Photos: 12 upcoming trends in connected devices - TechRepublic

Photos: 12 upcoming trends in connected devices

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    1. The commute

    From your laundry to fridge magnets, here are 12 innovative devices to further connect your life.

    The example: TravelSafely

    Currently deployed in Atlanta and other major US cities, the TravelSafely app provides verbal warnings for various traffic issues, including red lights, speeding, and emergency vehicles.

    Image: Peter Ashley, Applied Information
  • 2. Hospital wear

    The example: Xenoma E-Skin Pajamas

    Designed for hospital patients, Xenoma E-Skin Pajamas can monitor vital signs and movement through embedded sensors.

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    3. Bathroom mirrors

    b CareOS smart health and beauty hub and Kohler Verdera Alexa-enabled mirror

    The CareOS hub (shown) brings a slew of technologies to the bathroom mirror to essentially act as a personal care assistant. Also showcased at CES 2018, the Kohler Verdera mirror is Alexa-enabled.

    Image: Teena Maddox\/TechRepublic
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    4. Home fragrance

    The example: Moodo

    The Moodo smart fragrance box holds four scent cartridges, and the user can create their own custom home fragrances and control which one is spraying via the connected app.

    Image: Teena Maddox\/TechRepublic
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    5. Motorcycle helmets

    The example: Skully Fenix AR

    The smart Skully motorcycle helmet will use augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to boost riders’ safety, with features like 360-degree awareness, a rear-view camera, and hands-free calling and music. The helmet is slated to release this summer.

    Image: Skully
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    6. Athletic gear

    The example: Harmon smart athletic clothing

    Want to take that fitness resolution to the next level? Smart athletic clothing, like this tank top from Harmon with embedded sensors that track health data that could help the wearer improve their performance.

    Image: Teena Maddox\/TechRepublic
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    7. Weather analytics

    The example: Understory

    Understory utilizes sensor technology to track weather analytics. The proprietary sensors allow them to beat legacy weather data collectors, the company says.

    Image: Understory
  • 8. Shoes

    The example: E-Vone smart shoes

    Potentially useful for older people and people constantly on their feet, the GPS-equipped E-Vone smart shoes can detect when the wearer falls and sends an alert to an emergency contact.

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    9. Wine rack

    The example: Caveasy smart wine rack

    The Caveasy rack can help wine fans track what wines they have and when they’re best to drink. Users take a photo of the bottle’s label, add the photo to the connected app, and place the bottle on the rack.

    Image: Teena Maddox\/TechRepublic
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    10. Laundromat

    The example: Washlava

    With Washlava, you can reserve and pay for laundry machines via a smartphone app. For people using a laundromat or other communal washer and dryer set-up, being connected can cut down on wait times and reduce the need to constantly have quarters.

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    11. Kitchen magnets

    The example: NFC-enabled refrigerator magnets

    Spirits fans can scan these connected kitchen magnets to be directed to an online marketplace to order one of six Campari liquors. The liquors can then be delivered straight to the user’s home, skipping the liquor store line.

    Image: Thinfilm
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    12. Pet care

    The examples: Catspad and YaDoggie Bluetooth-connected dog food scoop

    Regardless of if you’re a cat or a dog person, some form of pet item is now available in a connected form. Catspad (shown) is a smartphone-connected device to automatically supply food to your cat, and YaDoggie is a Bluetooth-connected scoop for dog food that lets you know when you’re close to running out.

    Image: Teena Maddox\/TechRepublic
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Olivia Krauth

Olivia Krauth is a multiplatform reporter at TechRepublic.