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Tech Turns Bathrooms Smart & Chic, CES 2018 Shows Us How
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For decades we have kept the gates open for tech to explore our kitchens, living and even bedrooms, which has made our lives easier and more convenient. Nonetheless, soon we can expect technology to enter the most private zone of our homes — bathrooms — to make the space more relaxing and appealing.
Yes, this is true. At least, the recently-concluded biggest tech show of the year, Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, suggests that.
Although robotics, artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles, along with the technology providers, including Intel (INTC - Free Report) and NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) , remained in the spotlight during the mega event, a number of kitchen and bathroom-product makers were also a big hit with the latest innovative products.
Two of the leading luxury kitchen and bathroom product companies of the world — Kohler and Toto — unveiled some tech-enabled products that can make your bathrooms so luxurious that even you would be pleased every time you get in.
Let’s look at the lavatory products which the two aforementioned companies plan to smarten up.
Kohler Brings in Intelligent Mirror & Toilet
In its first ever appearance during the CES, Kohler showed a trailer on how the company’s future smart kitchens and bathrooms will be operated through the KOHLER Connect app. Available for both Apple’s (AAPL - Free Report) iOS and Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) aka Google’s Android-based phones, this app is powered by Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) Azure Cloud Platform. The key specialty of this app is that it supports voice command as well as hands-free motion control.
The first thing that had us asking for more is Kohler’s revolutionary innovation in mirror — Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror. During the event, the company rolled out this product which is claimed to be the first mirror to be enabled with Amazon’s (AMZN) Alexa digital assistance, equipping it with numerous Alexa features, including voice command.
This mirror will be operated through the recently-launched KOHLER Connect app, enabling users to turn on or off, or dim the LED lights surrounding the mirror, as per requirements, on just a single command. Most importantly, one can check mails or listen to news while dressing up, by just this single command.
Kohler is now gearing up for a March launch of this mirror, which will be as high as 33 inches, and will be available in widths of 24, 34 and 40 inches. Won’t it be flattering to have such an extravagant mirror installed in the bathrooms?
The next marvelous product displayed by Kohler was an intelligent toilet – Numi — which can be operated as per user specification, i.e. either through voice command, KOHLER Connect or hands-free motion control. The Numi toilet features colorful lighting, heated seat, foot warmer, as well as boasts music functionality.
Apart from the aforementioned products, Kohler intends to enhance and take its smart showering system — DTV+ — to the next level by integrating it with KOHLER Connect. This again means one can adjust all the embedded features, including turning it on or off, adjusting lights and water temperature, as well as playing or stopping music, by a single voice command. Also, it can be kept in the automatic mode as well.
Notably, the company’s DTV+ smart showering system was first released in 2015. It plans to make the KOHLER Connect version available for sale anytime this year.
Calm Your Mind With Toto’s Flotation Tub
Also during the CES, Japan-based toilet maker, Toto, rolled out a luxurious accessory for bathrooms, which has been named the Flotation Tub. The company claims that it has been designed in such a way that users will float on water, giving them a zero-gravity experience.
This tub has several other relaxing features as well, including adjustable pillow and water massage capabilities. It is also approximately 50% longer than the regular tubs, with its bottom shaped in a way such that users will feel like lying on a lounge chair.
Citing Toto president, Madoka Kitamura, Bloomberg stated that this high-tech tub is based on flotation therapy and “is designed to put its bathers into a low-frequency brain wave state approaching what people experience in sleep.”
The tub, which has the capabilities to calm your nerves, is anticipated to roll out in the market this April.
Apart from this, the company added a new high-tech product to its wide range of smart toilets —Neorest NX2. Talking about its smart features, the toilet opens automatically if anybody goes near it, and has an instant heated seat as well as an air dryer.
But wait, this does not end here. The most important features are that it can clean itself and is equipped with automated water cleanser which will rinse the user off when required. The company plans to make the product available in the market in the third quarter this year.
