5 CES 2015 Home Gadgets Shaping Tomorrow's Comfort

If you want to know what the home of the future is going to be like, you need to check out all the cool gadgets introduced at CES 2015 in Las Vegas. Of course, there are thousands of exhibitors, many with multiple products, so we can’t list everything here.

One thing is for sure, the “smart home” was a big focus of attention at this year’s shows, with all kinds of wi-fi connected appliances and smart plugs that allow you to run your home via your computer, tablet or smartphone. Here are a few of those gadgets, and other things that caught our eye at this year’s CES:

1. The LG Twin Wash washing machine: This is an awesome time saver because it’s a washing machine within a washing machine! You can run a full-size load in the top part of the machine, and a smaller load in a pull-out drawer on the bottom of the machine. The machine is Wi-Fi and NFC ready, which means you’ll be able to set and control them with your phone, and get alerts when the load is done!
2. There were a lot of devices that use Apple’s HomeKit software to power smart home appliances. One example is the Switch from iDevices–a smart outlet plug that connects to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control lamps, radios, air conditioners, and other electrical appliances from your Apple mobile device.
3. And from a company called Keen, there is even a smart heating and cooling vent, aptly named the Smart Vent. The Smart Vent is loaded with sensors to measure temperature and air pressure, allowing you to create custom temperature zones in rooms, all controlled with your smartphone.
4. From a startup company in Israel comes a device called Sensibo, which is designed to turn any remote-controlled air conditioner into a smart air conditioner. Equipped with a variety of sensors, Sensibo attaches magnetically to your air conditioner and controls it based on your settings. By controlling when it turns on and off, and managing the temperature automatically, Sensibo claims to save up to 40 percent on the air conditioner’s energy usage.
5. Finally, for us HVAC pros here at Daffan Cooling & Heating, we were dazzled by a super-bright flashlight from Sightmark, the SS2000 Tactical Flashlight. Quite often we have to poke around in basements, crawl spaces, and dark closets, so we’re always happy to have a bright source of light to alert us to any critters that might be in there. Sightmark claims the SS2000 will generate 2,000 lumens at its brightest setting, or 280 lumens, or offer a strobe effect at other settings.