UPDATED 14:05 EDT / DECEMBER 29 2014

Smart Living 2014: A Year in Review

Highlighting smart home innovations and market trends, SiliconANGLE’s Smart Living series has followed this sector closely in 2014. As the year comes to a close, we recap the top developments related to smart home automation devices, connected cars and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices that make daily living a heck of a lot more convenient.

SmartThings home page

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TiE’s Top 5 most influential IoT tech for 2014

 

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a nonprofit trade group dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and sponsor of the annual conference TiECON, announced earlier this year that home automation is on its list of top 5 most influential IoT technologies for this year.

Others on the list included smartwatches, health and fitness tracking, connected retail, and virtual and augmented reality.

Read the full story here.

Insteon partners with Microsoft for home automation

 

Smart home platform provider Insteon launched its official Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone app this year with exclusive features, such as Visitor Mode for allowing guests entrance to a home without giving out spare keys. The release of the app was also combined with the availability of Insteon kits in Microsoft Stores at a starting price $199.

In September, Insteon announced plans to add new features to its Windows app, including support for Cortana, Microsoft’s voice assistant that allows users to control their smart homes through spoken commands. The update will also include support for multiple cameras, multi-house control and monitoring, and a new dashboard for easier access to controls.

Read the full story here.

WebOS now in 1 million homes

 

Many had high hopes for the mobile operating system WebOS when Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) acquired its creator Palm, but its full potential was not fully utilized. Just when things looked most dire for  WebOS, the system got a second chance when LG Electronics Inc. took WebOS off HP’s hands.

Following the integration of WebOS to its smart TV platform, LG announced that it sold more than 1 million WebOS-powered smart TVs. The South Korean company expects sales to hit the 10 million mark by mid-2015.

Read the full story here.

Google’s Open Automotive Alliance

 

car driver speedyIn January, Google announced the creation of the Open Automotive Alliance by industry leaders, with the goal of putting Android operating systems into more connected cars.

Initially, the group consisted of Google, General Motors Co., Honda Motor Company, Ltd, Audi AG, Hyundai Motor Co., and chipmaker Nvidia Corp. The alliance is focused on bringing a successful mobile operating system to in-car entertainment systems in a way that is purpose built for cars.

LG later joined the alliance, making it the first phone manufacturer and existing Android-supporter to join the group. At I/O 2014, LG introduced a new range of Audio, Visual and Navigation (AVN) system solutions for connected cars, which is slated for a 2015 release.

Read the full story here.

A good year for Nest

 

Google acquired smart thermostat maker Nest Labs, Inc. earlier this year, and though concerns were raised over Google’s plans for user data, as well as a snag with the launch of a smart smoke detector, Nest will end the year on a strong note thanks to its consistent updates throughout 2014.

In June, Nest announced the Nest Developer Program, which offers an application development interface that allows developers to make their products compatible with Nest. In August, it teamed up with Big Ass Fans Co. to help households reduce air conditioning costs, and to top of 2014, Nest has also been making key acquisitions of its own, buying Revolv, Inc., maker of a smart hub that allows other connected devices to communicate with each other.

Electric car manufacturers collaborate on charging tech

 

The issue of limited charging stations for electric vehicles may soon be addressed, as Tesla Motors, Inc. recently made its charging patent freely available for other car makers to develop a universal charging port for electric vehicles.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and BMW AG are said to be collaborating with Tesla in developing the universal charging network to make owning an electric vehicle more appealing to drivers.

Read the full story here.

Samsung acquires SmartThings

 

Following in the steps of Google, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has also turned to acquisitions in order to fortify its home automation offerings. It acquired SmartThings Inc., a startup that specializes in the creation of connect home devices, such as window and door sensors, control hubs, moisture sensors and smart sockets, to name a few.

Though SmartThings is now part of Samsung’s family of businesses, it promises to remain an open platform that allows developers and hardware makers to build on it without restrictions.

Read the full story here.

Kitchens get smarter

 

image source: The Orange Chef

The Orange Chef cutting board

The Orange Chef Co. has established itself with various products to help people in the kitchen, including the Chef Sleeve that protects your iPad while using it to read off recipes while cooking, an iPad Cutting Board and Stand and the Prep Pad that helps you keep track of the meals you prefer. So it was no surprise when Orange Chef received funding from Melo7 Tech Partners, LLC, a venture capital firm founded by NBA star Carmelo Anthony and his friend Stuart Goldfarb, a former executive at NBC and Bertelsmann.

The funding indicates financial support of a growing market, where startups are leveraging existing mobile technology to offer vertical services within the IoT sector.

 

Blunt + Tile = first traceable umbrella

 

Don’t you just hate it when you leave your umbrella at the restaurant on a rainy day? Thanks to the partnership between Blunt Umbrellas UK Ltd. and Tile Inc., you can now purchase an umbrella that can be tracked if lost, misplaced or stolen.

Blunt umbrellas are known for their unique and lightweight design that makes them sturdy, even in strong winds and rain. Its ribs and shaft are made from durable fiberglass and feature an aerodynamic design. Blunt umbrellas are also storm resistant and come with a two-year warranty. By integrating Tile with Blunt, users never have to worry about losing their expensive and highly specialized umbrellas again.

Read the full story here.

The state of connected device security

 

In late November, the United Kingdom issued a warning that a Russian-based website was broadcasting live feeds from webcams, baby monitors and CCTVs. The hack affected more than 250 countries, and the site showed a list of 4,591 cameras in the U.S., 2,059 in France and 1,576 in the Netherlands, as well as other feeds that were identified to have come from developing countries, such as Nicaragua, Pakistan, Kenya, Paraguay and Zimbabwe.

The hackers were able to get into these cameras by using default passwords, or the cameras were broadcasting unprotected feeds, lacking log-in requirements to view.

Gary Huestis, owner of cyber-security company E-Investigations, offered expert perspective stating that Internet-connected devices make homes vulnerable to cyberspying, adding that anything allowing for remote control access is an invitation for hackers to access your home network.

Huestis advises users to turn off remote access when not in use, and to change default passwords and usernames of the device to prevent hackers from gaining access maliciously.

Feature image courtesy of SmartThings
photo credit: PhotoDu.de / CreativeDomainPhotography.com via photopin cc

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