And last year we flagged the iris-enabled ATM machine, the spherical smart-home camera and the solar-powered lock that draws energy from your porch light.
As the internet of things continues to give rise to a smorgasbord of quirky, ingenious and downright daft digital takes on everyday things, CES is always a fascinating visit, even for non-technophiles.
Here are five of the most interesting security innovations unveiled at this year’s edition, once again taking place over four days in Las Vegas.
Not dissimilar to the robotic love interest in dystopian, but redemptive Pixar hit Wall-E, Kuri possesses qualities that you don’t necessarily associate with security sentries.
Basically, Kuri looks cute. Admittedly, it doesn’t have a lot going on in terms of facial features, but somehow the spherical head with cute round eyes arop an egg-shaped body is enough to ratchet up the cute factor.
Developed by Mayfield Robotics Kuri is also equipped with a surveillance camera, facial recognition software and chirps and nods (it doesn’t talk though) that further buttress its appeal to children.
The robot appears to possess deep learning capabilities, as it can learn how to navigate around your home – dodging objects with the help a laser sensor – once it becomes acquainted with the layout.
Other features:
Light bulb maker Bell & Wyson has launched a light bulb with a concealed camera embedded.
The low energy (11W) LED bulb-cum-camera has a TF slot and two-way microphone and will stream footage to tablets and smartphones via Wi-Fi.
The idea behind the innovation is that intruders, unaware of the light bulb’s dual purpose, will neither seek to evade it gaze nor tear it from the wall/ceiling. And of course, like traditional security lights, it could deter breaking and entering as it gives the impression that someone is home. Click here to find out more.
Symantec Norton has unveiled what it claims is the most secure router in the world. If that’s the most relevant insight about the product – if the claim stands up to scrutiny – then the most fascinating one – to non-technophiles at any rate – is surely its appearance. A geodesic orb, it looks like it could be an object of portentous power in a sci-fi fantasy film.
One might presume that the shape is purely aesthetic. Not so, according to Symantec Norton. The antenna is apparently “inspired by defense and weather radars” for better wireless coverage.
With all manner of everyday household objects being fitted with computer chips and WiFi connectors, the internet of things is growing faster than cyber security professionals (of whom there are all too few) can keep up with.
Designed to prevent hacking attempts at most home network’s most vulnerable point, the router, the Core is an ambitious attempt to redress the balance.
It will inspect every packet of data for known malware and will automatically quarantine any device running firmware known to be a security risk. It’s powerful too, boasting a 1.7GHz dual-core chip processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi broadcasting on both 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands, with a maximum throughput of 2,500Mbps.
Ring, which is best known for its video doorbells, has launched an outdoor floodlight camera.
A motion-activated security camera the Floodlight Cam features built-in 3K lumen LED floodlights, a 270-degree field-of-view, facial recognition, a 110-decibel siren alarm, two-way audio and infrared night vision.
The camera, which is hardwired and can be installed without professional help, is controlled via Wi-Fi via an iPhone or Android-based smartphone.
The camera also incorporates a siren, which the householder can turn on to deter suspicious persons. Users can also yell out would-be intruders through the Floodlight Cam’s loudspeaker.
The camera is weatherproof and can cope with temperatures between -5°F (-20°C) and 120°F (48°C).
Admittedly, this is actually only at the conceptual stage but was too intriguing to ignore.
At CES 2017 Alarm.com and Qualcomm have revealed that they are working on camera-equipped drones that would fly through your home to investigate anomalous activity, such as an unusual noise or tripped motion sensor. They would then record footage with their on-board cameras and send the resulting video to your smartphone.
Essentially, they would act as reconnaissance drones, a first in the booming drone market. Click here to find out more.
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