CES proved to be its usual whirlwind, but without quite the same outlandish showiness we typically see. More than 2300 companies exhibited from around the world, including more than 800 startups, launching products across artificial intelligence, automotive technology, digital health, smart home and more. The smart home field was less overwhelming than expected, considering how much the smart home is currently growing, but nonetheless there were some standout products and technologies we think you should know:
Masonite M-Pwr Smart Doors
Who needs a separate camera and lock when you can have it all in one? These smart doors employ patent-pending, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certified technology to connect residential exterior doors to a home’s electrical system and wireless internet network. To ensure that the doors are “always on” in the event of a power outage, an emergency backup battery can sustain system power up to 24 hours when fully charged. The Masonite M-Pwr smartphone app enables homeowners to remotely program and control motion-activated LED welcome lighting as well as confirm whether the door is open or closed at any time. (Photo at top)
Samsung Smart Home Hub
If you’re curious about other digital dashboards out there, here’s a new one for you. The Samsung Smart Home Hub runs the SmartThings service and lets the user control a broad spectrum of devices from one device. It features Bixby voice control and can help monitor home energy usage. The device itself is an 8.3-inch tablet that comes with an optional dock.
Kohler PerfectFill Bathtubs
PerfectFill is a drain kit system that lets you pre-set a bath to an ideal temperature and depth. You can start automatically filling the bath to that ideal using a voice command or with the Kohler Connect app. The system consists of a PerfectFill drain kit and the PerfectFill overflow and digital valve/controller. Prices start at $2,700.
Eufy Security Video Doorbell Duo
There were SO many smart security cameras at CES that we had to include at least one. This one attempts to keep track of both people and packages with two cameras. One is a forward-facing 2K primary for visitors and the other is a 1080p secondary aimed at a downward angle to look at packages coming in. The primary has a 160-degree field of view, while the latter covers 120 degrees. The Dual can do what many other smart home cameras do – distinguish people and packages, identify friends and family, detect general motion and offer 16 GB of storage. It also is supported for both Alex and Google Assistant.
Nascent Technology
This isn’t a product as much as cool technology, but we think it will be slowly emerging – and changing how we design smart homes – in the coming years. Proponents of nascent technology, Ossia and Energous, showed off products that will keep cameras, smart doorbells and other products continually charged without the mess of cables or pads. Cota, a wireless charging technology, will appear from French electronics maker Archos in late 2022. This should include a wireless security camera, an air monitoring sensor and a pet tracker. Energous displayed devices that use its WattUp charging technology, including hearing aids, medical monitors and smart tracking tags. Even though this tech can’t power a TV yet, it has a potential to charge more products in the future and should be on your radar.
