home working

At this year Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), Samsung Electronics introduced new innovations in front and top load laundry products that help families simplify and personalize laundry tasks.  The new Smart Dial Front Load Washers and Dryers use artificial intelligence to help automate the task of doing laundry. They learn and recommend your preferred cycles and settings and prioritize them on your cycle list for a truly personalized experience.

Microsoft last month announced the general availability of Azure Sphere, an end-to-end connected home solution.  Azure sphere, according to Microsoft is an integrated security solution for IoT (Internet of Things) devices and equipment.  A solution that will form the based for the development and deployment of secure connected devices. The idea is, if connected home devices and services are developed on a secure base and supported by an active platform then the increasing risks to connected home and its occupants will be less.

According to Cisco, there will be 29.3 billion networked devices on the internet by 2023 of this amount Machine-To-Machine (M2M) connections will be 14.7 billion, that’s 50 percent share.  Families having their baby monitors hacked is a constant news item.  We need solutions that can make the connected home a more secure environment. Then after hearing about Microsoft’s recent general availability of Azure Sphere and knowing that we already have TR-069; I am thinking why not use the best of both to fix this problem.

Somfy has launch a new range of connected shades and curtains solutions based on Zigbee 3.0.  This new range includes the TaHoma gateway hub with embedded Radio Technology Somfy (RTS) motors and Zigbee 3.0 radio connectivity, a corresponding local controller, an automation app and a full set of motors for shades and curtains.

LG is offering consumers more ways to control your home and enjoy the benefits of a connected home experience across a range of their home appliances.  LG Electronics USA announced that 87 of their Wi-Fi connected home appliances, such as their washing machines and dryers, dishwashers, vacuums, refrigerators, ovens, air purifiers are now compatible with Google Assistant on Google Home and supported Android and iOS smartphones.

Technavio released their latest market study of the global smart connected cooking appliances market, according to the report titled ‘Global Smart Connected Cooking Appliances Market 2017-2021’, we can expect to see a CAGR of close to 20% between 2017 and 2021.  The study looked at Ranges, Ovens and others from manufacturers such as Robert Bosch, LG Electronics, Samsung, Behmor, Koninklijke Philips, Haier (GE Appliances), Breville, and Whirlpool.

With the rise of smart speakers and voice activated smart home solutions LG Electronics has decided to make some of its SIGNATURE brand home appliances Google Home compatible. The range of connected smart devices, include the LG refrigerator, washing machine and dryer, oven range and air purifier as well as an LG air conditioner and robotic vacuum.  With Google Home, you will be able to access the full range of the Google Assistant's features on connected LG appliances.

Since the invention of the simple car, car manufactures are always on the lookout for ways of making a car journey comfortable and entertaining.  And as technology advances they have been able to make changes to this machine whose main purpose is transport. This year's auto show in Frankfurt, Germany has prompt me to look at how the concept of the car has changed from simply a means of transport to something that has become one with us (the driver) and now desires to be one with our home.

Up until the end of 2015 many of us would have been only familiar with Amazon Echo and Alexa as a smart home solution, but since 2016 this perception is changing.  Amazon has been working with Hyundai and Ford to offer Alexa as part of an in car connected services solution.  With just voice commands via Alexa you will be able to access services in your home from your car, and using the Amazon Echo in your home you will be able to access your car.

The UK will become a key market for the 700 million connected homes expected by 2020. This is according to a new research by CP Consulting, which reveals the latest attitudes of UK consumers towards Connected Home products. In the research titled 'Connected Home: Consumers' Attitudes Towards the Connected Home in the UK', they estimated that 47.6 percent of UK consumers aged 25 to 44 are planning to buy at least one Connected Home product over the next 12 months.