Smart Design
With its startling pace of evolution, technology has landed us in a world where more and more devices are connecting and communicating with each other. This is no mad scientist experiment that will end in doom. Quite the opposite, in fact. The latest smart home technology will make modern living a seamless experience, all at the touch of our smartphones.
Having moved well beyond the basic solar roof panels, smart TVs and remote home automation, these new-generation devices — developed by some of the hottest new names in smart technology — are as slickly designed as they are indispensable to our sensibilities in 2016.
Petcube
Designed to ease the guilt of pet owners who have to leave their pets alone for long hours, Petcube was funded on Kickstarter and became one of the most successful crowdfunding pet products in history. A sleek 10cm cube, it is an interactive wireless pet camera that allows you to watch, talk and play with your animals, no matter the distance between. Connect the device to your Wifi and download the iOS- and Android-compatible apps onto your smartphone. The device’s 138 degree wide-angle camera and two-way audio stream will not only allow obsessive pet owners to interact with their furry friends, you can even share your pet videos with friends and family. Approximately Dh750. petcube.com
The Ring
Draw your curtains, switch off the TV, change presentation slides or control the hue of smart lightbulbs — all at the wave of your finger. Tokyo-based designer, Takuro Yoshida first introduced us to the concept of a wearable gestural-control accessory for the home in 2013. For his latest model, Ring Zero, all you need to do, once you’ve downloaded the app on your iPhone is to create customised, directional commands on the iPhone screen with your fingertips. Wear the ring on your index finger, press its touch sensor while making gestural commands in the air. Release your thumb from the sensor for it do your bidding. Approximately Dh550. logbar.jp
Netatmo Welcome
Facial recognition technology is not just for James Bond movies or Facebook photo tags. Netatmo Welcome, a home security camera uses revolutionary facial recognition technology to send you updates on who is at your home via the smartphone. Place the camera in your home facing the entrance and, via its app, identify your family members. For your peace of mind, the device will notify you on the presence of your loved ones, such as children and elders. It will also send you alerts on when a stranger is around. Welcome Tags can be placed on doors, windows, even letterbox flaps and driveway gates to receive notifications when they open. Tags being sensitive to vibration, you will be safer against intrusion. Approximately Dh820. netatmo.com
Flower Power
You will never have to worry about killing your plants again. The French tech giant Parrot, known for developing advanced technology wireless products, introduce Flower Power. Put the prong shaped device in a pot or in the ground and it will analyse the parameters essential to your plant’s wellbeing. Statistics and alerts on sunlight, temperature, fertiliser and moisture will be sent to your smartphone whenever your attention is needed. With statistics on over 7,000 plants, real-time plant activity log and a diary for the next two weeks, anyone can develop a green thumb with this gadget. Approximately Dh220. parrot.com
Nest
The thermostat of the future, all you need to do is remove your existing temperature control device and install this ‘learning’ thermostat. It takes around 30 minutes to get it up and running, but once you’ve programmed the time of day and downloaded the app, turn the dial up to your preferred temperature; Nest will record your daily routine and preferred temperatures across the day. A week’s worth of daily use will allow Nest to programme itself and automatically adjust to your life and season changes. The smartphone app will allow you to control your home environment at the swipe of the screen and also alert you on possible malfunctions in other home infrastructure like furnaces, ovens and pipes. Approximately Dh920. nest.com
(All prices indicative only and excluding shipping etc)
— Pratyush Sarup is design manager at one of the UAE’s premium interiors firms.
