Crestron’s new smart home suite includes support for multiple homes
Crestron is a pretty high-end brand in the smart home market and while it's never been cheap, it's been a powerful solution for users who want dynamic smart home control across as many brands as possible and its newly launched operating system promises complete control, even across multiple properties.
Simplehuman’s Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi now responds to Amazon Alexa commands
Smart mirrors are all the rage these days, and now Simplehuman is upping its game by adding voice control via Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. The Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi also serves as a super-cool night-light, a smart speaker, and, well, you know, a mirror. It also has Google Assistant support.
LG adds cool spherical ice cubes to its latest smart home refrigerators
It might be an indulgence for cocktail purists but LG has added a cool new upgrade to its already hyper-sophisticated Instaview Door-in-Door smart home refrigerators that enables homeowners to make craft ice cubes that are crystal clear, perfectly spherical, and that melt more slowly than regular ice.
RoomMe, a smart home sensor that knows who you are, finally ships to buyers
RoomMe, the smart home sensor that's long been in the pipeline at Israel-based startup Intellithings,promises smart home automation based on personal identification rather than time-based programming. Now, it looks like the crowdfunded product will finally ship this month.
Simplisafe adds to its security repertoire with much-anticipated smart home lock
Simplisafe has made a real splash in the home security market since it was launched more than a dozen years ago but the company is making genuine investments in the smart home market and next month will launch a new smart home lock.
Nexxt, Tuya and Microsoft team up to take smart home tech to the next level
For the most part, the smart home market is still pretty fragmented, but Nexxt Solutions, an up-and-coming manufacturer of smart home devices, is working with Microsoft and Tuya to create a way for smart home devices from different manufacturers to be controlled simultaneously.
Nest is going to augment package delivery notifications ahead of the holidays
Google has been at the forefront of smart home technology for some time but it looks like the company's Nest division is getting ahead of the competition before the holidays with a new feature for the Nest Hello smart doorbell-slash-camera that can detect package delivery.
Smart home technology increasingly used to help elderly population
The ever-growing market for technology to assist seniors is staggering -- nearly 10,000 baby boomers a day are reaching the age of 65, while the U.S. Census Bureau says those older than 65 will outnumber those younger than 18 within 15 years. Could smart home technology help?
Alexa’s Custom Interfaces hope to augment gadgets, games, and smart toys
Amazon has sunk a ton of time, money and resources into its Alexa-powered products like the Echo so it makes sense that it's continuing to push its evolution, the latest innovation being a new feature for developers called Custom Interfaces, designed to enable interactivity between speakers and users.
Startup Camect is on track to deliver a private, unified smart camera hub
The smart home security market is huge but the diversity of camera brands and technology can be confusing and hard to reconcile, which is why crowdfunded startup Camect is developing a secure, unified security camera hub to market that will work with all brands and costs a fraction of competing services.
Seedo is an A.I.-driven, self-contained grow box for plants of varying legality
It's a little pricy, but an automated grow box by Israeli startup Seedo uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize the growth of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other medicinal plants, including marijuana. You can monitor your plants' growth -- and watch it in high definition -- via the mobile app.
The eClip is an alert device to remind you not to leave your kid behind
Parents have lots of things to distract them and it turns out a medical phenomenon called Forgotten Baby Syndrome, or FBS, is real thing that explains why a parent might accidentally leave a child in the car. This startup has created a device to help remind parents not to leave a kid behind.
Evolving Effie ironing machine will soon get wrinkles out of pants, too
It's taken a while to develop, but an automatic ironing device invented by a British startup that uses advanced manufacturing processes seems to be evolving. The creators say that not only can it dry and iron all different kinds of shirts but will soon expand to include different kinds of clothing.
Arlo’s smart security cams take a bite out of Apple, finally add HomeKit support
After announcing at CES earlier this year that it was launching support to add its popular smart security cameras to Apple's HomeKit smart home platform, device manufacturer Arlo has delivered on its promise in its latest update by enabling users to add cameras to the platform.
Maximus is at the door with its new Answer DualCam Video Doorbell
We got a preview of San Francisco-based Maximus' latest and greatest product at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year but today the company announced that its innovative Answer DualCam Video Doorbell is officially for sale, starting at $200.
Moen is adding support for Siri, Apple HomeKit to its U smart shower
At over $1,000 for even a basic model, the ultra-luxurious Moen U smart home shower is quite an indulgence. But smart home owners who are partial to Apple's HomeKit platform or are heavy-duty Siri users now have a reason to think about buying one: Moen has added support for Apple HomeKit.
Neato Robotics adds support for Siri Shortcuts to its smart home robot vacuums
California-based Neato Robotics continues to add new bells and whistles to its popular line of robotic vacuums for the smart home. It has announced that a firmware update will add Siri Shortcuts that enable users of its robot vaccuums to start, stop, and direct its devices using voice commands.
Zucklight is a groovy new night-light from the mind of Facebook’s founder
You never know what's going to inspire the next cool thing. The creators of Zucklight saw a Facebook post from Mark Zuckerberg commenting on his wife's sleep problems and created a night light that not only has different hues to show the time but can also house sensors for humidity, CO2, and more.
Awair’s new air quality monitor has some smart home tricks up its sleeve
Awair is a pretty heavy hitter in the smart home market for customers who are interested in monitoring and improving their air quality, but the company's latest release, the Glow C, comes with a lot of extras, including a smart home plug, improved monitoring, and increased customization.
