Archos connected objects head to CES

Archos has unveiled a new range of connected objects ahead of CES in Las Vegas next week. Capable of wirelessly working with each other, and synchronizing with iOS and Android smart devices, the new products fall into either Connected Home and Connected Self lines, and include a new tablet, a tiny home security camera, motion sensors, weather monitors, a personal activity tracker and a blood pressure monitor.

The Archos Mini Cam is about the size of a golf ball, has a wide-angle lens and records still images and/or short video footage via a 640 x 490 resolution VGA camera. It's waterproof, so can keep vigil outdoors, comes with a magnetic stand and runs on three CR2450 batteries. Like all of the Archos connected objects, the Mini Cam promises easy set up, and pairs to iOS or Android smart devices over Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) for real-time monitoring and data retrieval via the company's Smart Home app or the new Smart Home Tablet.

The 7-inch, 1024 x 600 resolution Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) pad can be used to set trigger and actions based on different scenarios, such as turning on the lights or setting off the camera when a motion sensor is activated. The tablet features a 1.2 GHz RK3168 dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of onboard storage with SD card expansion, and dual-band Wi-Fi. It also has its own temperature and humidity sensor, and includes an Android Daydream feature that displays interactive screensavers for those who leave the device powered on most of the time.

The Motion Ball looks for movement 110 degrees out front and over a 10 m (33 ft) range. It's also waterproof and powered by three CR2450 batteries. The Movement Tag can be placed on doors or windows to monitor comings and goings. It's able to detect when its two components break their magnetic connection, or when the onboard accelerometer senses movement. This unit is powered by one CR2430 battery. An appliance or lamp plugged into a Smart Plug can be switched on or off using the Smart Home app, which can also be used to monitor the power use of the device plugged into it and report stats.

Archos has created the Weather Station to keep up to date with the weather, CO2 levels, humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and environmental noise levels. Wherever you are in the world, weather information from home and at national level can be accessed via the Archos Weather Station app, which will also store gathered data for later analysis.

When different connected objects are used together, users can control or automate functions around the home, and receive notifications when certain events occur.

The Connected Scales are reported capable of recognizing up to four different users. Archos says that the scales are able to calculate BMI and Fat Mass after user measurements are entered into the system, and benefit from built-in storage so that vital stats are not lost should synchronization be lost. The scales can support a maximum user weight of 397 lb (180 kg), and run on four AAA-sized batteries.

Next up is a bracelet-type Activity Tracker. Basically a pedometer that counts the number of steps taken and records the distance walked, the device can also advise how many calories have been burned. It sports an OLED display, and its integrated Li-Pol battery should last for up to seven days between charges via the included USB connector.

The Blood Pressure Monitor auto inflates and detects systolic, diastolic blood pressure and pulse. The unit alerts the user if an irregular heart beat is detected. It can display information on the LCD screen, filter recorded data by time period, and upload data to a paired smart device over Bluetooth for detailed analysis. This model runs on two AAA-sized batteries.

As with the Connected Home objects, useful metrics gathered from the smart scales, activity tracker and blood pressure monitor can be viewed on a paired iOS or Android device via the Connected Self app.

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Archos connected objects head to CES