MacRumors

At the Consumer Electronics Show that's taking place this week, ConnectSense is showing off its latest connected home products, including HomeKit-compatible sensors and a new Bluetooth Extender.

ConnectSense's Bluetooth Extender serves as a Bluetooth to Wi-Fi converter and is designed to allow users to access and control their Bluetooth-enabled sensors and products outside of their homes.

The Bluetooth Extender works with HomeKit or with the ConnectSense Cloud, and when paired with ConnectSense's new Bluetooth-enabled temperature and water sensors, it allows those sensors to be accessed from anywhere. It also works with other Bluetooth-enabled sensors, such as those from Elgato's Eve lineup.

With ConnectSense cloud, sensor data is saved to the cloud and notifications can be sent to a smartphone or via email. Using the ConnectSense Bluetooth Extender, HomeKit users do not need to have an Apple TV or an iPad to access their Bluetooth-enabled accessories, which were previously the only way to use Bluetooth HomeKit products when away from the home.

ConnectSense is also showing off its Smart Outlet and the aforementioned new sensors, the Bluetooth Temperature & Humidity Sensor, which detects room temperature, and the ConnectSense Bluetooth Water sensor, designed to detect water and send alerts before damage can be caused. Both sensors work over Bluetooth and are powered by AAA batteries.

Pricing and specific release dates for the sensors and the Bluetooth Extender have not yet been announced.

ExoLens, a company that's partnered with Zeiss to bring professional-grade lenses to the iPhone, today announced a new protective case for the iPhone 7. The case is designed to keep the iPhone 7 safe from bumps, scratches, and drops while it's being used with ExoLens' range of Zeiss lenses.

Designed for the iPhone 7, ExoLens says the new accessory is an "ultra-durable dual layer case" created with impact-resistant materials and designed to be slim and low-profile.

"After launching our line of ZEISS ExoLens mobile photography solutions earlier this year, consumers told us that they loved the mobile photography lenses, but also expressed a desire for a solution that protected their iPhone, while still providing the lens attachment capability," says John Fellowes, Chief Executive Officer of Fellowes Brands. "The new ExoLens Case will provide the ability for users to seamlessly utilize our visually enhancing lenses, but the case will also shield the individuals iPhone from everyday drops and scratches at the same time."

The case is compatible with all Pro Zeiss Lenses and upcoming ExoLens Prime lenses. The company sells a range of Zeiss telephoto, macro, and wide-angle lenses, which range in price from $150 to $200.

The ExoLens Case will be available for purchase during the first quarter of 2017. Pricing has not yet been announced.

Belkin is introducing two new smart home products at CES 2017 this week, including the WeMo Mini smart plug and WeMo Dimmer light switch.

The WeMo Mini is a compact smart plug that is half the size of the older WeMo Switch smart plug, allowing homeowners to stack two of them in a single wall outlet. The smart plug enables homeowners to wirelessly control lamps, heaters, fans, and more over Wi-Fi using the free WeMo app for iPhone [Direct Link].

The WeMo Mini can be controlled remotely as well with an iPhone or iPad connected to a cellular network, with no hub or subscription required. The smart plug also supports Amazon Echo and Google Home for control via voice commands, and IFTTT and "home" and "away" modes on Nest thermostats.

The WeMo Dimmer, a CES 2017 Innovations Award Honoree, is Belkin's next-generation smart dimming light switch with new features such as Night Mode, which prevents harsh lights at night, and a customized bulb calibration.

Current dimmer products have a single dimming range for all bulb types, which tends to create flickering and noise issues, but Wemo Dimmer uses the Wemo app to custom calibrate for any bulb type including incandescents (up to 400 watts), CFLs or LEDs, to eliminate those annoyances. In addition, Night Mode enables users to set a specific level of brightness during a set period of time, which is ideal for middle-of-the-night bathroom trips or checking on the kids when they are asleep.

The WeMo Dimmer, like the Mini Smart Plug, is compatible with Amazon Echo and Google Home for dimming and on/off control via voice commands, as well as the Nest thermostat's "home" and "away" modes.

WeMo Mini is available now for pre-order on Belkin's website for $34.99, and will be in stores later in January. The WeMo Dimmer will be available in the spring, but pricing has not been finalized. WeMo products do not support HomeKit, as Belkin placed plans to support the Apple platform on hold last year.

iDevices today announced the latest product in its smart home lineup, debuting the iDevices Instant Switch, a remote wireless wall switch. Designed to pair via Bluetooth with existing products, the Instant Switch works with HomeKit and Alexa-enabled accessories.

iDevices has designed the Instant Switch to work anywhere with either a built-in Command adhesive backing that allows it to be attached to any wall or an iDevices wall plate that allows it to fit over any standard two-screw wall plate.

Because it's peel and stick, it can be put on any wall, and it includes two CR2032 coin cell batteries that allow it to run for two years without needing to be charged.

