As technology rapidly improves, our homes are becoming more connected than ever--from the thermostat learning your perfect temperature to your refrigerator automatically ordering milk when you're low--"smart home" features are catching on.
Reuters recently reported on Amazon's foray into the connected home space as the company is increasing staffing to test a button consumers can use to order ... anything.
"Amazon is testing a simple wi-fi device that could be placed in the kitchen or a closet, allowing customers to order products like detergent by pressing a button," an anonymous source told Reuters.
British Gas' Hive entered the connected home space about a year ago with its smart thermostats and is currently the most popular smart heating solution in the UK. The company isn't slowing down, announcing plans to expand to the rest of your home in the near future.
"Infrared presence sensors and little keyfobs you put on your bag that tell you when people in and out are on our radar," says Kassir Hussain, Director of Connected Homes at British Gas. "We're also looking at geolocation but we're being very careful with that due to privacy issues. Knowing that you've stepped through the front door is a good first step, but whether we'll go beyond that remains to be seen."
Do you see the smart home as a convienence? Are the quantification and tracking abilities many of these products offer an invasion of privacy? Sound off in the comments.
