Tomorrowland is Today: Take a walk through the modern-day smart home and see the potential of a house with IoT built into, well, almost anything. Best of all? Each one of these devices is (or will be) available for retail selling.
See also: What Is A Smart Home?
In The Bedroom
Naxa’s Wireless Charging Station Alarm Clock Radio ($49.99) can wirelessly charge any Qi-compatible mobile device — just place it atop the clock or by plugging into the USB port. It has a jumbo 1.8-inch-high contrast LED display (no more picking up the phone to see the time), and the alarm, snooze and sleep modes offer plenty of Zzzzzz variety.
Hey Siri, can you cool things off? GE’s HomeKit-compatible, Energy Star-compliant air conditioners deliver 8,000 to 12,000 Btus, and users can activate the chill with just a tap or by asking Siri. Remote control from a smartphone is also available, as are setting predetermined “scenes” for custom schedules. (You do need a HomeKit hub for these last two functions.)
The 55-inch 4K Roku TV brings cord-cutting bliss to the bedroom in a big way. Priced at $649, the 6-series TV boasts Dolby Vision HDR and wide color gamut, and it ships with a Roku TV Voice Remote. It also, of course, has the latest Roku OS for simplified searching across various content platforms.
Designed to provide real-time insights on air quality, this $199 stylishly designed device monitors five key air pollutants: fine dust, chemicals, CO2, humidity and temperature within a housing crafted of North American walnut. Levels are shown directly on the device’s LED display, and custom profiles can be created for different users. It’s also compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest, IFTTT and more.
This Allure Portable ($199) brings Alexa to the nightstand, housing the voice assistant within a sleek Wi-Fi speaker. It has a steel speaker grille and a blue luminescent halo that responds to voice commands and music. In addition to a 10-hour battery life, the speaker comes with a convenient charging cradle — no unsightly cable nests necessary. It’s currently available.
This stylish, compact audio system features built-in Google Assistant and can pair with other Chromecast Audio devices for multiroom play. It comes in a wood veneer cabinet in a variety of finishes, and can be powered with an external adapter or by adding on a battery pack. Pricing ranges from $349 to $399, with shipping slated for October.
On The Carpet
Yes, many vacuums make cats and dogs cower in fear, but the Powerbot R7070 ($699) makes up for it by taking care of the pet hair and dander in the process. Not only do the ’bot’s onboard camera and sensors map the best path for multiroom cleaning, keeping obstacles to a minimum, but it builds in a self-cleaning brush designed to automatically get rid of tangles.
The D7 Connected ($799) features the company’s “No-Go Lines” technology, which lets users set up access parameters from their smartphones. You can even review where the ’bot has been from your mobile device. It also includes Amazon Alexa, Google Home and IFTTT compatibility.
“Alexa, ask Roomba to begin cleaning.” With this Wi-Fi-connected vacuum, you can leave the dirty work to the robots. This model, which measures just 3.6 inches tall, can be scheduled to clean up to seven times a week from a smartphone, using the company’s 3-Stage cleaning system. Suggested retail is $375.
