As Londoners we need the technology in our homes to do more for us.
We want our homes to be “smart” in every sense of the word, with devices that make life easier and anticipate our needs - not pointless products that take forever to set up.
The best new tech for 2020 fits the bill. You can use your voice to command more than just music.
The latest televisions “disappear” when not in use. This is discreet tech that serves you perfectly.
Ikea Oddlaug sound-absorbing panels
Need to reduce the noise of urban living? Whether you want to protect neighbours from your listening habits or protect yourself from their noise, these new sound-absorbing panels from Ikea are a must. They’re also good for softening the sound coming from teenagers’ bedrooms.
The panels come in packs of 15 and are modular, so you can create a wall hanging in a design of your choosing or use them as a room divider. Priced £25 for a pack of 15. Visit ikea.com.
Philips Hue Filament
You can now add vintage-style Filament bulbs to your Hue smart lighting system, which can be controlled via app using Bluetooth or by voice using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
Add a Hue Bridge to control a whole home of up to 50 lights via app from anywhere, with smart mood settings and more.
A single button can turn off all the lights in the house when you’re out, saving energy. Hue also offers colour-change light bulbs while its Friends of Hue collaborations offer a wide selection of lighting designs from brands including John Lewis & Partners. Priced from £17.99. Visit meethue.com.
Optoma UHZ65UST 'short throw' projector
An amazing way to avoid the bulk of a television is a “short throw” projector. They’re designed to be placed very close to the wall or screen, yet project a huge, perfectly proportioned home cinema picture. There are no cables to trip over and no heads in the way.
Place this space-saving Optoma on a sideboard, just inches in front of a white wall, to enjoy a 120-inch 4K HDR big picture. Connect any source via HDMI or play media from a USB stick.
Powerful speakers are built in, so you won’t need a soundbar or external speakers. It’s also compatible with voice commands from Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Priced £3,299 at optoma.co.uk.
Motorola Razr smart-home controller
Control your smart home from anywhere in the world using an Android smartphone with Google Assistant. The upcoming Motorola Razr is the hottest of the lot. Its clamshell design features a flexible OLED screen. It looks like a normal-sized phone but you can fold it in half when not in use and the flexible screen simply folds up.
The Razr fits easily in a pocket when folded, while the big screen is protected from damage. Whether the phone is open or closed, you can control smart home devices with your voice. Priced £1,168 (SIM-free) or on contract with EE. Visit motorola.co.uk.
Cubbit data storage
Want to store or back up your data on the internet without paying a monthly fee or worrying that your privacy could be breached? This hexagonal gizmo makes cloud storage more affordable and secure. Your data is chopped into little pieces, encrypted and the pieces are spread around thousands of Cubbits worldwide.
No one has access to your data because it’s dotted all over the place. And there are multiple copies, so it’s safe even if something goes wrong with one piece.
There’s no monthly fee. Instead you add storage to your own Cubbit – for example, recycling an old hard drive by hooking it up – to increase your storage allowance. Priced from £245 at cubbit.io.
