Latest and Greatest Smart Home Tech

This year’s Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2021) is quite different from every other year. Most times, this blog has people on-site to attend events, gather information, take photos, and report back to the rest of us. Even though I have never attended the convention myself, I’m always very busy coordinating announcement articles from back here in Canada. While this year’s event is virtual, that last part remains the same this time around, and I have been busy gathering all of the coolest Smart Home information for you so that I could present the latest and greatest Smart Home Tech announced at CES 2021. Read on for some of the highlights!

Latest and Greatest Smart Home Tech

TP-Link’s new offerings

Latest and Greatest Smart Home Tech

TP-Link is one of the Smart Home manufactures to really bring it at this year’s CES. They introduced no less than 6 new products to their lineup. These include the Kasa Smart Doorbell, the Kasa Cam Outdoor with 24/7 Recording, the Kasa Spot Pan Tilt with 24/7 Recording, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch with 3-Way Dimmer Kit, and the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug. That’s a lot of product!

Among the highlights of these new devices are weather-resistance for the outdoor items, a ‘Patrol Mode’ that pans and monitors specific areas and angles that you specifically set for the Spot Pan Tilt camera, and both local and cloud-based storage options for the Smart Doorbell. And then there’s the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch, which is one of this year’s CES Innovation Awards Honourees.

This is in part due to its innovative control features. For example, it can be activated by either motion or an ambient light sensor, as well as the other typical “smart” methods (app, voice, etc.).

Hopefully we will get ahold of some of these devices for review here on the blog once they become available, which we’re assured will happen throughout the course of 2021.

D-Link revelations at CES ’21

D-Link is another company with multiple reveals at this year’s CES, but the one that most interests me is the DCH-S1621KT Whole Home Smart Wi-Fi Water Sensor Kit. This Innovation Awards Honouree has the potential to save you and your home from a whole lot of headaches (and spare you a whole lot of expense!).

This device, which works with the mydlink app, is part of a whole-home water detection solution that will provide you with an early warning of potentially costly water leaks. Among its features are a built-in speaker/siren with 100 dB of audible warning, Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi connectivity with no hub necessary, and it actually serves as a hub itself for setting up additional DCH-S163 units that you can spread remotely around your home in areas that may be susceptible to water leaks.

Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell

Latest and Greatest Smart Home Tech

One of the major Smart Home players, and always on the front lines with new offerings at CES, is Arlo, the smart security camera people. Well, this year they’ve got something along those lines, but it’s also a bit of a departure for them. It’s the Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell—a proximity-sensing doorbell that lets you know someone is at the front door before they can even ring it. No wonder it’s counted among this year’s Innovation Awards Honourees!

The Touchless Video Doorbell takes a slightly different approach from existing video doorbells. How’s that? It provides a vertical view of your visitors rather than the traditional horizontal approach. After all, when people come up to your door, they’re usually standing up! Thus, the Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell gives users a head-to-toe view of their visitors, and it also allows them to see items on the doorstep like packages that have been delivered.

With a 180-degree field of view, full HD video, and an optimized 1:1 aspect ratio, this video doorbell shows you everything you need to see. It also has other great features such as clear, two-way audio; a Wi-Fi connection to your home network; and it’s hardwired to your home’s electrical system. Just another great innovation from the clever folks at Arlo!

Note: Unsurprisingly, Arlo also announced the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera—another CES ’21 Innovation Awards Honouree. The camera, which you’ll likely hear more about in future blog posts, is shown in the image at the top of this report.

Swann Wired Enforcer™ 4K Security System

For the security conscious, Swann revealed the new Swann Wired Enforcer™ Security System. This six camera system is not only wired-in for greater reliability and peace of mind, but it’s also commercial-grade, meaning your home will benefit from a level of protection not generally afforded the home-based consumer.

With four bullet cameras and two dome cams, this system protects your whole home through features like motion detection, spotlights, sirens, and mobile alerts. It even has red and blue flashing lights to scare away intruders, which isn’t exactly new, but sure is cool! You can see some of Swann’s existing Enforcer cameras with this fun feature at Best Buy right now.

Additional features of the Enforcer include 4K video, two-way talk, colour night vision, vehicle detection, facial recognition, and free recording—all for a price that’s affordable, and with no recurring fees. Even though the Enforcer lineup is not an entirely new concept from Swann, it’s nice to know that they’re committed to always improving their tech!

Additional Smart Home information from CES ’21

Among the newly announced Smart Home products with full announcement articles here on the Best Buy Canada Blog are the Lutron Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug, a variety of robotic vacuums and cleaners, home security solutions from Toucan, and an important announcement from C by GE concerning a new app, new products, and a rebranding to Cync™. You can read all about any of these interesting developments by clicking on the appropriate link.

While the above mentions cover many of the biggest Smart Home reveals at CES 2021, there’s a whole lot more that was actually announced than what I can fit in this article. Stay tuned to right here on the blog for future articles and product reviews related to these innovative products. We’ve always got you covered with the latest and greatest Smart Home innovations.

Leonard Bond
Leo enjoys writing about everything from secret agents to tech toys and gadgets to professional hockey. Find his reviews and other product related commentary right here on the Best Buy Blog and his latest hockey rants at www.hockeycontroversial.com.

19 COMMENTS

  1. I’m most excited about the Swann Wired Enforcer™ 4K Security System. With 6 camera’s you can catch someone from any angle.

  2. I am interested in the Toucan wireless security cameras. They look so easy to install. It would greatly hep me keep an eye on my mother who lives alone. With the magnetic base I can easily move the cameras if I need to. Having no wires is a god send.

  3. The new technology announced at the CES which I’d be interested in is the UV-C series of robots from UB tech, which is designed to fight disease using UV-C light to disinfect surfaces.
    A great invention during the pandemic.

  4. Swann Wired Enforcer™ 4K Security System ,WOW The book 1986 story of a Big Brother society being able to feel secure by keeping an eye open around you .Wow we are the masters of our own universe.

  5. Building a house right now and could very well use several of these items! Would probably go with the TP Link suite of products first though

  6. I think the Toucan Wi-Fi Video doorbell with the 180 degree wide field of view would be amazing to have. I am very concerned about security at my home!

  7. The tech announced at CES 2021 I am most excited to see at Best Buy this year is the Swann Wired Enforce 4K Security System. My husband and would like to get a security system for our home and this product would be absolutely amazing to have ! With 4 bullet cameras, 2 dome cams, motion detection, spotlights, sirens, and mobile alerts along with so many other features, we would definitely know our home would be well protected. I especially love the red and blue flashing lights to scare away intruders. Would love to have this system for our home !

  8. well my kids say time to get up to date on tec and seeing smart home tec can help me i thought i should try some smart home tec i will give it a try

  9. I am excited about the Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell. I really like the idea of being notified that someone is at the door before they even ring the door bell.

  10. I am very interested and like arlo wireless doorbell that will wirk with my arlo cameras. Also like to links additions as their smart home devices are great.

    Please also enter me into your contest as inlove gadgets and look forward to testing what i get

  11. I would love to win the prize pack number 3. We have been looking at security systems for our home or my business. Have looked in stores and dont even know where to start..You are saving me from having to go to store and ask all the questions while i am masked. Great contest!!

  12. Sounds that I have to start furnishing my home with Best Buy technology in order for me to appreciate the value of my coverage with LINK.

Comments are closed.