Every CES (Consumer Electronics Show) we see a few more smart home gadgets pop up as companies reveal prototypes and upcoming products. Many of these products are exciting, but not all of them add real value to your home. Curious about what to watch for? Let’s take a look at CES 2016 and some of the featured smart products to find out just what looks worth your time.
Biometric Security for Your House
Smart home security has taken huge leaps forward in the past several years, but it still has a long way to go compared to commercial security measures. Goodix Technology is busy changing that, and its innovation won the company two 2016 CES Innovation Awards. Specifically, the company is working on developing everyday touchscreens that can do things like read your fingerprints. This makes common biometric security around the house much more achievable.
Light Bulb Alarms
One of the new popular trends is combining a couple of different smart devices into one product that can perform multiple functions. The breakout of 2016 in this genre is the smart light bulb, which has evolved to offer all kinds of additional features. Just take the Innovation Awards Honoree winner, ComfyLight, and the company’s very first product — a light bulb that comes equipped with plenty of sensors and security features. This bulb can sense intrusion, send alerts to your phone, and even mimic people moving around by the light when you aren’t home to discourage intruders.
Smart Kitchens
Concept rooms are always popular at CES, because they can show what things should be like. But in 2016 pay special attention to Panasonic’s concept smart kitchen, which looks to contain a lot of really, really cool ideas, considering that smart kitchens have been displayed for many years now. Here’s just a few of the cool Panasonic ideas to watch for: a space-saving counter fridge, a self-stirring pot, and an induction range that eliminates the chance of burns. Just think how much value those could add to your home.
Better Smart Thermostats
A smart thermostat is a great addition to your home for both comfort and value. For some time THE smart thermostat to consider was Nest, owned by Google and equipped with the ability to learn from your habits and help you save money. But CES 2016 is showing that Nest has some very interesting new competition, including the Cor thermostat by Carrier, a very experienced name in HVAC systems. The Cor is expected to decrease heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 percent. Of course, Google has recently announced a second, updated version of the Nest, so expect this area to grow competitive quickly.
Apple Home Kit Products
Home Kit has been slow to start up, but CES 2016 is seeing a ton of new devices that are compatible with Home Kit and can easily be controlled through Apple devices without switching apps. This is a major selling point for the many users of Apple products across the United States. One of the debuting devices with Home Kit compatibility is the Schlage Sense door lock — a similar device is the Sengled Voice light bulb, which responds to Siri commands.
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