LAS VEGAS—Home automation has a public relations problem: If the non-tech obsessed public views it at all, it views it as complicated, intimidating and possibly unnecessary. And home-automation technology is still in an emerging state, with many products still working out various kinks and tangles—understandable, maybe, but still frustrating for any person brave enough to give home-automation systems a try.
Kwikset's Kevo lock looks like a normal deadbolt, but it's actually a smart lock that lights up and unlocks when you tap it.
However, people seem more likely to try out home-automation tech when it comes a la carte. Color-changing Bluetooth light bulbs and smart thermostats are good examples, and another area that's on the rise seems to be smart locks.
I kept running into smart locks at booth after booth after booth. From the all-inclusive Okidokeys, to the sleek Goji, to the deceptively standard looking Kevo, smart locks were making themselves known on the show floor.
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