How about a good, old-fashioned technology arms race?
You could just buy a smart light bulb set, but for a lot of consumers (reportedly more than 5 million of you, as of November 2016), it's Amazon's voice-activated Alexa that will be the entry point for controlling devices around your home.
Along with Amazon, Apple continues to grow its Siri-powered HomeKit smart home system. Google has also entered the fray with its own blandly named smart home AI, Google Assistant, which featured prominently in Google's Echo-imitating Google Home speaker in November 2016.
That's a lot of industry power competing to put a virtual assistant in charge of your home, and that's why our scoreboard for tracking new smart home devices announced at CES 2017 is focusing on voice control.
The scoreboard captures both quantity and quality of new devices, the latter based on the importance of each announcement to its respective platform. Check back every morning at 8 a.m. ET or 5 a.m. PT for your daily update.
Actually smart
Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit/Siri Google Assistant/Home
Belkin WeMo Dimmer Chamberlain Smart Garage Hub Belkin WeMo Dimmer
Whirlpool appliances Leviton Decora light switches Hyundai Blue Link
Dish Hopper DVR Honeywell Lyric Home Security and Control System Chrysler 300
Element 4K TV Nvidia Shield TV streamer
LG Smart Instaview Refrigerator Nvidia Spot microphone extender
Ford Sync3
Sure, OK
Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit/Siri Google Assistant/Home
Samsung Powerbot VR7000 robot vacuum Sylvania Multicolor smart bulb Belkin WeMo Mini smart plug
WeMo Mini smart plug Kwikset Premis smart lock Coway Airmega air purifier
Omaker Wow speaker Lifx Plus smart bulb Switchmate Bright smart switch
Lenovo Smart Assistant speaker ConnectSense Sensors Switchmate Power smart plug smart switch
C by GE Lamp Fibaro sensors Sensory Voice Genie
Coway Airmega air purifier First Alera Onelink Environment Monitor
First Alera Onelink environment monitor Netatmo Smart Smoke Alarm
Mattel Aristotle by Nabi child's smart speaker Withings Home Plus WiFi cam
Somfy One security camera Carrier Cor smart thermostats
C-Way Memoo child's smart speaker D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD
Hydrao smart showerheads Sensory Voice Genie
Switchmate Bright smart switch Yale Real Living Assure Locks
Switchmate Power smart plug smart switch Yale NexTouch Wireless Locks
Hubble Hugo camera Incipio CommandKit WiFi Smart Wall Switch
Carrier Cor smart thermostats
Huawei Mate 9 phone
Incipio CommandKit WiFi Light Switch
Incipio Command Kit Smart PowerStrip
Cambridge Nightengale
ADT Pulse
Sensory Voice Genie
Onkyo VC-FLX1
Why?
Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit/Siri Google Assistant/Home
iDevices Instant Switch iDevices Instant Switch
LG Hub Robot
Ubtech Robots Lynx
Bixi
To clarify the rankings "Actually smart" means the product is either big news or a very welcome update. "Sure, okay" rounds up the expected products and updates. "Why?" is either the me-too stuff or things that have one or more obvious issues of one kind of another. Also note that we're only counting products that have explicitly stated support for their respective platforms "We're looking into adding platform X later this year" doesn't count.
Totals
Amazon Alexa Apple HomeKit/Siri Google Assistant/Home
Actually smart 6 3 5
Sure, OK 23 12 5
Why? 4 1
Total 33 16 10
For a deeper look at the new devices coming to each platform, our dedicated pages for each platform round up all the new announcements:
Everything new for Amazon Alexa at CES 2017
Everything new for HomeKit at CES 2017
Everything new for Google Home at CES 2017
The list represents everything we're aware of (and have permission to disclose) at the start of each day here at the show. See something we missed? Drop us a comment, or you can send me an email by clicking the link on my CNET profile page.
If you're looking for a bigger picture view into smart home platforms, have a look at our brand new smart home compatibility tool. You can also find the rest of our CES coverage here.
https://www.cnet.com/news/a-smart-home-scoreboard-for-ces-2017/