Technologies enable us to control and customize all aspects of our home from lighting to security, creating an ideal environment to live. There are a slew of products, devices and appliances that improve our daily lives and help us make better decisions about everything from to do with our homes. Here’s a few of our favorite new products coming to market.
Luna
Activity tracking is a hot tech topic, but you have to be up to access it. So how do you monitor when you’re asleep? Luna is a smart mattress cover that integrates personal tracking and wearable technology with the smart home experience and serves as a hub for a connected home- connecting to devices such as smart lights, thermostats, locks, and even coffee machines.
The number one reason for insomnia, according to Luna is a cluttered mind and mental worries, so they took that out of the equation by making sure your home is taken care of. Luna’s Customer Discovery team also found that people repeat about four to six activities every night before going to bed. Activities such as locking doors, turning off the light, and setting the alarm could all be automated. So they’ve partnered with Lockitron, Beep, Emberlight, and Nest, to make this a reality.
MYQ Garage
A steady stream of products are coming to market following the success of Nest and the idea to redesign common household products and make them seamlessly functional as well as beautiful. Now comes MyQ Garage. The MyQ Garage allows you to control and monitor your garage door from anywhere, at any time. Regardless of manufacturer, the MyQ Garage works with the majority of garage door openers manufactured after 1993. You can:
•Control your garage door and your house lights using your smartphone
•Get notified if your garage door opens or if you forgot to close your garage door
•Know if your garage door opened while you were away
LED Closet rods.
Genius! This is one of those simple ideas that you say” Why didn’t I think of that?” They are the ultimate solution to dark closets, The metal clothing rods are equipped with built in LED bulbs, which shine down on your wardrobe.
Soundwall
Can your art sing? Tell stories? Or bring the artist into your home? Ours can. Soundwall is part of the Connected Art movement- the evolution of the canvas to become part of the modern, connected world. Soundwall is a beautiful work of art – (with no computer screen) – that is also a wireless speaker. Special audio exciters are mounted to the back of each piece that cause the surface of the artwork to vibrate, similar to a cymbal or guitar string. Unlike traditional cone speakers which have crossovers and “sweet spots,” Soundwall fills the room evenly with a consistently clear, natural, articulate sound. The company currently offers limited-editions like a Bruce Springsteen print that features an exclusive audio interview with the photographer and a Springsteen playlist he curated himself.
The Talking Heads by Richard Corman includes a 8-song playlist of the Talking Heads curated for this image and a 35-minute interview with Richard Corman about his photography and creating this historic photograph.
Koolblack
KoolBlack promises to make the task of controlling the sun’s rays a little easier. Developed by Mermet, KoolBlack technology enhances heat management by reflecting light in the near-infrared spectrum, which represents over half the heat energy contained in solar radiation. Before its introduction, shading systems required light-colored or metalized fabrics to optimize control of heat gain; dark E-Screen fabrics with KoolBlack can provide up to a 25 percent improvement in Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), while still providing clear views through the shade and superior exterior aesthetics—as well as lower fabric costs in many cases. How’s that for progress?
Smart Vent
Heating vents are another unsexy home accessory to get “smart. “ Smart Vent is new high-tech option that lets you control each room individually The Keen Home smart vent keeps you from wasting energy—and money—on areas of your house that don’t need as much attention. It retrofits into existing air vents, then wirelessly connects to your home network. The vents communicate with each other to regulate airflow in rooms too hot, too cold or not in use for most of the day.
Sony Life Space UX smart home concept
It actually debuted at last year’s show, but Sony’s Life Space UX gets a big upgrade at CES 2015. This sooo much more than internet-connected power outlets. The Life Space makes the smart home look good. It starts with the Symphonic light, an elegant but hip LED-bulb speaker, video projectors that turn walls into screens, and an interactive tabletop- LOVE!. I’m not quite sure how it all works , but it’s very sci-fi cool. If you won’t buy into a smart home until you can actually see the ideas and concepts as products, then Life Space is for you.
Whirlpool Kitchen of the Future
From CES- Whirlpool put together an innovative “kitchen of the future” concept where countertops act like touchscreens. You’ll be able to put a pot or skillet anywhere on the surface, which will detect it and start heating up. It integrates with video conferencing and can show alerts from your networks, too. But wait- don’t know what to cook tonight? The kitchen will recommend recipes based on ingredients you already have thanks to “smart vessels” i.e. food containers that keep track of the freshness and weight of what’s inside them.
