Smart Home Products

What’s Ahead for the Smart Home in 2018

By Ashley Daigneault A few years ago, we were talking about the concept of a “smart” home and integrating connected devices into living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms to make everyday life safer, easier and more convenient. But most of the chatter was happening inside the tech and surrounding industries, and the phrase “smart home” had almost no visibility in actual consumer…

Smart Home Mass-Market Adoption: Are We There Yet?

By Lou Lenzi, FIDSA The Consumer Technology Association predicted significant growth in the sales of smart home technologies last year, forecasting 29 million units shipped into the channel in 2017, an impressive 63 percent increase over 2016. Revenue forecasts were equally robust at $3.5 billion, a 57 percent increase over 2016. Such dramatic growth forecasts have met…

How to Succeed in the Kitchen Without Really Trying

The Joys (and Concerns) Over Assisted Cooking By Carley Knobloch It’s 6:30 p.m., and I’m pulling a juicy roast beef from the oven. The roast is perfectly crusted with rosemary and ringed by caramelized onions and golden potato wedges. I slice into the buttery-soft meat and practically swoon—this dinner deserves a Michelin star. Ambitious for a weeknight dinner? Not if you…

Being Smarter About Smart Home

by Joe Derochowski, The NPD Group In the first 11 months of 2017, U.S. dollar sales of home automation products increased 40 percent, with strong growth across all device types, according to The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service. Home automation products were among the fastest selling items during the 2017 holiday season – over Thanksgiving week and Cyber Week, home…

Cleaning Up: How Robot Vacuums Work and What’s Next

By Carley Knobloch In 2002 when they hit the scene, robot vacuums were the stuff of curiosity and silly videos of cats who climb on them and sail around the house. They’re not the stuff of viral videos anymore: With major technological advancements, boosted power and prices falling, robot vacuum cleaners are becoming a mainstay in American homes. A recent study, in fact,…