One of the major perks of smart home technology is that you don’t necessarily have to buy a new appliance to get new features. Whirlpool made that all the more obvious at CES 2022 today when the company announced a software update coming to the Smart Slide-in Gas and Electric Ranges, as well as the Smart Single, Double, and Combination Wall Ovens through an “instant over-the-air upgrade.” Imagine that: A software update that adds the functionality of a completely different appliance to something you already have. The addition of the air fry functionality isn’t all that Whirlpool smart ovens are getting, either. They’ll soon be able to connect to the Yummly smart thermometer. This might seem like a minor update, but there’s actually a lot of functionality packed into the smart thermometer, too. The thermometer’s app has a lot of recipes packed in, and it can start preheating your oven based on which recipe you’re using. The thermometer can connect to your smartphone from up to 150 feet away and can guide even the most inexperienced home cook toward a delicious finish. If you’re not confident in the kitchen, the main thing to remember is that heat is your best friend and your worst enemy. Too much heat and you burn your dish, but too little and it comes out gross. A smart thermometer can help zero in that Goldilocks temperature. If the idea of air frying something in your oven excites you, you’ll be even more thrilled to know that an air fry basket will be available starting in early 2022. What’s most interesting, though, is the phrasing of the press release. It says that “The first of Whirlpool brand’s Smarter Over Time upgrades…” which would imply that more improvements are already in the works and just not announced yet. Whirlpool has mentioned before that it is committed to improving its smart appliances over time and continuing to add value long after customers have completed their purchase. If this smart oven upgrade is evidence of that, it’s exciting to think about what else the company may have just over the horizon. Wyze has officially launched Cam Unlimited Pro, a new subscription that gives you access to several AI-powered features. This includes Descriptive Alerts — text notifications generated by AI that accurately summarize motion events triggered by your camera. It’s a powerful feature, and one that should give you highly detailed alerts so you can determine if you need to dive into the Wyze app to watch the full video clip. For example, an old alert from Wyze might say something like “Pet detected by Backyard Cam.” With Descriptive Alerts, that’ll change to “Small white dog playing with tennis ball in backyard at 4:04 PM.” It can also give you accurate descriptions of folks at your front door, letting you know if they’ve dropped off a package or delivered groceries. Tineco showcased three products at CES 2025, giving you three fancy new ways to vacuum, steam, and clean your floors. The Floor One S9 Artist Steam was the highlight of the trio, as it can produce steam to tackle tough stains, features a lay-flat design, and will automatically adjust its settings to best deal with the challenge at hand. The Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam was designed to streamline all aspects of your floor cleaning chores. It produces steam (which hits temperatures up to 264 degrees Fahrenheit) to quickly remove common stains produced by ketchup, chocolate syrup, pasta, and other household hazards, It can also lay flat to reduce its height to less than 13 centimeters — giving you a chance to reach under furniture where larger cleaners can’t fit. Along with automatically changing settings based on the dirt levels detected by its sensors, it benefits from Aurora AI Lights that change color dynamically depending on the cleaning status. Ultraloq showed off two smart locks at CES 2025 — one of which is the first smart lock to ever offer ultra-wideband (UWB) support. The Ultraloq Bolt Mission UWB + NFC uses UWB technology to unlock automatically as you approach your front door. Similar functionality already exists on other smart locks, but UWB should allow the Ultraloq Bolt Mission to be more accurate than the competition. The Bolt Mission uses technology similar to digital car keys, and Ultraloq says it can track the keyholder’s phone location with “centimeter-level” accuracy. As your phone gets closer to the front door, the Bolt Mission can be programmed to automatically unlock, giving you a hands-free way to get inside. Better yet, because the smart lock can detect both your distance and direction from the front door, it should prevent you from accidentally unlocking the smart lock while inside your home.
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