When you think about the Consumer Electronics Show, it’s easy to get caught up in talk about the newest computer components or the hottest new televisions. That only makes sense, but this year could represent something of a tipping point of technology in areas you wouldn’t normally associate with a trade show like CES. Like the laundry room.
I already touched on this briefly on my write-up on CES Press Day, but it’s something that is very much worth exploring further. Your computer is no longer bound to your home office. Your Wi-Fi network isn’t just for media streaming and web browsing. It’s so much more.
LG HOM-BOT: The Smarter Web-Connected Vacuum
Most people know about Roomba. The automated vacuum cleaner from the fine folks at iRobot has managed to carve out quite a niche for itself, but it comes with one critical flaw: it’s pretty haphazard in how it approaches home cleaning. It’ll roam around and eventually get everywhere, but there has to be a smarter way of doing things.
And that’s what LG is trying to achieve with its HOM-BOT. On the surface, it may look like just another robotic vacuum cleaner or floor sweeper. In some regards, it is. The HOM-BOT is this round thing that will roam around your home and keep it clean for you. The kicker is that it features 360-degrees of sensors, dual cameras, and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Maps, Directions, and Internet
In talking with Frank Lee from LG Canada, he says that when a customer first buys and sets up the HOM-BOT, he can let it go around on its initial cycle. During this time, the sensors and the on-board cameras will effectively map the entire floor. It will work out what your floor plan looks like, complete with your furniture, and store this information for future use.
Moving forward, you can program the HOM-BOT to vacuum (or sweep) your floor in a particular pattern. The image above depicts what they call cell-by-cell mode, but there are other patterns too. The HOM-BOT isn’t haphazard; it’s organized with very clear objectives. It follows directions. Not only does it know where it’s been; more importantly, it knows where it needs to be.
Running low on battery? The HOM-BOT will save its last known location, make its way back to the charging dock (remember that it has the location of the charging station stored too), and resume its cleaning cycle when enough of a charge has been fed into the battery pack again.
Oh, and the Internet part? Since the HOM-BOT connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network, you can even view its current location, its saved progress, and other pertinent information through anywhere you have Internet access. Those dual cameras can come in handy for keeping an eye on your home when you’re on the road too, allowing the HOM-BOT to double as a roaming IP camera.
More Smart Appliances from LG
And it doesn’t stop with vacuums. I realize that this is normally outside of the realm of what we cover on Futurelooks, but we also have to realize that computers, web connectivity, and other technology are really becoming much more pervasive throughout the home.
One great example of this is a new line of washers and dryers from LG. They’re connected to the web and you can control them using a smartphone app. Want to set a timer for your washer? You can do that. Want to ditch the timer and remotely activate the wash cycle right now? You can do that too. Since they’re connected to the web, the washer and dryer are even able to download new cycles and firmware updates over Wi-Fi.
One interesting demo was the diagnostic. If your washer or dryer encounters an error, you can get it to do a self-diagnosis, send that information to the LG data centers, and have them spit out not only what could be going wrong, but also what you can do about it.
Samsung Smart Hub Combines Your Entertainment
Even more so than the push toward 3DTV is the push toward the “connected” television. We aren’t just getting our video feeds from conventional television channels like CBS and ESPN anymore. We’re getting it from web sources like Hulu Plus, premium streaming services like Netflix, and social networks like Facebook.
The main idea behind the Samsung Smart Hub on their Internet-connected televisions is that while there are distinctly separate areas for apps, social networking, and on-demand television, they can all be scoured through using the universal search function. It’s all together, but separate enough if you want it to be.
You could say that this is mirroring the premise behind Cisco’s Videoscape and, in some regards, it is. I think this really going to be the push from many of the television manufacturers, because they’re recognizing that having separate video sources isn’t exactly convenient. We want access to everything all the time. On a side note, check out how thin that bezel is!
Samsung Central Station for Wireless Docking
Up until only recently, I relied solely on my notebook PC for all my computing needs. Even so, I spend the majority of my time at my desk, so I had the notebook connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Unconnecting and reconnecting all those cables came to be a bit of a hassle, but the Samsung Central Station seems to fix this.
Instead of dealing with cables, it will automatically “detect” the presence of a connected notebook when it comes within three feet of the Central Station. In doing so, it’ll pair up and you automatically get the same keyboard, mouse, and monitor experience that you would if you had to deal with a physical dock. This is all done via a dedicated USB dongle over a proprietary wireless connection.
The natural application would be for business travelers. They don’t want to maintain both a desktop and a laptop, but they want to have a “real” desktop experience when sitting at the desk. At the same time, they don’t want to plug and unplug a series of cables to do it. The automatically wireless connection sounds a lot more convenient.
Samsung is saying that the Central Station solution will be made available in your choice of 23-inch or 27-inch monitors and both will come equipped with WLED backlighting. USB 3.0 connectivity is also standard, so there’s no sacrifice in speed either. In addition to the keyboard, mouse, and monitor, you can use Central Hub to connect your smartphone, external HDD, or any number of other peripherals.
From what I hear, Samsung’s Central Station solutions will also be made available in a wired variant if you want to save a few bucks, but the business versions will only be sold as wireless. They plan on launching some time this spring.
A Truly Digital Lifestyle
A digital lifestyle is a connected lifestyle. We come to think about our smartphones and our computers in this way, but the entire home can be much more digital, much more connected, and much more efficient through the use of properly-designed technology.
LG and Samsung are among the companies leading the charge in this regard. From smart vacuums and wireless notebook docks, your life can be made a lot more seamless. Heck, LG even has smart fridges that will tell you when your milk is about to expire, allowing you to access your refrigerated inventory from your smartphone wherever you have 3G or Wi-Fi. That’s some crazy functionality that isn’t the stuff of the future; it’s the stuff of right now.