Mirror mirror, on the wall, do I need an umbrella today? Griffin Technology, known for mobile device accessories, is stepping into the connected home arena at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show with its Home Collection of app-powered small appliances.
The Home Collection currently includes the Connected Toaster, Connected Coffee Maker, Connected Mirror, and two smart chargers, the PowerBlock Beacon and PowerJolt Beacon. All Griffin Home Collection devices use Bluetooth to connect with a smartphone app for configuration and control.
The 12-cup Connected Coffee Maker’s timer and strength settings can be set and saved with the app so you can walk into the kitchen for a perfectly brewed cup the way you like it, and on your schedule. The two-slot Connected Toaster’s settings include temperature, bread type, darkness, and a selection for gluten-free bread.
To start your day, the Connected Mirror displays the time, weather, and status messages from other Home Collection products. There is no information at this point about the ability to display notifications or other content, but with the mirror’s Wi-Fi connection and smartphone-based app configuration, you can imagine the types of info you’d like to see displayed while you brush your teeth.
The PowerBlock Beacon and PowerJolt Beacon smart chargers signal the smartphone app when it’s in range to remind you to plug in your devices to keep them charged.
“Simplifying and enhancing how people use technology in their daily lives was the founding principle of Griffin back in 1992,” said Scott Naylor, Griffin’s vice president of product development. “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, it’s exciting to see the progression of where and how people continue to use our products. We started with monitor and input adapters that were confined to desktop computers and today we’ve expanded into the rest of the house with connected devices that continue to make our daily interactions with technology easier
The Griffin Home collection will launch throughout 2017. The connected Coffee Maker ($100), Connected Toaster ($100), PowerBlock Beacon ($40), and PowerJolt Beacon ($30) will be available Q2 2017. The Connected Mirror ($1,000) will be available in late 2017.
