Ultimate Smart Home Gadgets
The Internet of Things is connecting the world like never before. Low-cost sensors coupled with faster wireless technologies means everything is coming online. And if it’s online, you can be sure there’s an app for it, from your TV and your washing machin
MICROSOFT XBOX ONE
The Xbox One is more than just a gaming console, it’s an entire entertainment system more than worthy of being the centerpiece of your living room. Microsoft’s SmartGlass app lets you use your phone or tablet as a remote to select a game, video or music to play. The Xbox One can also quickly jump between a TV programme, a movie or a game; you can even split the screen to do both simultaneously. Of course, as a smart device, the Xbox One also comes loaded with useful apps, like Twitch, Netflix and YouTube.
UA55F9000AK 55” SERIES 9 UHD LED TV
Smart TVs have been evolving for the past couple of years and Samsung’s latest 4K resolution LED UHD Smart TVs provide more features than ever. This Samsung series 9 UA55F9000AK UHD LED TV comes with voice control, meaning you won’t ever need to pick up the remote to turn on the TV, change channels or access apps, or if you’re suffering from a sore throat, you can try air gesture controls instead, simply perform the appropriate gesture with to change channels, stop a video or adjust the volume. Samsung has also introduced a new remote control for its 2014 Smart TVs, which lets you select items on-screen by pointing at them.
BELKIN WEMO LIGHT SWITCH
The WeMo light switch is one of the smartest light switches around – you can control the lights even when you’re not home. It replaces the standard light switch you have, and can be controlled with Android or iOS devices and the free, user-friendly WeMo app.
It’s not only about killing the lights, or turning them on remotely, you can also schedule the timings or specify which lights to turn on after dark. Program your living room lights to turn off at sunset and turn on at sunrise by entering your city name.
IROBOT ROOMBA
Keeping your house clean and dust free is important, but who has the time to vacuum and dust? Spare yourself the trouble with iRobot’s Roomba robot vacuum cleaner.
This little machine will clean your floors for you and, with its iAdapt software and sensors, will ensure that every section of your room gets a thorough cleaning, including hard to reach areas like under furniture. It will even make multiple passes over the same area if necessary. And once the job is done, the Roomba will return to its docking station and recharge itself. You can set a schedule for your little helper so it will run like clockwork, or, for example, set it to only clean when you’re out of the house, ensuring minimal inconvenience.
AROS SMART WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER
The Aros Smart Window Air Conditioner can be controlled, programmed and monitored from your smartphone and will learn your usage patterns and adjust its settings accordingly. Paired with your smartphone’s GPS, it will turn off when you’re not at home, and turn on when you’re nearing home.
An app is also available, which you can use to set up a budget for your monthly utilities bill. The app can also make suggestions based on your budget and will provide daily weather reports so you can predict if you’ll need the air con on or not.
BELKIN CROCK-POT SLOW COOKER WITH WEMO
If you think you need to be in the kitchen to cook a meal, you couldn’t be more wrong. While Belkin’s Crock-Pot (i.e., a slow cooker) doesn’t look wildly different from the traditional slow cookers you see elsewhere, it’s one of the few crock-pots with an internet connection.
Indeed, by downloading the free WeMo app and syncing it with the 6-quart Crock-Pot, you can have remote access (be it over over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G cellular networks) to all the cooker’s functions. You can change the cooking time, adjust its temperature, monitor the cooking status, and even receive notifications right on your smartphone or tablet.
What about the days when you aren’t out and about? Don’t worry, the slow cooker can also be controlled manually from its illuminated LED display.
IDEVICES KITCHEN THERMOMETER
Need to keep an eye on the cooking temperature but can’t take your eyes off that latest drama series on TV? Perhaps the iDevices Kitchen Thermometer can help. Connected via Bluetooth Smart, simply tell the accompanying iDevices Connected app on iOS device what you’re cooking (support for Android is coming soon), insert the probe into the meat, and it will let you know when your food is ready.
The Kitchen Thermometer uses two AA batteries that last up to 200 hours. Besides real-time temperature updates, the app is also preloaded with tools, like a recipe section and a digital cooking timer for counting up or down.
When all’s said and done, simply wrap the probes and store them magnetically on the back of the unit, and dump it into the drawer until your next cooking adventure.
LG SMART REFRIGERATOR
LG’s most advanced smart refrigerator to date has something you don’t normally find inside a fridge: a wide-angle camera. By detecting the opening and closing of the fridge’s door and capturing snapshots of the shelves, you can easily see (through LG’s HomeChat messaging service) what exactly needs to be replenished when you’re at the supermarket.
With the built-in LCD panel or the LG Smart Refrigerator smartphone app, there’s also no need to open the refrigerator’s door to check its content when you’re back home. A Freshness Tracker will even keep track of expiration dates, and recommend meal options based on the ingredients stored inside.
Taking the healthy living message a step further is a Health Manager feature, which recommends recipes, as well as daily and weekly meal plans based on your personal profile.
IKETTLE
Yes, the 1.8-liter, stainless steel iKettle is a kettle, though it has nothing to do with Apple. The ‘i’ in its name simply implies that it can join your home’s Wi-Fi network, which is essential for its magic to work.
The other requirement is an app, which is available for both Android and iOS platforms. You can use it to pre-boil the kettle (because you know, it’s a complete waste of time to hang around the kitchen just to wait for the water to boil), as well as select different temperatures to suit different brews.
Beyond acting like a remote control, the iKettle also tries to anticipate your needs. For example, when you turn on your phone in the morning or walk through the door at the end of the day (and your phone rejoins your home network), the app will pop up a message asking if you’d like the kettle boiled.
SAMSUNG WW9000 WASHER
The WW9000 is Samsung’s latest Wi-Fi-enabled washing machine. Because it’s able to connect to the internet, you can control and monitor it remotely through the Smart Washer app on your Android or iOS device. You can adjust wash settings (temperature, number of spins, etc.), start or pause a cycle, as well as get status notifications.
Expectedly, the frontloading WW9000 is packed with sophisticated washing tech, like sensors that gather load information (size, degree of dirt and soiling, amount of water, detergent required) to determine the optimal wash cycle, temperature, time, rinse cycle, and spin speed.
Its color touchscreen offers pre-programmed settings to tackle 12 common stains like blood, cocoa, sebum, oatmeal, tea, wine, tomato, pencil lead, mud, makeup, lipstick, and grass. Washing machines have come a long way.