UPDATED 13:48 EDT / SEPTEMBER 10 2015

NEWS

Turn your car into a hotspot with this new, wireless plug-in

This week’s Smart Living roundup features the first vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot plug-in, new connected home appliances featured at IFA 2015, and what could be the most advanced voice-activated home automation system to hit the market to date.

AT&T delivers the first vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot plug-in

ZTE Mobley deviceAT&T, Inc. and ZTE USA launched a new device that delivers hotspots connectivity to vehicles. Called the ZTE Mobley, the plug-in vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot device features a Qualcomm MDM9215 processor and will allow up to five devices to connect to the Internet via AT&T’s hotspot data plan and LTE network. The plug-in works with most vehicles manufactured in 1996 and newer models. The device plugs into the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics port to deliver connectivity and this connection also charges the device, eliminating the need for an unruly charging cable.

The device will be available for zero down with a two-year agreement of $100 with no annual commitment. The device will be added to AT&T’s Mobile Share Value plan for an additional access charge of $10 per month or be connected with a DataConnect plan with a monthly charge of $20 for 1GB or $30 for 3GB of data. The device will be available starting September 11, 2015.

Whirlpool returns to IFA with new smart appliances

This year marks Whirlpool Corp.’s return to IFA since it acquired Indesit Company. Whirlpool brought its A game to the trade show with a number of new connected home appliances. Some of the brands under the corporation which showcased their new products included Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Bauknecht, Essentials, Hotpoint and Indesit.

Bauknecht debuted its BLive app for Android and iOS that allows users to control the brand’s premium line of washers, dryers, and refrigerators, and Indesit’s new eXtra cooling refrigerator and the new MyTime washing machine that features six “everyday fast” cycles, immediately selectable and tailored to give a perfect result in less than one hour.

ABB’s advanced, voice activated smart home

ABB has updated its free@home platform that makes it easier for installers to offer home automation, with an advanced voice recognition system that allows users to control connected appliances with just their voice.

What makes the system different from other voice-activated systems is that users can set it to receive feedback as to whether a command was performed or not, or even answer questions regarding the connected home. free@home uses a hybrid voice recognition solution, which is a combination of grammar based speech recognition and a statistical speech model, which allows it to understand natural speech and commands. It uses algorithms to analyze the user’s intention and context of the command given, so using words such as ‘please’ is understood. Users can ask to shut blinds for certain rooms and get a feedback or ask whether lights are turned off in a certain room and get an answer.

A new Action menu was also added, which uses the ‘if… then’ logic sequence. You can program it to turn the air conditioning on if the room temperature hits 25 °C, or have lights turned on automatically when it gets dark, and so on.

Image source: AT&T, Inc.

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