21 gadgets that prove the smart home of the future is almost here

By Jenny McGrath Published January 12, 2015

What will the smart home of the future look like? The future is now, my friends. Thanks to companies from Bosch to D-Link to Samsung to smaller, less-well known start-ups, we already have access to some amazing tech that can automate your house. Lots of these appliances, hubs, and sensor-packed devices were on display at CES 2015. Taken together, they represent what we can expect to see in more and more people’s homes. By the time CES 2016 rolls around, connected dishwashers, smart fridges, and self-watering plant devices will be a reality for many people. Click through the gallery to see what you can expect in the very near future.

Jenny McGrath

Senior Writer, Home

Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…

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Smart Home

These buttons and dials offer a unique way to access your smart home

One of the major pain points of the modern smart home is its digital nature. Whether it’s controlling your smart lights, robot vacuum, smart lock, or thermostat, there’s a good chance you’re using a smartphone for most of your interactions. That makes it less than ideal for other members of the household -- or even guests -- to make changes to your setup. This is where Flic comes into play, as the company offers a lineup of physical buttons and dials so everyone can use your favorite smart devices without the need for a digital interface.

I’ve been testing out both the Flic Smart Buttons and Flic Twist, and while they lack certain functionalities, they’re bound to be a fun addition to most smart homes. That’s especially true if you use Alexa or HomeKit, as both platforms work with the innovative smart buttons.
The Flic app makes setup a breeze

Smart Home

Get some fresh air in your home for the holidays with Blueair

blueair fresh air deals for holidays december 2024 purifier to get the hero

You probably have guests scheduled to visit for the holidays, right? While you're busy tidying up, there's one area of your home you're likely forgetting. The air, or rather the air quality. With pets, kids, and even just people living in the home regularly, all sorts of things happen to create odors and strange smells. You might be used to them but your guests won't be. Beyond that, there are allergens, dust, smoke, pollen, and other contaminants to worry about. So, how do you remove it and get back to clean, fresh air? With one of the best air purifiers like a Blueair system, that's how.

Available in several sizes -- meant to match the room size -- they quickly clean in 30 minutes to an hour depending on square footage. More importantly, they use washable filters with HEPA filtration designed to remove all of those hidden contaminants and nasties. With a 360-degree design, you can place them anywhere, as well. Plus, WiFi and app connectivity means you can remotely access and control them. During the holidays, get up to 50% off select Blueair models, and get fresh air back in your home.
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Why shop for Blueair air purifiers before the holidays?

Smart Home

This smart display alternative can now use AI to plan all your meals

The Skylight Cal Max installed on a wall.

Skylight is a smart home company that produces a variety of smart display alternatives, such as the Skylight Cal Max. These serve as a central hub for all your daily planning -- they’re primarily used as a digital calendar, but you can also use them to track chores, make lists, or meal prep. That last aspect just became much more exciting, as Skylight is officially introducing Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant that can plan all your meals in just a few minutes.

Sidekick is a new AI feature for Skylight devices. It’s capable of generating personalized recipes based on your budget, family size, and dietary restrictions, and it’ll even create a shopping list and load up step-by-step cooking instructions. Skylight hopes the new feature will save families 10 hours every month, as they’ll no longer need to worry about the logistics surrounding meal prep.

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