As we have all spent a lot more time in our homes over these past 18 months, you may have noticed an item or two that could use an upgrade or you are just looking to bring some excitement into your home. For many of us, the living room (or family room or sitting room or whatever you prefer to call it) is the place we typically go to gather together or to enjoy entertainment. So, to spruce up this space, consider adding any of these gadgets to your home.
TV: Bright Just Got Brighter
LG’s OLED TVs with self-lit pixels already were known to produce more light with perfect black and accurate color, but their new line of LG G1 4K TVs ($2,499) is upping the game with OLED evo. This next-generation OLED panel includes an extra layer and a more emissive material, which helps to optimize the structure and refine the wavelengths to increase the efficiency of light. Then combined with the power of the Alpha 9 Gen 4 processor, the picture quality is uniquely tuned to enhance everything you watch with even brighter, sharper images.
Games: An Endless Supply of Choices
Arcade1Up’s Infinity Game Table ($649.99 to $849.99) can help improve any game night with a massive, ever-expanding library of games all available through one interactive, water-resistant tabletop with an HD touchscreen, personalized dynamic zoom viewing, and responsive tactile feedback. You can access digital versions of classic games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Yahtzee, and more. Plus, new coloring books, puzzles, comic books, and even indie games are being added all of the time. You can also connect with other users of the Infinity Game Table over WiFi to play them remotely.
Speaker: Old School Meets New School
The JBL L75ms Music System ($1,500 in Q4 2021) reimagines the traditional Hi-Fi system with a retro design sporting a walnut wood veneer cabinet finish that is packed with modern acoustic technology that offers 32-bit/192kHz high-resolution sound. It has a five-driver design with dual 5.25-inch woofers, dual 1-inch Aluminum tweeters, and a central 4-inch midrange driver. And it has ports for all of your needs including standard 3.5mm auxiliary inputs, Moving Magnet phono stage for vinyl, and HDMI for TV. Plus, it has wireless connectivity via Google Chromecast Built-in, Apple AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth.
Air Purifier: Hidden in Plain Sight
IKEA is launching its first smart air purifier with a twist. The STARKVIND can be bought as a floor standalone air purifier for $129 or as a side table with the air purifier built in for $189. Either way, the air purifier has a three-filter system that is optimized to filter away approximately 99.5% of smaller airborne particles such as PM2.5 particles, dust, and pollen. Meanwhile, the filter for gas cleaning absorbs various pollutants such as formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds and reduces unpleasant odors.
Robot Vacuum: Have No Fear, Object Recognition is Here
Of course, you want to be able to sit back and enjoy time in your favorite room without worrying about constantly cleaning it. Now, Samsung is offering its first robot vacuum with object recognition. The Jet Bot AI+ ($1,299) can detect small objects to avoid such as cables and even keep a safe distance away from items like a porcelain vase, so you don’t have to worry about it getting stuck or knocking things over. It can also detect the type of surface and the amount of dust and automatically adjust its suction level accordingly.
