The Smart Home and Wearable sector are hopping with news! Here are some of the news items that caught our attention this week.
GOOGLE BASED SMART HOMES ARE STARTING TO EVOLVE
In addition to Google buying Smart Home 2.0 Security company – Dropcam for $500 plus, Google also made a number of smart home announcements at this year’s software developers conference in California.
Google’s plans are based on using the NEST smart learning detector as a hub for a myriad of Internet-connected devices around your home ranging from smart bulbs and locks to various types of security sensors and kitchen appliances.
The move to open the NEST software platform up to software developers is in direct competition with Apple recently announced home-automation software, called HomeKit.
WINK ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF NEW SMART HOUSE PLATFORM
In more big news this week, an Internet of Things company called Quirky has launched a new line of app-enabled smart home products called WINK. The main goal of the WINK range of smart home solutions is to make the smart home accessible to the average person on the street. WINK itself consists of a number of in-house designed smart home products, an elegant app, a smart home hub that will work with other third-party smart home gadgets. The launch is actually today and it is envisaged that WINK will be able to work with a range of high profile smart home 2.0 gadgets. #
For readers in the USA, readers can pick up a WINK smart home platform over at Home Depot. For those of us in other parts, then I’d suggest you pop over to Amazon and grab your WINK hub to start with!
STAPLES PLAN TO GROW SMART HOME REVENUE
Yes, there’s more news! For those who don’t know, Staples is a large retailer of office supplies in the US. Yes, and unlikely advocate for the smart home industry, but has actually made some real progress in the space.
About a year ago the company teamed up with D-Link and Zonoff and offered a smart home hub called Connect, which was compatible with approximately 20 devices in 35 of their stores nationwide.
Well, it looks like that pilot project turned out to be a success, and Staples announced last week that they are now going to sell an upgraded smart home suite of products in all 500 retail stores across the USA – pretty big commitment! So Yes, the retailers are now fully engaged with the smart home and are likely to continue expansions over the coming months.
SAMSUNG RELEASES NEW SMARTWATCH
Also over at the Google I/O conference Samsung unveiled its Gear Live smartwatch. There is growing competition in the smartwatch space and Samsung is hoping to trump some of its competitors by using features such as a built-in heart rate monitor, a high definition screen, support for Google Now, and more! Costs $200 and is available for order starting right now.