This week’s SmartHome roundup features a connected camera to keep an eye on everything, a voice controlled thermostat, and a little gadget that let’s you stream music throughout your house.

simplicam

ArcSoft introduced a new surveillance device at CES 2014.  Called simplicam, the little device allows you to monitor your home through your Android or iOS devices, or even with your computer.  It is powered by Closeli, a recording service that allows you to save and edit video recordings without the expense of long term plans.  What makes simplicam unique from other surveillance devices is that it has both facial-tracking features and facial recognition features so you’ll know if someone is at home and who they are.

Simplicam is slated for a February release, but if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on it, you can pre-order it now here.

Honeywell WiFi thermostat with voice control

image source: Honeywell

Talking to inanimate objects seems to be the latest fad in smart home tech.  Being able to naturally interact with our smart home solutions is an emerging alternative to fumbling with a smartphone app every time you want to manage your environment.  More solution providers are exploring voice control, including the recently released Honeywell WiFi thermostat.  This is a smart thermostat that you can control remotely, as well as by speaking commands.

But be warned, the voice control feature only works with its pre-programmed commands. It’s not a learning thermostat, unlike Nest.

BeoSound Essence

image source: Bang & Olufsen

What if your life is like a movie in the sense that your favorite tune plays at the right moment?  BeoSound Essence, a new device from Bang & Olufsen, wants to program the soundtrack to your life.  This sleek gadget comes from a brand known for creating crafty, modern and aesthetically-pleasing audio devices, and that attention to design has been incorporated into the user interface as well.

The face of the BeoSound features the controls: play, previous, next and silence which allows you to easily control music, and the aluminum wheel allows you to turn the volume up or down.  It connects with any active Bang & Olufsen wireless speakers, can browse songs via the new BeoMusic app, or play songs via Spotify Connect, QPlay, internet radio, or via AirPlay.  BeoSound can play songs right where you left off, or change with a single touch.  You can mount it on the wall, or put it on your coffee table for easy access, or by the door so you can play your favorite tunes when you walk in.  The BeoSound Essence is coming this April.