Lowdown: Connected devices
Nick HirstDare
Last year, Smart Homes were a trend. This year it really becomes a product category. The idea, as you probably know, is that objects and appliances in the home are connected to other objects and/or to the internet. This means three things. One, automation or programming: heating can switch off when you're away; lights can come on when it's dark. Two, they can 'report' on their current state: cookers can tell you if they're on when you're out of the house; appliances could alert engineers when they're on the blink. And three, they can...