News and weather updates from your bathroom mirror; a bed able to make itself. No, this is not the stuff of some far-fetched future but an example of the types of devices which may feature in the age of the smart home.
Kiwis are among millions globally already using smart devices in their homes. In 2016 alone over 80 million devices were delivered world-wide, a 64 per cent increase on 2015.
But the number, according to CNBC International, a world business channel operated by NBC Universal, will continue to skyrocket.
Although figures for 2017 are not yet available, CNBC forecasts this will reach 130 million – a number expected to help create a world-wide smart home market of $US40 billion by 2020.
It comes as University of Otago research suggests the number of homes with smart devices is expected to increase in the next few years as 60 per cent of New Zealanders say they are interested in having a smart home.
Security is a big part of smart home technology. Statista.com, an international statistics portal, says the smart home security market is forecast to grow to $US18 billion by 2020 putting it ahead of energy management and home entertainment smart systems.
It is for this reason that local energy retailer Meridian Energy has announced a partnership with leading American smart home company Nest Labs.
The energy company has launched an online shop offering Kiwis a number of innovative Nest smart home products including a smart smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector and indoor and outdoor cameras – all of which send mobile alerts* so homeowners can keep an eye on their most important asset even when they're not there.
As the country's largest generator of renewable energy from sources such as hydro and wind, Meridian has an ethos of powering today while protecting tomorrow.
Meridian's head of marketing, Melanie Lynn, says it is because of this the company is looking at new ways to help New Zealanders use technology to protect their homes and what is important to them.
"We're committed to providing New Zealanders with technology for more sustainable, optimised and automated homes that take care of the people inside them," she says.
Statista says home automation technology is becoming more advanced. Smart devices can now work together to collect and analyse data - and autonomously perform certain actions - through a central panel made possible by the Internet of Things (IOT).
Most people have likely heard about smart lighting, smart door locks, coffee makers and alarm clocks. Yet there appears to be no end to how smart technology may be adapted as a 2016 article published on theguardian.com shows.
There is the shower head complete with integrated speakers which will have you literally singing in the shower; a handheld face scanner able to recommend a personalised skin-care regimen or the smart mirror which offers advice on your choice of clothes – along with news and weather updates.
Or the smart mattress which tracks sleeping patterns, breathing rate, heartbeat, can nudge you awake at an opportune time and will rearrange the sheets in the morning with a pair of mechanical arms.
"Your garden is also likely to seed a fusion of tradition and technology," the article says. "Devices can monitor weather reports to regulate the watering of your lawn, while robot lawn mowers will keep it neatly trimmed; for flower-lovers multi-sensor gadgets will keep tabs on everything from soil acidity to temperature."
• Mobile alerts require working Internet and Wi-Fi
New customers who sign up with Meridian between now and February 28 will receive a free Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm while existing Meridian customers will receive a 20 per cent discount when shopping at the online store (T&Cs apply)
For further information visit www.meridianenergy.co.nz