It’s 2018, and everything is connected. From your ceiling fan to your cooktop, it feels as though it would be easier to make a list of appliances that don’t have smart capabilities rather than list all the ones that do. But with such a plethora of connected devices, it can be overwhelming to keep track of everything.
Honeywell is hoping to create one connected device to rule them all.
Luckily, Honeywell is hoping to create one connected device to rule them all. At CES, we spoke with Jay Ramachandran, Honeywell’s global product marketing leader, who spoke to us about the Smart Home Security System, an all-in-one device aimed at uncluttering your connected life.
The sleek and surprisingly diminutive device “combines what you normally get from four different products into an elegant design,” Ramachandran told Digital Trends. While it looks like a simple cylindrical speaker, the Smart Home Security actually features an HD camera, security system, home automation hub, and Amazon voice assistance capabilities.
“One of the things we’re focusing on from a design standpoint is things that blend with the decor of your home,” Ramachandran said. Rather than forcing “geeky or gadgety” devices upon customers, Honeywell is instead hoping to create something that can easily disappear into the background of your life, but come to the forefront when needed.
The built-in camera, for example, allows users to live-stream content, get in touch with folks at home via video chat, or set off an alarm should something out of the ordinary occur. And because the system is fully plug and play and comes with batteries, it’s fully portable and can be placed just about anywhere in your home.
And while the system functions well as a security system, Ramachandran told us that the speaker can also be part of your family, so to speak. Rather than only warning you of potentially bad news, the Smart Home Security System can also function as a smart speaker, helping you check the weather, add events to your calendar, or stream music. Because Amazon voice assistance is built directly into the speaker, it works just as an Amazon Echo would.
Moving forward, Honeywell is also looking to integrate Google voice assistance into the system as well, and the company certainly has a track record of making good on its promises when it comes to this device — last year, Honeywell promised to add facial-recognition updates as well as audio analytics to the Smart Home Security System, and those are now live.
The system is still available for preorder for $375 on Indiegogo.