When paired with an iDevices' Wall or Dimmer Switch, the new Instant Switch enables a three-way control configuration. Instant Switch can be set up to control any device, like lights, from any room in the house.

"The whole point of a smart home is that it's customized to your life and intended to make it easier," said Chris Allen, CEO of iDevices. "Instant Switch gives users the ability to choose how they want to lay out control points in their home, regardless of where original outlets or switches are located. Our belief is you shouldn't have to permanently modify your home to get the control you desire."

iDevices is showing off the Instant Switch at CES this week. It will launch to the public in mid-2017 and it will be priced at $49.95.

Qardio has announced that QardioCore, a wearable electrocardiogram monitor, is now available for pre-order on its website for $449.

QardioCore was first introduced at CES 2015 as the world's first wearable ECG/EKG monitor, enabling users to proactively look after their cardiovascular health without the need to wear wires or patches. Instead, the QardioCore is worn as an adjustable chest strap fitting chests between 27.5" and 43" in size.

The medical-grade wearable, pending FDA approval, uses sensors to record clinically accurate continuous ECG, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature, and activity data, which can be shared with medical professionals or synced to the free Qardio app or Apple's Health app on iPhone or iPad using Bluetooth 4.0.

ECG monitors sense the tiny electrical charges on the skin arising from the heart muscle's electrophysiological activity. Most ECG monitors are bulky and burdensome, require a complicated fitting in the doctor's office or provide limited information on the user's heart performance. QardioCore, by contrast, is wearable and designed for continuous monitoring anytime and anywhere.

QardioCore's built-in battery, rechargeable via USB-A, delivers a full day of continual use on a single charge. The monitor will be on display at CES this week alongside Qardio's existing products, including the QardioArm smart blood pressure monitor, QardioBase wireless scale and body analyzer, and QardioMD medical dashboard.

QardioCore has an expected shipping date of April 2017 for pre-orders placed now. It comes in white and is IP65-rated splash-resistant. Those interested in learning more can read the QardioCore FAQ for additional information.

Today at CES Sleep Number announced the technological follow-up to its iPhone-connected "IT" smart bed from last year. The new bed is the Sleep Number 360, a self-adjusting smart bed that can warm your feet, adjust to your snoring and more.

The bed, which uses Sleep Number's SleepIQ technology, has four new signature features. The bed can self-adjust throughout the night, matching the sleep movements of the sleeper. For instance, if someone switches from sleeping on their side to sleeping on their stomach, the bed will adjust comfort in real time. The bed can also sense when a sleeper is snoring and gently adjusts the sleeper so that they're in a position that will lessen snoring.

Snore adjustment is temporary, and the feature only works with mild snoring in otherwise healthy adults, according to Sleep Number. The feature adjusts the bed based on the sleeper's sleeping position. For instance, if the snorer is on their back the bed will raise their head slightly.

The 360 also comes foot-warming technology. Because the bed knows the sleeper's bedtime routine via the SleepIQ app, it can warm up the foot of the bed to be toasty when the sleeper is ready to go to sleep. The company claims that research shows that people fall asleep faster when their feet are warmer than normal.

Finally, the bed has a smart alarm that'll deliver a wake-up call at the optimal moment. Sleepers can set an alarm window via the SleepIQ app, and the bed, within that window, will deliver an alarm when the sleeper is in their lightest sleep.

The SleepIQ app can also connect the bed to external services and products like Fitbits and Nest Thermostats. It can combine this data to let users know how fitness is impacting their sleep habits and when let the sleeper know what temperature is best for them to fall asleep.

The Sleep Number 360 will rollout in phases throughout 2017. Sleep Number did not announce official pricing for the new beds, but said that it would be priced similar to current mattresses. Sleep Number's current mattresses range from $800 to $7,099 for queen sizes.

The SleepIQ app is available for free in the App Store [Direct Link]

PC maker Lenovo today announced its first smart speaker with Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant built in.

Called the Lenovo Smart Assistant, the connected speaker integrates Amazon's Alexa Voice Services and offers the same speech-activated features as the Echo family of devices, but housed in a slightly redesigned unit.

The speaker keeps the same cylindrical profile as Amazon's Echo, but with the microphone portion of the device in a slightly raised position, which Lenovo says offers better ventilation to cool the internal components. Lenovo's unit also has eight far-field microphones versus Echo's seven, with noise suppression and acoustic echo cancellation included for picking up voice commands from up to 16 feet away.

The Lenovo Smart Assistant comes in a range of color schemes including green, gray, and orange fabric. The speakers will ship in May for a price of $130 (less than Amazon's Echo at $180). Lenovo is also offering a Harman Kardon edition of the Smart Assistant featuring better sound quality for $180.

Amazon's Alexa Voice Services API is expected to crop up in a number of new third-party products at this year's CES. Microsoft has previously teased third-party devices using its own Cortana virtual assistant technology.