A prototype robotic grocery store has just launched in Tel Aviv
Robotic delivery and distribution systems are being developed all the time, but one company is launching a new robotics-powered grocery store and delivery service in Tel Aviv that could be a game-changer for mid-to-large-sized grocery chains and might just break the traditional distribution model.
LifeShield adds an HD video doorbell to its array of gadgets
ADT has been teasing the introduction of new smart home technology into its smart home security platform for a while but after previewing a new camera at CES 2019, the company has officially launched its new LifeShield HD Video Doorbell that supports recording and livestreaming.
GE-backed startup brings crystal-clear ice to fans of bourbon and other spirits
While there are plenty of drinkers who like to enjoy their spirits neat, those who like theirs on the rocks will appreciate the new crowdfunded home ice maker from FirstBuild, a startup backed by GE Appliances. It makes perfectly clear, spherical ice gems to go with your drink of choice.
Food wish fulfilled? Genie launches next-gen pod-based cooking system
Back in the day, people were amazed by microwave ovens that could heat up premade food in minutes, Now, an Israeli company is soft-launching a new device called Genie that can replicate all the steps that a home cook goes through in just 3 minutes, treating each ingredient individually.
A new survey by Adobe shows an evolving market for voice applications
It's not breaking news that consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with conversing with their smartphones, digital gizmos, smart home devices, and smart speakers but a new survey from Adobe Analytics is showing a desire for more diversity in where voice technology is applied and used.
The cordless vacuum gets a reinvention thanks to these Dyson disciples
Kickstarter can be hit or miss but a couple of former Dyson engineers seem to have hit the jackpot by raising nearly half a million dollars to launch their cordless vacuum cleaner, branded under the name Lupe, which promises the energy of a jet engine and an hour of use on one charge.
Robotic furniture transforms Ikea’s tiny rooms with the touch of a button
Ikea's newest addition to its efforts to enter the smart home market and transform tiny spaces into livable ones is pretty innovative. The flat-pack home furnishings manufacturer has partnered with startup Ori to integrate robotic furniture that transforms a room at the touch of a button.
Philips may add a smart plug to its expanding lineup of smart home gizmos
Smart home products developers have never been exactly subtle but a new leak that appears to come from smart bulb giant Philips appears to demonstrate that the company is expanding its smart home line significantly, starting with a new smart plug intended to compete with other titans like Amazon.
Cleanyst imagines a new mix-at-home paradigm for cleaning products
Just like Keurig offers coffee junkies a quick and clean solution to making a cup of joe, a new Miami-based startup called Cleanyst is offering a new smart home solution that enables users to mix and match high-quality concentrates to create home cleaning products that are organic, clean, and efficient.
Walabot’s new DIY Plus wall scanner ups its Superman vision game
Vayyar Imaging has been making cool strides in the construction industry for a while but its new Walabot DIY Plus is a real breakthrough for homeowners and construction professionals, enabling them to scan through plaster, drywall, and concrete to get a better idea of what to do next.
As predicted, Arlo’s next smart doorbell will have a video camera
Arlo Technologies has been pretty tenuous about getting into the smart home market with both feet until recently but after new images of a video doorbell leaked from one of Arlo's partner companies, I-View Now, the company confirmed that an HD smart home video doorbell will be on the market soon.
Some food stamp recipients can now buy food online at Amazon, Walmart
A new pilot program that originated at the U.S. Department of Agriculture would enable beneficiaries of food stamps to buy food online from retailers like Amazon and Walmart. The pilot program will be launched in New York and spread to other states in the next few months.
Not only is Chucky back, he haunts your smart home in Child’s Play reboot
Smart homes may be all the rage right now but Orion Pictures has figured out a new way to scare you out of yours. It's putting the classic horror villain Chucky in charge of a murderous smart home platform called "Buddi" in the new reboot of Child's Play starring Mark Hamill as the infamous killer doll.
The Houzz app now lets you virtually tile your floor with augmented reality
Palo Alto-based home renovation and design firm Houzz is adding a new innovation to its View in My Room 3D application that gives users the ability to use augmented reality to see how their joint might look if they installed new tile in the place and order it on the spot.
Fast and efficient: LG’s new washer rocks the laundry in half an hour
LG has been a leader in the smart home market for a long time and one of its areas of expertise is washing machines, so it's no surprise that the company is launching a Wi-Fi-enabled washing machine designed for the smart home that uses patented steam-driven technology and remote connectivity.
This hybrid tiny home sauna gives hotbox a whole new meaning
Tiny homes seem to come in all shapes and forms these days, and Igluhuts are no exception. While the homes look more like a hobbit might come out of one on the outside, inside, there's a modern and sleek look aimed at relaxation and rejuvenation. Just ask soccer star David Beckham, who owns one.
There will be 200 million smart speakers by year’s end, analysts say
The research and analysis firm Canalys predicts that the worldwide market for smart speakers like Amazon's Echo devices and Google Home smart speakers will reach a massive crescendo this year, topping 200 million smart speakers by the end of 2019 with the U.S. accounting for nearly half the market.
The Denali XL feels like one big-ass tiny home compared to others
A relatively small outfit operating out of Guntersville, Alabama is offering incredibly mobile tiny homes that are quite spacious compared to other tiny homes. It can be assembled for about $125,000 and includes nearly 400 square feet of living space with more features available upon request.
Need to check your blood sugar results or see a doctor? Just ask Alexa
Alexa is capable of a lot of things and saving your life might be next on the list. The intelligent digital assistant has recently acquired a bunch of new skills related to the HIPAA Act of 1996. Commands include the ability to schedule an urgent care appointment or check blood sugar results.