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The Wall Street Journal

The Race to Build Command Centers for Smart Homes

January 03, 2015

Though some big names like Apple and Google aren’t exhibiting at CES, hundreds of smart-home hardware makers are.

Examples include Blossom, a startup offering a new smart sprinkler controller to save on water bills. SkyBell, another startup, plans to show its video doorbell, which has a camera and motion sensor that tells smartphone users who is at their door. Lynx Grills Inc. is delivering on earlier plans for a smartphone-connected outdoor grill that can send users a message when its time to flip the meat. Dado Labs, a newly named company that helps add smart-home features to partner devices, says coming offerings include other grills from Char-Broil LLC and a coffee roaster from Behmor Inc.—both controlled with mobile apps.

Market researchers at Parks Associates recently estimated that U.S. shipments of such devices would exceed 20 million units by the end of 2014—increasing to nearly 36 million units by 2017—with about 13% of U.S. households with a broadband connection owning at least one smart-home device.

From the article "The Race to Build Command Centers for Smart Homes" by Don Clark.

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