Best Home Tech From CES 2021

CES always brings some of the latest innovations in technology whether that’s for PCs, wearable devices, or the next generation of cars but where it particularly shines is in home tech.

With the majority of us spending more and more time at home due to remote working and self-isolating, making your home ‘smart’ could be the key to not only improving comfortability, but also making those little additions to make your life that little bit easier.

CES 2021 has boasted a plethora of smart home devices and appliances that do just that, with the majority being extremely useful and that small percentage that’s a little outlandish even for you extreme tech enthusiasts…

We’ll be looking at all the best home tech that’s come out of CES 2021 and maybe just help you out a little in your next purchase.

If you’re looking for that robot butler that 80s movies predicted would come in the future, then look no further than the Samsung Bot Handy.

This four-foot tall robot companion has a fully functional robotic arm and a face with computer monitor vision to judge its surroundings. These come together to provide you with that extra help that you might need around the house such as serving you that drink that’s just too far away or loading up your dishwasher, giving you one less job to do.

If you’re concerned about any spillages or broken crockery, Sebastian Seung, vice president of Samsung Research, suggests otherwise – “Bot Handy uses AI to understand objects like a glass cup or ceramic plate, taking care with materials to work as your trusted partner.”

“Robotics and AI adapting to you and helping you do things more easily at home, and outside of it.”

Due to it being still in its prototype stage, Samsung hasn’t attached any date of release or price point yet for the Bot Handy but with more and more robot tech being seen in the wild, we’re sure it can’t be that far out.

Would you take advantage of something like the Bot Handy in the near future? Or would it be more hassle than it’s worth?

If you’ve ever been worried about your pets not getting enough exercise when you’re out of the house all day then the myQ PetPortal is exactly what you need. This takes cat/dog flaps to a whole new level bringing remote access to your pet’s wants and needs right at your fingertips.

Essentially, the PetPortal is a whole new take on the traditional pet flap in your door, making it a fully ‘smart’ system that you can control. Instead of the flap that you’d usually install onto your door, the door itself is replaced with a smart alternative with the bottom section sliding open when your pet wants to go outside. You can either control this door via your phone from wherever you are or triggered via a Bluetooth collar that can be placed on your pet. Moreover, due to the ‘smart door’ there’s two-way communication built-in with accompanying camera and microphone so you can see and talk to your four-legged friend.

This all sounds great, right? Well, CES thought so too, providing it with the innovation award for its capabilities.

The big downside is that the myQ PetPortal is pretty pricey, probably more than your pet even costs…So, if you want to get one of these things it’s going to set you back around $4500 which will certainly make your bank account squeal.

There are similar alternatives that come in extremely cheap in comparison but the drawbacks lie in the size of the ‘flap’ in which is only big enough for cats in the main. So, if you’re a dog owner, better get saving those pennies…

TVs have come a long way in recent years with the jump for 1080p full HD to 4k resolutions, and ideas like the Samsung Wall model, essentially replacing a whole wall in your home. But, even though it only seems like yesterday 4k becoming mainstream, 8k screens are on the near horizon with TCL returning to CES once again to wow us with their displays.

If you’re wondering how much better than 4k 8k is, well, you might just have guessed it, 4 times better. This means the already incredibly sharp and detailed picture of a 4k resolution display will be left in 8k’s dust, potentially even eye-watering.

TCL debuted their 8k entries into their 6 series lineup in which come in at a mid-range cost but still sport extremely vivid colors, deep blacks, and almost edge to edge screen. Moreover, with these new models comes brand new mini LED tech which TCL is dubbing OD Zero. This tech builds on the second generation mini LEDs that were introduced into the last 6 series TVs, making the screen even thinner thanks to a 0mm gap between the backlight layer and the LCD panel.

One issue you might have to consider though is that some content hasn’t even reached the 4k threshold yet never mind 8k, so for the time being, you’re going to be stuck at a maximum of 4k for the majority of your favorite shows and movies for the foreseeable future.

These TCL 8k TVs will be on sale in 2021 so get saving if you want that crystal clear quality 8k provides.

We’ve seen the introduction of automated vacuums for a number of years now with products like Roomba but these are a little limited in terms of features and have had problems navigating your home. At CES 2021, not only has Samsung debuted the Handy Robot, they also introduced the JetBot 90 AI+, pitted to be the next big thing in robot vacuums.
The JetBot 90 AI+ utilizes object recognition technology to identify the best paths in your rooms for optimal cleaning as well as determining what objects are what and attempt to avoid any obstacles. Additionally, the 3D sensors enable the JetBot to avoid even the smallest objects in your home such as wires while also trying to clean those hard to reach places.

The big departure from older competitors is the inclusion of a camera on the vacuum itself which can link to teh SmartThings app, essentially acting like a moving security camera around your home.

All in all, a pretty solid outing for home tech and for Samsung specifically with their Handy Robot and JetBot 90 AI. Both of these really show off futuristic thinking and what kinds of technology might simply become a part of everyone’s home in the coming years.

The JetBot 90 AI+ will be available in the first half of 2021 but no official price tag has been announced.

Which of these home tech announcements did you like best? And which will make us even lazier as a human race?… Let us know in the comments.