Samsung wants to make the smart home even smarter – if your home is a Samsung home, that is.
During its keynote at CES 2024 in Las Vegas tonight, the company announced a host of additions and capabilities for its SmartThings home automation platform. A new dashboard display, Now Plus, goes to select Samsung TVs, which is programmed to turn on as you approach to display information about smart home devices and stats like the current interior temperature. It is accompanied by a new “Quick Panel” with access to shortcuts to control connected devices, as well as functions such as finding lost smartphones and other portable gadgets.
![Samsung Smart Things](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Samsung_Now__digital_96dpi_.jpg)
Image credits: Samsung
Elsewhere, Samsung has launched a new Map View feature for SmartThings similar to Amazon’s recently launched Map View. The image taken by Samsung shows an interactive map of your home complete with the location of any smart home appliances (like washing machines, refrigerators, etc.) inside. The maps can be created manually or automatically with the help of a photo of an existing floor plan or using a lidar-equipped Samsung device, like the company’s upcoming Ballie robot or its new JetBot robot vacuum.
In a cute (or creepy, depending on your point of view) touch, new SmartThings maps feature “AI characters” that represent family members and pets inside the home. Animated avatars respond to conditions in real time, for example, appearing to sweat if the house gets too warm.
![Samsung Smart Things](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ces-2024-smartthings-is-making-it-easier-to-control-your-hom_5k8v.1920.webp)
Image credits: Samsung
Maps must be created using the SmartThings app on your smartphone or tablet. But once done, it will be displayed on supported Samsung TVs, Samsung Family Hub smart refrigerator display, and Samsung M8 displays.