Home Smart Home
Move over, Alexa! These new gadgets prove home is more than where the heart is—it’s where the tech is.
The Shapa Scale is part fitness coach, part weight-loss app. Once the scale gets to know you (it takes about two weeks), the accompanying app on your smartphone offers up customized recommendations, health tips and “missions” based on your own lifestyle—for instance, “Go for a walk with your family after dinner.” It also serves up tough love: If you’re low on self-control for a week, the app may recommend that you “put away junk food in a spot that is hard to reach.” $129 plus a $10 monthly Shapa program subscription fee, shapa.me
Think of the Black+Decker WiFi-Enabled 6-Quart Slow Cooker as your personal chef. Prep your meal and put the ingredients in the pot. Use the free smartphone app synced to your phone to program your desired timing and switch between three heat settings while at home or away. You can even look up new recipes and share your creations on social media. Talk about a hot dish! $50, walmart.com
GeniCan attaches to your trash can so you can track what you’re tossing. Recycling a bottle of ketchup? Scan the bottle’s barcode and GeniCan will automatically add it to a shopping list on your phone. If there’s no barcode, or if the code can’t be read, GeniCan will ask, “What may I add to your list?” and it will record your response. $149, genican.com
Forget multiple trips to the microwave to keep that coffee hot! The Ember Ceramic Mug charges on a special coaster and powers up to the temp of your choice to keep your favorite beverage hot to the last drop. Download the Ember app to remotely adjust the temperature and save settings for different drinks. $80, ember.com
Got milk? You’ll never forget, thanks to Smarter’s FridgeCam, which focuses on your fridge and syncs with an app on your smartphone to help you keep track of your groceries. It also alerts you to foods that are coming up to their expiration date. And if you don’t feel like hitting the store after work, the app can suggest recipes based on what you have at home. $200, smarter.am
The Hoover Rogue 970 Robot Vacuum is as close to Rosie from The Jetsons as you can get. A selfoperating vacuum, Rogue learns your home’s layout to keep from running into walls while it’s brushing floorboards and using suction to pick up dirt, dust and pet hair. (It can intuitively detect the dirt!) Plus, you can control Rogue via Amazon Alexa or Google Home to give it voice commands, or download the Hoover Home app to schedule a cleaning or deploy the little guy from anywhere in the world. And when he’s done, he’ll return to his docking station for a recharge. $500, hoover.com