Smart Moves For Homes Are Causing Buzz
By the time you read this, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas will have given a shop window to a host of products and technologies hoping to make a splash in 2016.
Some manufacturers, though, have created a pre-show buzz, especially in the Smart Homes arena.
LG, for example, is set to unveil its SmartThinQ Home Hub, which is very much like an Amazon Echo.
It will be ready to connect with and control other household stuff, such as smart refrigerators, washing machines and security systems and to interact with home owners via smartphones or tablets.
Samsung meanwhile, is taking a different approach and will announce that its new generation of Smart TVs will double as Home Hubs.
A startup called Marathon aims to take on the established players by launching a new washing machine and dryer combo with a difference.
More highly programmable through a large touchscreen and/or a smartphone app, it will even refuse to opens its doors in multi-occupant residences except for the person who set the wash cycle going.
Another gizmo for the home predicted to win a lot of attention is the Invoxia Triby.
This is a smart fridge magnet, already on sale from Amazon at £159.
At that price, it needs to be a very special kitchen extra indeed. However, it might just be.
Apparently it is a media hub with a radio, music player, Bluetooth speaker and message board all rolled into one.
It connects to smartphones or tablets for anything from streaming Spotify over wifi to hands free phone calls over Bluetooth.
It can also link up with an App to exchange and display messages, reminders and doodles.