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Tech Turns Bathrooms Smart & Chic, CES 2018 Shows Us How
For decades we have kept the gates open for tech to explore our kitchens, living and even bedrooms, which has made our lives easier and more convenient. Nonetheless, soon we can expect technology to enter the most private zone of our homes — bathrooms — to make the space more relaxing and appealing.
Yes, this is true. At least, the recently-concluded biggest tech show of the year, Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, suggests that.
Although robotics, artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles, along with the technology providers, including Intel (INTC - Free Report) and NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) , remained in the spotlight during the mega event, a number of kitchen and bathroom-product makers were also a big hit with the latest innovative products.
Two of the leading luxury kitchen and bathroom product companies of the world — Kohler and Toto — unveiled some tech-enabled products that can make your bathrooms so luxurious that even you would be pleased every time you get in.
Let’s look at the lavatory products which the two aforementioned companies plan to smarten up.
Kohler Brings in Intelligent Mirror & Toilet
In its first ever appearance during the CES, Kohler showed a trailer on how the company’s future smart kitchens and bathrooms will be operated through the KOHLER Connect app. Available for both Apple’s (AAPL - Free Report) iOS and Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) aka Google’s Android-based phones, this app is powered by Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) Azure Cloud Platform. The key specialty of this app is that it supports voice command as well as hands-free motion control.
The first thing that had us asking for more is Kohler’s revolutionary innovation in mirror — Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror. During the event, the company rolled out this product which is claimed to be the first mirror to be enabled with Amazon’s (AMZN) Alexa digital assistance, equipping it with numerous Alexa features, including voice command.
This mirror will be operated through the recently-launched KOHLER Connect app, enabling users to turn on or off, or dim the LED lights surrounding the mirror, as per requirements, on just a single command. Most importantly, one can check mails or listen to news while dressing up, by just this single command.
Kohler is now gearing up for a March launch of this mirror, which will be as high as 33 inches, and will be available in widths of 24, 34 and 40 inches. Won’t it be flattering to have such an extravagant mirror installed in the bathrooms?
The next marvelous product displayed by Kohler was an intelligent toilet – Numi — which can be operated as per user specification, i.e. either through voice command, KOHLER Connect or hands-free motion control. The Numi toilet features colorful lighting, heated seat, foot warmer, as well as boasts music functionality.
Apart from the aforementioned products, Kohler intends to enhance and take its smart showering system — DTV+ — to the next level by integrating it with KOHLER Connect. This again means one can adjust all the embedded features, including turning it on or off, adjusting lights and water temperature, as well as playing or stopping music, by a single voice command. Also, it can be kept in the automatic mode as well.
Notably, the company’s DTV+ smart showering system was first released in 2015. It plans to make the KOHLER Connect version available for sale anytime this year.
Calm Your Mind With Toto’s Flotation Tub
Also during the CES, Japan-based toilet maker, Toto, rolled out a luxurious accessory for bathrooms, which has been named the Flotation Tub. The company claims that it has been designed in such a way that users will float on water, giving them a zero-gravity experience.
This tub has several other relaxing features as well, including adjustable pillow and water massage capabilities. It is also approximately 50% longer than the regular tubs, with its bottom shaped in a way such that users will feel like lying on a lounge chair.
Citing Toto president, Madoka Kitamura, Bloomberg stated that this high-tech tub is based on flotation therapy and “is designed to put its bathers into a low-frequency brain wave state approaching what people experience in sleep.”
The tub, which has the capabilities to calm your nerves, is anticipated to roll out in the market this April.
Apart from this, the company added a new high-tech product to its wide range of smart toilets —Neorest NX2. Talking about its smart features, the toilet opens automatically if anybody goes near it, and has an instant heated seat as well as an air dryer.
But wait, this does not end here. The most important features are that it can clean itself and is equipped with automated water cleanser which will rinse the user off when required. The company plans to make the product available in the market in the third quarter this year.
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2018?
Last year's 2017 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio produced double-digit winners, including FMC Corp. and VMware which racked up stellar gains of +67.9% and +61%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2018 today >>