In the best thing to happen to Apple advertising since the advent of absent parents talking to their kids on Facetime, the US consumer electronics giant is reportedly set to unveil a Jetsons-style home automation system that will allow users to control domestic devices including their appliances, lights and security systems.
According to A. Reliable Source with knowledge of the situation Apple plans “to take on rivals Google and Samsung and make a “big play” in the world of smart home technology at its Worldwide Developer Conference on June 2 in San Francisco.”
Apple’s latest attempts to monopolise the consumer electronics market follows Google’s $3.2bn acquisition of home automation giants Nest Labs, purveyors of sensor-driven, Wi-Fi-enabled and programmable thermostats and smoke detectors, and Samsung’s launch of its Smart Home range of refrigerators, washing machines and TVs which can be controlled via their smartphones.
Little else is known save speculation that the smart home technology will function and behave in much the same way as the Apple TV does, a device used to turn digital televisions into an iPhone controlled, Wi-Fi enabled home entertainment hub.
Some potential uses of the best thing to ever happen to lazy people include automatically turning lights on and off when smartphones come in and out of Wi-Fi radius, controlling air conditioning units, washing machines and dishwashers and alerting users of potential domestic safety issues such as fires and security breaches.
As per usual, The Simpsons predicted this years ago.
Via Financial Times
