I was at CES last week in Las Vegas and the showroom floor was saturated with devices that could easily make it possible for a person to live a fully connected life. There were "things" to help you sleep, get in shape, wash your clothes faster, brush your teeth better, track your kids or your pets – and the list goes on and on. 

You may have noticed, a lot of the chatter around CES highlighted things like video cameras, smart thermostats and drones, but as I continue to evaluate different ways to further innovate Xfinity Home, here are some of the interesting things that stuck out for me: 

FOR NEW MOMS AND DADS

The Sproutling smart baby monitor learns and predicts a baby’s sleeping habits and can monitor heart rate, skin temperature, motion and position. It’s a band that’s worn around the baby’s ankle and through an app, the sensor can send you an alert if something is potentially wrong. There was also the Temp Traq 24 hour wireless baby temperature monitor. I can see this wearable thermometer being really helpful if you have a sick baby at home. It’s worn like a patch near the baby’s armpit and can send notifications to your smartphone or tablet. 

FOR PET PARENTS

I saw a lot of pet wearables like FitBark and Whistle. Basically, they are a FitBit for a dog. They attach to your dog’s collar and monitor their activity and rest periods throughout the day. You could use the reports to track your dog’s health and the data it generates can be shared with your vet to help make better wellness decisions for your pet.  

Whistle, attached to a friendly companion.

FOR GREEN THUMBS

I do not have a green thumb, but I did see the Parrot H2O plant sensor which helps monitor things like moisture levels, fertilizer, sunlight, and temperature from a sensor that’s placed in the dirt near your plant. This device would make it easy for you to water your plants while you’re away. I also saw the Edyn Garden Sensor which is a solar powered garden system that monitors soil conditions and the environment to help your plants grow and thrive. 

The energy on the showroom floor was exciting and all of these devices, and many more, are examples of how the Internet of Things is making it possible to stay connected to all areas of your life no matter where you go.