UPDATED 13:50 EDT / DECEMBER 01 2014

What you missed in the Smart World: DIY smart home kits, health tracker for cats

This week’s Smart World Series features new products to retrofit your home for connected upgrades, wearable technology to keep your posture in check and a platform that will help build smarter cities.

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For those who missed last week’s Smart World Series, here’s a chance to catch up on the exciting developments in the connected world. Each week, SiliconANGLE rounds up the top news trends regarding smart homes and cars, smart data centers and IT, smart infrastructure, and all things related to the Internet of Things (IoT).

Retrofit your home with littleBits’ Smart Home Kit

 

littleBits Electronics, Inc. introduced a new kit to readily turn any home appliance or fixture into a smart one. The littleBits’ Smart Home Kit costs $249 and comes with 14 modules including a temperature sensor, 11 accessories including an AC switch, and the cloudBit hub acting as the brains of the operation by enabling just about any device to connect to the Internet.

Also included in this roundup is FYI Devices’ movement, temperature and water leak sensor, as well as Bidgely, Inc.’s collaboration with London Hydro Inc. to help homes save on electricity bills.

Find out more about these new smart products and partnerships in our Smart Living roundup.

Wearable tech to triple by 2018: See how

 

A report from Juniper Research Ltd states that the wearable tech market is expected to triple by 2018 and this huge boost is thanks to interesting devices such as Tailio, a cat health tracker that goes under your kitty’s litter box and measures weight, waste and litter box trends to determine the health status. Also featured in this roundup is Arki, a wearable smart band that not only measures your daily activities, but also makes sure you keep proper posture.

Find out more about these ingenious products in our Smart Health roundup.

Cities will only become smart by working together: Report

 

A new report from Frost & Sullivan predicted that the smart city market will be valued at $1.565 trillion by 2020, as well as a majority of the population will be living in urban areas. The report also stated that cities will be working closely with one another for smart city initiatives.

Companies are trying to mark their territories in this connected era, as Aclara Technologies LLC launches Intelligent Infrastructure: Data, Efficiency, Analytics and Services (iiDEAS) Operational Data Management System, a pivotal platform that allows utilities to realize the full potential of true Smart Infrastructure Solutions (SIS). Also boosting its smart tech portfolio is Visualant, Inc., receiving the seventh patent for its ChromaID technology.

Find out more about how these products will help in the transformation of cities in our Smart City roundup.

Tune in next week for more interesting stories, discoveries and innovations in the world of smart and connected things.

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