Home Technology – Impact Lab

Welding Without Welders: The Smart Workcell That Doesn’t Need You

July 20, 2025

Welders used to rule the shop floor.

Their sparks were the signature of a skilled trade—equal parts craftsmanship, grit, and danger. But what happens when the torch passes to a machine that doesn’t sweat, doesn’t miss, and doesn’t complain?

This week, Cohesive Robotics answered that question loud and clear with the launch of its Smart Welding Robotic Workcell, a fully autonomous welding system that doesn’t just automate tasks—it replaces the art of welding with code, cameras, and algorithms.

Welcome to the new frontier of fabrication, where the welder’s helmet is traded for a machine-learning model, and experience is measured in training data—not decades on the job.

Home Technology

Smart TVs as the Future Hub of Smart Homes: A Shift in Home Automation

March 5, 2024

In a notable paradigm shift, the conventional smart home hub may soon find an unexpected replacement in the form of our trusty television sets. The idea of Smart TVs serving as the central hub for home automation has gained traction, with industry leaders like Google and Samsung exploring this transformative concept.

Google TV executive, Rob Caruso, asserts that the TV’s evolution into a smart hub is not only inevitable but closer than anticipated. Caruso envisions a future where TVs, positioned at the heart of our living spaces, go beyond entertainment gateways to control the entire home environment.

Home Technology

Ecobee Unveils Innovative Smart Doorbell Camera with Unique Features

January 26, 2024

In December 2021, home backup generator manufacturer Generac Power Systems acquired Ecobee, and since then, updates from the company have been relatively quiet. However, Ecobee recently broke its silence by introducing its latest home security product: The Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera.

Priced at $159.99, the Ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera stands out for its reliance on low-voltage wiring for power, eliminating the need for a battery-powered counterpart. Ecobee’s founder and CEO emphasized the product’s durability in extreme weather conditions, stating, “Unlike other doorbell cameras, it’s designed without a battery to withstand extreme weather and stand the test of time.”

Home Technology

Lockly Unveils CES 2024 Showstopper: The Visage Smart Lock with Facial Recognition

January 22, 2024

Lockly, a leading smart lock company, is stealing the spotlight at CES 2024 with its revolutionary product, the Lockly Visage smart lock. Priced at $349, this high-tech marvel is set to redefine home security with its cutting-edge facial recognition technology.

Say goodbye to traditional deadbolts as the Lockly Visage transforms your doorway into a futuristic haven. Channeling Tom Cruise vibes, unlocking your front door is as easy as approaching it. The Visage not only boasts facial recognition but also seamlessly integrates with Apple’s Home Key and features a fingerprint reader for additional high-tech entry options.

Home Technology, Science & Technology News

This Gigantic 165-Inch MicroLED TV Folds Into Nothing When the Game Is Over

February 27, 2021

By BRYAN HOOD

It’s as fun to watch it unfold as it is to actually watch your program on it.

C Seed is no stranger to extravagant TVs, but its latest set takes things up a notch. And a giant one at that.

The Austrian company’s just-announced M1 is a folding 4K MicroLED TV set that rises out of the floor like a robot when you’re ready to watch the big game or binge your favorite show. While that alone makes it noteworthy, so does its size, as the set measures a massive 165-inches diagonally.

You may take as much enjoyment out of watching the M1 turn on as you do watching an episode of The Sopranoson it. When you’re ready to sit down and take in a show or a movie, a hidden compartment in the floor opens, an obelisk-like column rises from it and then, once upright, the folded-up screen fans out before locking itself into place in the set’s base. Basically, it’s a Transformer that turns into a TV and doesn’t take up any room when you’re doing something else.

2021 Predictions, Electric Vehicles, Energy, Home Technology, Science & Technology News

The next generation of power plants will be virtual

October 29, 2020

Your next home or electric vehicle could be part of a virtual power plant

Increasing numbers of homes outfitted with solar panels and batteries have the potential to help power entire regions with renewable energy. Working together, homes with solar setups are turning neighborhoods into virtual power plants that can feed power back to the grid and prevent blackouts.

These interconnected solar power systems are popping up across the globe — from apartment complexes in California and Utah, to public housing in South Australia. In the future, virtual power plants might even be made up of fleets of electric vehicles. It’s the next generation of solar power technology.

Continue reading… “The next generation of power plants will be virtual”

Amazon.com, communication, Home Technology, Science & Technology News

Now all your home’s Alexa devices work like an intercom

June 14, 2020

Amazon’s ‘Drop In’ feature now works across the entire house.

