According to a recent joint poll by HomeAdvisor and CEDIA, the association of the home technology industry, half of the 1,450 smart home installation and maintenance pros surveyed report doing smart home installations as part of larger remodeling projects, and six in 10 say non-smart home projects led to smart home projects at least half the time. Such demand suggests consumers want a connected home … and someone equally smart to install it.
What could your team be putting into homes soon? We went to the CEDIA convention last month in San Diego and discovered five innovative smart home devices, as well as one welcomed product for the movie lover that we couldn’t resist sharing (even if you can’t ask Alexa to power it on).
Mirror, Mirror
Want to know who the fairest remodeler in all the land is? Just ask Séura’s new Smart Mirror. The sleek new Séura SMART mirror integrates a multi-functional display, allowing consumers to use either hands-free voice activation or touch control to connect to their calendar, email, weather, favorite apps, and watch television while they get ready to take on the day. According to a 2016 study of bathroom trends by Houzz, nearly 60% of users bring their smart phones into the bathroom. Now, they can trade in their handheld devices for a multifunctional mirror with a personalized home screen, which allows access to over a million widgets and apps available via the Google App Store. Featuring a display four times the size of the average tablet, it vanishes when turned off, leaving a stylish and functional bathroom mirror. Also new from Séura: the next generation of 4K UHD Storm and Storm Ultra Bright Outdoor Displays.
Connect the Dots
Origin Acoustics’ Valet amplifier is designed to seamlessly integrate with an Amazon Echo Dot to create an interactive, voice-controlled four-zone audio system. Each zone includes an RJ45 connection that sends power to the Dot over a standard CAT5 cable and returns the audio signal to the amplifier via a proprietary transformer. Featuring eight 75w channels, the Valet amp can be connected to a broad range of speakers and provide the power necessary to drive them to substantial volume levels. The Dot’s audio output allows music and Alexa’s voice to play through the room’s loudspeakers. Using a patented tool-less mounting system, the Dot can be ceiling-mounted behind a perforated 3-inch speaker grille to make it invisible to the eye yet easily voice activated. Users can access Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio and TuneIn libraries; external sources also can be played through the system. A muting circuit will silence the source when Alexa is addressed and unmute when the action is completed. A 12-volt trigger for each zone allows for additional activation of third-party devices when Alexa is addressed.
I Am NEEO
NEEO touts itself as “the one” smart remote system for the smart home. Replacing the need for multiple remotes or smart phone apps, the instant interface allows total control of AV devices and smart home gadgets. The unit comprises of a brain that connects with 50,000 devices, including Nest, Apple TV, HUE and Sonos, and a sleek remote that features a high resolution, retina quality, touch display and patent-pending technology that recognizes each user, instantly displaying their favorite media content or enabling parental control. NEEO recipes allow users to automate everyday routines by connecting devices that typically wouldn't interact with each other. The built-in 360 degree infrared blaster design will turn a living room into a smart one, while an external 360-degree infrared extender allows users to control gear in and outside of cabinets. NEEO includes an SOS feature to help locate a lost remote.
Simple Switch
Deako’s modular touch screen Smart Lighting Switches enable a user to control any light from any switch, Android or iOS phone, or by voice when paired with the leading voice control systems on the market. Featuring edge-to-edge touchscreen display and screw-less cover-plate, the Deako Simple Switch allows builders to install the base model and sell smart lighting technology as an upgrade option or vice versa at any time without any pairing or setup required. Users can customize their own “scenes” and control them from any switch regardless of whether they have an LED, ELV or incandescent light.
Wall of Sound
Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound Shape brings an immersive live band experience to any room. Available in an array of colors and textiles, the up-mixing algorithm "Band on the wall" is designed to create a crisp and accurate soundscape with the vocals set to the center and the instruments to the sides, making it feel as though the band is performing live in the room. The BeoSound Core connectivity hub is hidden behind a hexagonal tile and enables wireless music streaming from a mobile device via technologies such as AirPlay, Chromecast built-in or Bluetooth.
Movie Madness
Sony Electronics’ line of true 4K HDR home theater projectors now includes the entry-level VPL-VW285ES, which is ideal for AV enthusiasts seeking to upgrade their cinema and gaming experience for less than $5,000. The first consumer-ready projector to offer true cinematic 4k resolution, it features up to 200 inches in true 4K HDR and more than four times the resolution of full HD. The projector signals at 60p with 10-bit depth for compatibility with gaming systems and high frame rate movies. It does not require processing to achieve the 8.84 million pixels demanded by cinema standards and dishes out legitimate 4,096-by-2,160 resolution.
