The Goji Smart Lock

Throw away all of those keys that you have on your keychain. Coming in June, the process of going in and out of your house will be keyless. The Goji Smart Lock, which was initially launched through a crowd funding campaign, has set itself up to become to first major player in this new emerging market. For those of you who believe that the Goji only has one function, think again.

While the main function of the Goji Smart Lock is to let users lock and unlock their doors with their smartphones or electronic fobs, it also has the ability for you to give time-controlled access to other people who may need to enter the house. In addition, the Goji lets you see who is at the door even if you are not there. This function is probably one of the best in the eyes of the average consumer, being that we are currently in a heightened state of paranoia in general. We crave security, and the Goji provides the added comfort that makes society's consumers a little more relaxed when going away on a business trip or on vacation.

Guess what else is beneficial about the Goji; it lets you know when the door is locked if you leave and second-guess about doing so. We all have that moment, and this function is another great selling point that will play to the worries and doubts of the average consumer here in America. Now, Lets get back to the other functions in some more detail.

When you want to give restricted access to people to enter your home, Goji lets you set a specific time and date for provided access. Once the time and date are set, and you allow the person to have access during that period through a simple text message. Now, if a someone comes to the door, and was not provided prior clearance, you will be alerted by smartphone if your doorknob twists. The Goji will also provide you with a snapshot of the individual trying to gain entry, provided by the 1-megapixel camera that is on the Smart Lock.

 

The Goji, which retails for $278, works with IOS and android platforms, and goes right over your current doors existing keyhole. Now, the question is, how will this new device actually be received by the public? And what are its impacts on societies around the globe? Objectively speaking, I believe there will be a slow turnover to this type of home technology. One of the main reasons I believe a lot of people will be slow to convert is because technology always has a flaw, and there will always be the chance that the technology will malfunction. There is also the possibility of hackers gaining access to your account and therefore gaining unlimited entry into your home. Technology is a blessing, but it can also be a curse in disguise. However, it is hard to not be so optimistic about a product like this because it has some fantastic functions.

 

Overall, it would definitely provide us with more security and a greater sense of calmness when we are away from. It is more convenient for letting people get in if they have to, or just avoiding the annoying task of having to dig through all of those keys on your keychain. This will eventually be the norm in the future, but we will just have to find out how quickly the American consumer adapts to it.

2017...The Year of The Smart Watch

 

It’s no secret that the smart watch is taking over.

However…we might have to wait until 2017.

 

The wearable wristband market has been heating up the past few months, but most forecasts expect more than 17 million wearable devices will ship throughout 2014. This slightly disappointing number includes both smart watches like Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, and fitness wristband trackers like the Fitbit.

The research firm Canalys has estimated that smart watch shipments alone will reach 8 million in 2014, and then will grow to more than 23 million units by 2015. In 2017…45 million.

So in other words, the market is expected to grow.

But is the era of the smart watch just a fad? Or can we really expect the wearable tech trend to last?

2013 was the year of the Fitbit, when the wristband fitness tracker became the market leader, capturing 58% of the market share. The current trend in fitness tracking and wearable tech points to an even greater increase in Fitbit’s market share. Though, only time will tell if their success is short-lived or not.

 

One thing is for certain: with an awareness in personal health and multiple campaigns aiming at a cleaner Earth, Fitbit, it seems, has tapped into a lively and active market.

As far as the Samsung Galaxy Gear is concerned, Canalys is estimating that Samsung has made up the majority of smart watch shipments, with a 54% market share in the second half of 2013. Competitors rank significantly lower—Sony (19%), Pebble (16%) and others (11%). As much as the market would love to see Apple join the ‘smart watch arms race,’ we have yet to see anything from them. Most suspect that Apple will make an announcement in the coming months, but for now, not enough information is available to make a proper prediction.

Samsung, though, has been making a significant ‘push’ to market their Galaxy Gear. And recently, they’ve discovered just how much their efforts are paying off. On the flip-side, some critics may view Samsung’s latest installment to the wearable tech race as petty and desperate. Their smart watch was released this past year, and in an effort to secure market share in opposition to Apple, they sacrificed quality. Though, with numerous software updates and improved functionality, Samsung has proven to be serious about the smart watch craze.

But one must ask a very important question…

Where will this lead us as a society?

Wearable tech in the past had always been a fantasy—like something out of an episode of the Jetsons. The concept of being connected to technology in past years had been ludicrous. The ‘real world’ had nothing to do with technology and all of its ‘pointless’ and ‘trivial’ nonsense. But fast forward to the current moment and we’re looking for more.

More smart watches. More cell phones. More tablets.

If it connects to the internet in a reasonable amount of time and displays an attractive interface, then it’s labeled as ‘good’. Because really, when we use these devices, we’re looking to stay connected. We want to harness a level of knowledge that was previously unavailable to the world. Ten years ago, if I wanted to know who held the world record for any given activity, I had to go to a library, pick out a book, and then search through countless pages until I found whatever I was looking for.

How about telephones? Remember when they used to be attached to a cord? When caller id became a ‘thing’ shortly after, then it was like everything changed. Soon, cell phones were introduced—and then after years of innovation and progress, we’ve reached the current moment. Now, the market demands unification. We want to know when we’re being contacted, by whom, by what…it’s like we’ve become information brokers. The smart watch combines everything we appreciate into a single, attractive product, that will sync with your phone. It’s current, and according to analysts…they’re here to last.

 

Nest Home Automation

Home automation is now going to a whole new level. Nest, Which started as a Kickstarter project, sells smart thermostats, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide alarms. Now, you may be wondering, what is so different about these thermostats and detectors from the ones we have been using for as long as we can remember in our homes? First off, the Nest thermostat is programmable, and it has the ability to quickly learn what temperatures you like. When you are away, it will automatically lower the temperature in your house, and it can be controlled from virtually anywhere. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection. From their accounts, users can look at and change the thermostats schedule , as well as see how much energy you are using. Impressed? We are just getting started.

The smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are just as impressive, if not more. The detectors will always keep you informed about potential risks, and it will do it without being annoying. The detectors have a human voice and politely let you know if anything out of the norm is happening. If you wave in front of the detector, it gets the hint and stops talking. Much better than the piercing beep noise from our old detectors, huh? Additionally, the detectors have the knowledge to tell exactly which room the smoke is coming from. What if you aren't home? Don't worry, Nest has got you covered. If the detectors go off and you are away, it will automatically send a message to your smartphone.

Nest has only had their home automation products on the market since 2011, but they have achieved massive success, especially since they have just been bought out by Google. The masterminds behind Nest, Tony Fadell and Matt Rodgers, who previously were a couple of the earliest engineers at Apple, recognized the potential of the market they were targeting. The new Google employees did not hesitate to tap the home automation market, which is said to be as large as $48 billion by 2018.

 What does this mean for our future as a society? And what was Google's reasoning behind this purchase? First, these new smart products created by nest confirm that we are headed into an age where just about everything will be connected to the internet. This connecting of devices to the internet is called "the internet of things", and it has major implications for the rest of our lives. The positive side of this development is that, in terms of Nest's thermostat and detectors, our lives will be made easier and less stressful. With products like these, we will be safer. The downside is the possible and eventual increase in consumer data that is being captured and stored by tech behemoths such as Google. Google has said that data is the most valuable commodity on earth, and through products like these, they will collect even more from us than ever before. However, only time will if they will be able to use the data gained from Nest's products, since Nest has a strict privacy policy. Either way, Google is intent on being the future of anything connected online, whether it be smartphones, cars, and now homes.