Smart home products that got their public debut at #CES2014 included washing machines and ovens from electronics giant LG that respond to voice or text queries, an Internet-connected crockpot from Belkin, and a Wi-Fi-, Bluetooth- and camera-packing door lock from startup Goji. Home automation will likely prove too complicated if connected devices can’t work together. However, smart home appliances could become more common thanks to efforts by major companies including Lowe’s and Staples to make gadgets compatible.
-Philippe [ Thank You MIT Technology Review | Tom Simonite 01.10.14] When I interviewed Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iPod and now CEO of Nest, two years ago, he told me that he started the company, which sells smart thermostats and alarms, because existing products for taking control of your home over the Internet were clunky and appealed only to the technically minded (see “Nest’s Control Freaks”). “Home automation is for single geeky guys. It’s not for families,” he said. The devices on show at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas suggest that Fadell’s assessment no longer holds true. A deluge of Internet-ready home devices and appliances launched at the event. Many appear to be easy to use, and can be combined into larger systems that let someone take command of his home using a single phone app. Smart home products that got their public debut in Las Vegas included washing machines and ovens from electronics giant LG that respond to voice or text queries, an Internet-connected crockpot from Belkin, and a Wi-Fi-, Bluetooth- and camera-packing door lock from startup Goji.
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Wearable devices promise to transform how we live and communicate - but the perfect design has yet to emerge. Now what’s remarkable is that both Intel and Freescale used #CES2014 to introduce reference platforms for the ecosystem.
Intel launched thumb-sized computer called the Edison intended to be used by anyone from hobbyists to electronics giants to rapidly prototype and test novel wearable devices. And, Freescale, which specializes in compact chips and sensors for small and mobile computing devices, launched a small circuit board called the Wearable Reference Platform, or WaRP, at CES with similar goals (It was unveiled at ARM TechCon in October 2013). -Philippe. [Thank You MIT Technology Review | By Tom Simonite 01.08.14] When Intel CEO Brian Krzanich unveiled a smart watch during his keynote speech at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Monday, he brought his company level with Samsung and Qualcomm, both of which sell watches with sizeable color touch screens that are capable of running apps (see “Samsung’s Galaxy Gear” and “Review: Qualcomm’s Toq”). Yet Krzanich was running against the trend at CES, where companies large and small have shown smart watches intentionally less packed with features and less reminiscent of wrist-mounted smartphones than those developed by Intel and its competitors. Like MIT Technology Review, many in the electronics industry seem to have concluded that for this new species of gadget to earn mass appeal it must be significantly simpler and more thoughtfully designed (see “Smart Watches Are Dumb”). A book-sized computer capable of driving a car could help the technology reach the mass market, it is another step in the right direction. Carmakers are developing vehicles that have an increasing ability to autonomously drive themselves, potentially reducing accidents and traffic congestion. The allure of automation for car companies is huge. In a fiercely competitive market, in which the makers of luxury cars race to indulge customers with the latest technology, it would be commercial suicide not to invest heavily in an automated future. But don’t expect self-driving taxis in Manhattan any time soon.
-Philippe. [Thank You MIT Technology Review | By Tom Simonite 01.07.14] Hands free: The Audi Sport Quattro Laserlight concept car features compact sensor and computing technology that lets the car pilot itself. Carmaker Audi showed off a book-sized circuit board capable of driving a car on Monday at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Audi claims the computer, called zFAS, represents a significant advance in automation technology because it is compact enough to fit into existing vehicles without compromising design. Several different Audi vehicles equipped with zFAS drove themselves onto the stage during the presentation, and a new concept car designed to showcase it was also introduced. The car, called the Audi Sport Quattro Laserlight, is capable of what Ulrich calls “piloted driving” but betrays no outward sign of being different from a conventional vehicle. “At CES one year ago, the trunk of the demo cars was still full of cables and electronics,” said Audi’s chief technical officer, Ulrich Hackenberg, about the company’s automated driving technology. “The prototype period is almost over. Now it’s time to get ready for serious production.” Photographer Takashi Kitajima blurs the details of Tokyo's buildings and bridges into beautifully abstract landscapes Week-End Reading: http://philippemora.us > Also, find more on my pinterest boards. Happy New Year 2014! > Philippe. See More: http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/takashi-kitajima-bokeh-cityscapes
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