Amazon Alexa users can now use the “Drop In” feature to talk with all of their Echo devices at once, Amazon announced on its blog. Previously, Drop In messages could only be sent to one other Alexa-enabled device at a time — a user with an Alexa device in the bedroom could “drop in” on a device in the kitchen and have a two-way conversation.

Now, you can use a device to send a message to all Echo devices in the house at once. This could be helpful with asking group questions like, “Does anyone want anything from the grocery store?” according to the Amazon blog. To start a group Drop In conversation, you can ask Alexa to “Drop In everywhere.”

Continue reading… “Now all your home’s Alexa devices work like an intercom”

Analysis, App, Healthcare, Home Technology, Science & Technology News

Smart toilet checks you’re healthy by analyzing you wees and poos

April 26, 2020

The new ‘smart toilet’ technology can look for signs of disease, scientists claim, from cancer to kidney failure.

Going to the loo may never be the same again thanks to scientists who claim to have invented a device that can be fitted on toilets to detect signs of various diseases in stool and urine.

The gadget, which fits inside the bowl, uses cameras, test strips and motion sensing technology to analyse the deposits and sends the data to a secure cloud server.

The researchers said their so-called “smart toilet” technology could be useful to individuals who are genetically predisposed to certain conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, prostate cancer or kidney failure.

Continue reading… “Smart toilet checks you’re healthy by analyzing you wees and poos”

Home Technology, new technology, New Viewpoints, Science & Technology News

Why America is losing the toilet race

March 6, 2020

I just got back from my first trip to Japan, and I’m now in love with the country. The ramen, yakitori and sushi. The gorgeous volcanoes. The fascinating people and culture. But of all the things I fell in love with, there’s one that I can’t stop thinking about: the toilets.

Japanese toilets are marvels of technological innovation. They have integrated bidets, which squirt water to clean your private parts. They have dryers and heated seats. They use water efficiently, clean themselves and deodorize the air, so bathrooms actually smell good. They have white noise machines, so you can fill your stall with the sound of rain for relaxation and privacy. Some even have built-in night lights and music players. It’s all customizable and controlled by electronic buttons on a panel next to your seat.

In Japan, these high-tech toilets are everywhere: hotels, restaurants, bus stations, rest stops and around 80% of homes. It’s glorious. Then, I come back to the United States, and our toilets are stuck in the age of dirty coal mines and the horse and buggy. They basically have one feature: flush. No heated seats. No nice smells and sounds. No sanitizing blasts of liquid. It’s like cleaning your dishes without water. It’s gross. And it got me thinking: Why can’t we have high-tech toilets too?

Continue reading… “Why America is losing the toilet race”

App, Crazy Stuff, Home Technology, mobile apps, Science & Technology News

You can light this candle with your phone, and it’s officially the future

February 27, 2020

Apparently, smartphones really do have everything we need, from cameras to calculators to flashlights to even… matchsticks?

You read that right. But instead of shooting flames out of a port, your phone can now create fire by activating a Bluetooth-enabled scented candle called Candle Touch, currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Said to be the world’s first smart-connected real-flame candle, the device has an electronic base that connects to a scented coconut-wax candle body. At a press of a button using the accompanying iOS/Android app, the base sends a current up a wire, which ignites the cotton wick like magic.

You’ll never have to risk getting burned ever again. Plus, you’ll have a neat party trick to show to all your friends.

Continue reading… “You can light this candle with your phone, and it’s officially the future”

Clothing, Great New Product, Green Friendly, Home Technology, Science & Technology News

Unique ultrasonic cleaner cleans more efficiently than a washing machine

February 6, 2020

A unique ultrasonic cleaner has been created which is more efficient than a washing machine and takes the form of the Sonic Soak. The compact ultrasonic cleaner has been specifically created to offer users with the “ultimate portable cleaner” says its creators, providing state-of-the-art powerful ultrasonic cleaning technology in the palm of your hand.

Continue reading… “Unique ultrasonic cleaner cleans more efficiently than a washing machine”

Great New Product, Home Technology, Housing, Science & Technology News

The Cube One Prefab is a space-age dream – and it starts at $30k

January 10, 2020

With dazzling lighting, a curvilinear design, and a fortified shell, the Cube One is a prefab for the future.

Want a peek at the future of prefab design? Meet the Cube One—a 156-square-foot dwelling with built-in furnishings, voice-controlled tech, and a galvanized steel shell that can withstand extreme heat and natural disasters. Singapore-based Nestron will ship the Cube One anywhere in the world, and it’ll be ready for move-in the day it arrives.

Continue reading… “The Cube One Prefab is a space-age dream – and it starts at $30k”