Your Home 2.0
18 September, 2014
A new age of apps is upon us, one that extends the control, convenience and distraction of our touch-screen pocket pals to the broader world, all interconnected to make our lives easier.
Unsurprisingly, entertainment outfits have been quick to capitalise, from Sky letting you browse and record TV programmes remotely with a tap of an app to audiovisual brands such as Sony and Samsung harnessing smartphones and tablet as tactile interfaces for their smart TVs. The new generation of high-end games consoles have inevitably followed suit, with games able to be bought, cued up and even debated on the move if you must.
▴ Zik wireless headphones by Parrot
Audio firms have also capitalised on the might of mobile app control. Parrot's impressive Zik Bluetooth wireless headphones (above) utilise an app to manage sound levels and environmental settings on the fly, while Bose has introduced a SoundTouch system across all its products, letting you control, browse and playlist your streaming tunes from your mobile device. The leader of the connected sonic pack, Sonos (below), offers a series of app-controlled streaming speakers in all sizes for stylish but simple multi-room audio, too. ▴ Sonos streaming speaker
▴ Nest Protect carbon monoxide alarm
But while media-rich playthings are an obvious app stomping ground, it's the gamification of less commonly pleasurable pursuits where they're really pioneering. We've talked before of the Nest thermostat, created by former Apple designers to give your phone control over your central heating, but the firm's new Nest Protect extends the courtesy to your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, giving you real-time updates and a sense of safety alongside the slick Silicon Valley icons and interface. iSmartAlarm is one of many attempting to do the same for home security. ▴ Scanomat TopBrewer tap
In the kitchen, you can install a Scanomat TopBrewer tap and dispense freshly ground coffee and juices straight from your worktop in 15 seconds, all custom options chosen and actioned from your phone or tablet screen. Indeed, Apple has this very setup in its own offices. A quick glance to the bathroom and Crosswater's range of connected tubs lets you set your water temperature and even start running water remotely from an app, be it from the comfort of your morning duvet or as you near home from a long day at work.
“In the kitchen, you can install a Scanomat TopBrewer tap and dispense freshly ground coffee and juices straight from your worktop in 15 secondsâ€
While the fitness market is awash with wearable technology right now, adding even more connected mobile devices to tap into the app ecosystem, the likes of Technogym are taking this back to the homefront. Its upcoming Unity treadmill runs on Google's Android operating system, syncing with apps and trackers such as MapMyFitness, Runkeeper and Withings so that your workouts and data are all synced and consistent. The Unity even supports Google's smart Glass specs, which utilize an app to let you control running speed and gradient with your voice and view real-time stats in your eye line.
Apps will even be controlling the car in your garage by the end of the year. Ford's integrated Sync setup is filtering the likes of hands-free entertainment, from directions to Spotify, through to its many car lines, while Google has recently announced the Open Automotive Alliance, which sees the likes of Audi, Hyundai and Honda running their maps, entertainment and in-car navigation systems on an Android operating system. Apple is expected to do the same in the very near future, too, with the age of the badly holstered Bluetooth smartphone satnav is soon to be behind us. ▴ The Kernel by FuseProject
The real future for apps, though, takes convenience beyond previously assumed barriers, not just tech embellishment but genuinely life-changing new frontiers. Yves Béhar's FuseProject has developed The Kernel (above), an app-powered necklace that takes a blood or saliva sample and sends it for analysis to a doctor via the cloud, with diagnosis and next steps messaged back swiftly. This should be a reality in just five short years, which should make your home First Aid Kit something to behold within the decade. Words: Matt Hill Editor T3 Mag
Audio firms have also capitalised on the might of mobile app control. Parrot's impressive Zik Bluetooth wireless headphones (above) utilise an app to manage sound levels and environmental settings on the fly, while Bose has introduced a SoundTouch system across all its products, letting you control, browse and playlist your streaming tunes from your mobile device. The leader of the connected sonic pack, Sonos (below), offers a series of app-controlled streaming speakers in all sizes for stylish but simple multi-room audio, too. ▴ Sonos streaming speaker
▴ Nest Protect carbon monoxide alarm
But while media-rich playthings are an obvious app stomping ground, it's the gamification of less commonly pleasurable pursuits where they're really pioneering. We've talked before of the Nest thermostat, created by former Apple designers to give your phone control over your central heating, but the firm's new Nest Protect extends the courtesy to your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, giving you real-time updates and a sense of safety alongside the slick Silicon Valley icons and interface. iSmartAlarm is one of many attempting to do the same for home security. ▴ Scanomat TopBrewer tap
In the kitchen, you can install a Scanomat TopBrewer tap and dispense freshly ground coffee and juices straight from your worktop in 15 seconds, all custom options chosen and actioned from your phone or tablet screen. Indeed, Apple has this very setup in its own offices. A quick glance to the bathroom and Crosswater's range of connected tubs lets you set your water temperature and even start running water remotely from an app, be it from the comfort of your morning duvet or as you near home from a long day at work.
“In the kitchen, you can install a Scanomat TopBrewer tap and dispense freshly ground coffee and juices straight from your worktop in 15 secondsâ€
While the fitness market is awash with wearable technology right now, adding even more connected mobile devices to tap into the app ecosystem, the likes of Technogym are taking this back to the homefront. Its upcoming Unity treadmill runs on Google's Android operating system, syncing with apps and trackers such as MapMyFitness, Runkeeper and Withings so that your workouts and data are all synced and consistent. The Unity even supports Google's smart Glass specs, which utilize an app to let you control running speed and gradient with your voice and view real-time stats in your eye line.
Apps will even be controlling the car in your garage by the end of the year. Ford's integrated Sync setup is filtering the likes of hands-free entertainment, from directions to Spotify, through to its many car lines, while Google has recently announced the Open Automotive Alliance, which sees the likes of Audi, Hyundai and Honda running their maps, entertainment and in-car navigation systems on an Android operating system. Apple is expected to do the same in the very near future, too, with the age of the badly holstered Bluetooth smartphone satnav is soon to be behind us. ▴ The Kernel by FuseProject
The real future for apps, though, takes convenience beyond previously assumed barriers, not just tech embellishment but genuinely life-changing new frontiers. Yves Béhar's FuseProject has developed The Kernel (above), an app-powered necklace that takes a blood or saliva sample and sends it for analysis to a doctor via the cloud, with diagnosis and next steps messaged back swiftly. This should be a reality in just five short years, which should make your home First Aid Kit something to behold within the decade. Words: Matt Hill Editor T3 Mag