The best smart home, IoT products of CES 2017

As IoT devices become more common in our homes, there are more potential avenues for attackers to exploit. Keeping these products safe is difficult, however, considering vendors are not always on the ball when it comes to security vulnerabilities and little is in the way of consumer control.

To tackle this niche in the market for a solution, Norton unveiled the Core at CES 2017, a consumer router which monitors for suspicious activity and acts as an additional layer of securty for connected, IoT devices.

Via: Norton

If you have blind spots and shoddy Wi-Fi coverage around your home -- especially in a time when IoT devices are becoming more common -- Linksys wants to offer an alternative to placing multiple routers around your home.

Velop is a tri-band "mesh" system which promises to deliver full Internet speeds without a drop in performance "in every corner" of your home. As a rival to Google Wifi, multipacks cost up to $499, a more expensive option but one that will cover a four-room property.

Via: Linksys

LG has offered something a little different at this year's Consumer Electronics Show with the PJ9 Levitating Portable Speaker. The speaker uses electromagnets to float in midair, which in turn provides 360-degree sound, and a subwoofer is embedded in the device's station.

When battery life begins to fade, the speaker will automatically begin to wirelessly charge.

Via: LG

During CES 2016, Mayfield Robotics announced Kuri, a $699 smart home robot which can understand context and surroundings, recognize specific people, and respond to questions with facial expressions and movement.

The robot is equipped with an array of microphones, a built-in 1080p camera, and sensors to map its surroundings. You can use the "if this, then that" protocol to give the robot specific tasks or take advantage of pre-programmed functions such as playing music and podcasts, waking you for work and monitoring your home while you are away.

Via: Mayfield

Another product of interest stemming from CES 2017 is ODG's R-9 headset. Designed for virtual reality applications, the $1800 glasses, powered by Qualcomm, are equipped with connectors for business-related modules and sport two 1080p displays.

Via: CNET

This year at CES 2017, Samsung has continued to drive the IoT and smart home market with high-end appliances.

The tech giant debuted the expansion of the Family Hub 2.0 refrigerator smart fridge range to 10 models, all of which include touchscreens, a connected app which gives users the option to create their own profiles, update calendars and task lists as well as hunt down recipes, and a voice assistant which can be used for daily questions such as the weather forecast and news.

In addition, Samsung showed off a four-in-one laundry system, the FlexWash, which washes, dries and keeps clothes folded with a minimum of fuss.

Via: Samsung

A rather unusual gadget to be sure, but once you understand the concept behind the 'smart garbage' accessory, it makes a fair amount of sense.

The GeniCan is an accessory you install close or on your bin and when you throw items away, you scan a barcode or tell the device what items you are getting rid of and the device will automatically add them to your shopping list. You can also link up the $124.99 gadget to Amazon Dash to automatically order more for you.

Via: GeniCan

The U is a connected shower by Moen. The digital controller allows you to get the shower nice and warm before you hop in through a smartphone app which can change water temperature, set timers and automatically turn off your shower after a specified time.

Via: CNET

A device which looks very much like the Amazon Echo speaker, Lenovo's Smart Assistant, debuted at CES 2017.

The PC maker has teamed up with Amazon to make their own version of the Echo, complete with the Alexa voice assistant -- but what is touted to be a better speaker should you choose a model complete with Harman Kardon audio technology. The smart assistant can also be used to control Lenovo smart home devices.

The Ellipse smart bike lock, created by Lattis, is a solar-powered lock made with military-grade materials to keep your bicycle out of the wrong hands.

The $199 device also includes a dual-locking mechanism which can send alerts to your phone should someone attempt to tamper with it.

Via: CNET