature to turn on the light inside.

Another cool fridge is Samsung’s Family Hub Refrigerator, despite its terrible name. It has a 21.5-inch Full HD monitor and stereo speakers and it has the ability to give access to other smarthome devices that use and work on the same standards as the company’s SmartThings platform. One of its great features is that it enables you to bring up recipes on the monitor and with the integrated interior camera you don’t even have to open the door to see what’s inside. Happy cooking!

All this fridge talk reminds me of Smarter—the British firm behind iKettle has announced three new connected kitchen products during CES: the Smarter Fridge Cam, Smarter Mats, and Smarter Detect. All three devices are compatible with iOS and Android and they’ll become available this summer. No words on pricing yet.

The Smarter Fridge Cam emulates the feature mentioned above in the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator; you place it in your refrigerator and then see what’s inside, streamed to your smartphone or tablet. Shopping made easier.

Smarter Mats can be placed not only in your fridge, but also in your pantry. By placing containers on them, the mat sends details on stock levels to your smart device. Never out of stock!

Smarter Detect is a wireless device that you mount on your wall in the kitchen and it will guard the environment of your cooking room—notify you when the oven is ready or the fridge door was left open.

LG showcased Hom-Bot Turbo+, a device with a double identity: a robot vacuum doubling as security camera. The vacuum comes with augmented reality features—it has a mounted camera that sends live video of the cleaner’s view to a smartphone or tablet, helping the user concentrate on the areas on the floor that need cleaning. When doubling as a security camera, it has the option to send pictures to a smart device whenever it detects movement. Thieves will have no idea what is watching them…

Honeywell’s Lyric Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector is a not-so-great-looking fellow capable of great things. This early warning system notifies you on your smartphone when a leak is detected or the temperature drops below a temperature of your choice. It costs $79.95 and is currently available in the US.

Home security was a major interest in this year’s show, with plenty of devices and gizmos designed to help homeowners keep their families safe. French company Netatmo debuted a new monitoring device called Presence—an outdoor security camera that can distinguish between people, cares, and animals. Munich-based Elgato and Dallas’ Smanos also presented new security systems with cameras claiming increased resolution and overall functionality, including in dark rooms and at night.