Bluetooth® and Bluetooth Smart technology are all about connections—connecting things to things, devices to applications and, with the recent Google announcement, connecting your information to the cloud—to enable the Internet of Things. “It has really been phenomenal to watch Bluetooth Smart drive the creation of a whole new class of far-reaching solutions for the Internet of My Things. “This growth is set to continue, as Bluetooth Smart is a leading choice for low-power solutions that need to communicate with consumer devices such as smartphones, tablets PCs, and more, creating a whole new category of appcessories,” said Lisa Arrowsmith, at IHS Technology. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the smart home. Check out some of these interesting new smart home products coming to market.

Smart Locks, Bulbs and Flowers, Oh My!
There are some cool home automation products on the market that light, lock and help make our lives simpler. Withings Aura is a product to help us fall asleep faster, better and wake up easier. The Aura uses Bluetooth to collect and share data to help it adapt to your needs.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could control all the lights in your house with your smartphone? Now you can with ilumi. Ilumi is a Bluetooth Smart light bulb that uses an application to set the mood with so many color combinations. You can control all the lights in the house, in a single room or one bulb at a time. You cans set alarms, turn lights on and off at certain times, have the lights illuminate in a color when you have a phone call or text message…the possibilities are endless with its proximity and music sync capabilities. For even more Bluetooth light, you can try the Lumen TL800 LED Smart Bulb. You control this light bulb with your smart device to change the color of light and sync it to your music to set the mood for romance, relaxation or party.

Goji is coming out with a smart lock that can unlock your front door with your smartphone. The Goji Lock is a small round cylinder that fits directly over your existing deadbolt. When your Bluetooth enabled phone comes into range, the door automatically unlocks. Other features include being able to open up the door remotely for family members, taking photos of anyone accessing the door, and an LED welcome screen.

Now anyone can grow plants like a boss. MEG introduced its innovative new flowerpots—Optima—that water themselves, collect data on light levels and temperatures, and alert growers through Bluetooth and its accompanying application.

Oort and Archos Automate Your Home
Oort is a Bluetooth Smart system that acts as a hub device to control all the smart devices in your home via a single application—even when you are not in range. Using a system of beacons, sensors, switches and cloud and mobile management, Oort can control virtually every aspect of your home. The video gives you a good idea of how you can use Oort to monitor your family, pets, and things. Oort can also be used in retail and manufacturing situations to push messages to consumers or monitor workflow and productivity.

Similarly, Archos is developing an array of “Connected Objects” for its smart home hub. Archos includes things like motion sensors, mini cameras, alarms and smart plugs that connect via Bluetooth Smart. The camera, motion tag and motion ball work to help protect your home while the weather tag tracks temperature and humidity and the plug automates your appliances. The hub is a conventional Android tablet that runs an app to monitor each of the connected devices, check the status, and set up a range of actions.

(Credit: Nanci Taplett)