Hasta La Ideas

Seven new products to enhance home living

While most of our CES coverage has gone to the latest tech advancements for your wrist or camera, we’ve also set aside an assortment of our favorite accessories for improving life at home. From heated toilet seats with retractable bidet spouts to energy saving outlets, the following are seven home product highlights from the 2012 CES.

For many Americans, the lawn is a highly visible extension of one’s personality. Mohzy’s Petal solar lights blend into the surrounding nature with a pop of clean design. The little green fixtures recharge daily, going on automatically at dusk and deactivating at dawn. The Petal light comes in two sizes and will be available in the coming months.

Fitbit’s Aria smart scale allows you to accurately track your weight, body fat percentage and BMI. Small electrodes in the surface glass send safe signals through the body to precisely measure your body’s fat and lean mass. Aria also uses wi-fi, so users can track their progress online, or with the iPhone app, with graphs and tools to help reach their goals. Pre-order is now available from Fitbit for $130.

Another bathroom accessory that caught our eye was the Swash, an “advanced bidet seat” to add a bit of luxury to your throne. The eco-friendly Swash features a heated seat, automatic lid, retractable bidet with heated water and customizable settings. And yes, it also has a dryer option. The Swash sells for between $180-$600.

Disguised as a digital photo frame, the Sonamba is a well-being status monitor and communication center for senior citizens. The touch-screen device offers medication reminders in easy-to-read text with email options and a personalized emergency response system. Plus, it actually shuffles through digital photos when not in use. The Sonamba is available for $550 with a monthly data plan for web-based access.

To cut down on the massive amounts of energy wasted by unused appliances left plugged in, Modlet automatically shuts on and off on schedule and wirelessly sends status reports to your computer to help monitor appliance efficiency. Modlet starts at $50 for the home model and includes software for graphing and tracking your energy use.

As the most intriguing design piece of the lot, Leon Speakers’ Trithon Reyn TVblends old-world aesthetics with the latest television technology. Accented wtih genuine python skin, the rich walnut, steel and brass tripod TV makes a strong statement standing more than eight feet tall.

For a considerably lighter-hearted home accessory, the Solarbulb turns discarded water bottles into renewable lights. The solar-powered bulb screws onto most bottles to offer a fixed level of LED light. The curious little light fixture is not yet available, but should be expected in the months to come.