At CES 2019 a lot of focus has been put on some of the ‘quantum leap’ tech that has been developed in the past year from flying taxis to foldable TV’s. This allowed one of the most accessible and impactful bits of tech to fly under the radar.
The last 12 months have seen a huge increase in the number of smart home devices, particularly smart plugs, available on the market. They vary widely in price and in functionality but all of them are designed to save you money and make your life easier. From complex units integrating Alexa with complex apps that can be accessed anywhere in the world to simple mechanical times that turn off after a set period. With prices starting at around £10, with top-end models costing over £100, there is something to suit every budget.
Smart plugs and homeware have come into the forefront in recent years as consumers become more conscious about their impacts on the environment. Smart plugs are a quick and easy way to make difference. They have the added benefit of not only saving you money but also protecting your phone, the overcharging of Lithium-Ion batteries found in phones and laptops leads to a long-term reduction in battery life.
Before now there was always a manual element with managing these plugs, whether that is remembering to set a timer or using the app, however, the new trend for 2019 is the movement towards automatic plugs. These clever plugs are designed to automatically turn off when the connected device reaches 100% charge. This not only saves electricity but also reduces fire hazards as well as improving the battery life of your mobile, tablet or laptop.
The system is currently only used for mobiles and laptops but as the focus switches to electricity as the primary source of energy in the future, technologies such as this will become even more important for further applications from Electric cars to scooters. Keep an eye out, these new bits of kit will be hitting the market in 2019.