Brookfield Residential, a real estate company based in Virginia, announced this week that it’s gearing up to begin offering brand new homes powered entirely by Amazon’s voice-activated platform, Alexa. Unveiled during AWS re:Invent 2016, Brookfield Residential’s Smart Home — as the firm is calling it — serves as the very first domestic home to feature a fully integrated voice-enabled automation platform once it hits the market. Headquartered in Virginia, the first batch of Alexa-enabled homes will launch in the Avendale housing community just outside Washington, D.C.
What’s particularly interesting about Brookfield’s venture into Alexa-enabled homes is how simple it will be for families to adopt cutting-edge home automation technology. Instead of researching the ins and outs of various smart home gadgets and devices, Brookfield does all the work for them. Furthermore, integrating this smart home tech with Amazon’s Alexa not only makes it an easy transition but one which doesn’t require a steep learning curve for entry.
“This was the perfect venue, and we couldn’t be happier with the reaction,” said Brookfield’s division president, Robert Hubbell. “The developers are energized, and many already have great ideas for new technology that can be incorporated into the home. The best part about the Brookfield Residential Smart Home is that it will adapt as new technology appears. If the home buyer wants to incorporate the latest device in the months and years ahead, the home will immediately recognize it.”
Buyers of these innovative new Smart Homes can expect to operate a wide range of their home’s features with just their voice. From checking security camera footage and changing the thermostat, to unlocking the door, turning on the lights, or turning on their favorite music, Brookfield’s new houses are the definition of smart. Additionally, the company has included a series of custom actions which allow the homeowners to set skills and voice-enabled rules geared toward letting them tailor the home to their specific needs.
It’s unknown when exactly the first batch of Alexa-integrated homes will be available for purchase but considering the announcement boasted a clear path for what’s going to be offered, the Brookfield Residential Smart Home shouldn’t be terribly far off.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.