DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Homes
& Gardens, the leading lifestyle brand reaching 40 million
readers a month, has revealed its third annual Editors' Choice
Awards. Chosen by Better Homes & Gardens editors, and
technology and digital media expert Shelly
Palmer, the Editors' Choice Awards highlight the best of new
and existing home and personal technology.
"Smart technology is now a part of every aspect our homes – from
our kitchens and bathrooms to outdoor living spaces and laundry
rooms – almost every new appliance is or will be connected," says
Better Homes & Gardens Editor-in-Chief Stephen Orr. "We put an emphasis on products
that we believe will help the modern homeowner keep up with the
latest developments."
The 2017 winners combine style and smarts and are proven to make
the homes and lives of consumers easier and more efficient.
"It has once again been a great experience working with the
Better Homes & Gardens team on this project," says
Palmer. "Together we were able to pick products with benefits that
will really help consumers on a daily basis."
Among this year's picks are:
- Google Chromecast Ultra ($79; google.com) – Stream up to 4K Ultra HD &
HDR picture quality with Chromecast Ultra, a streaming device that
plugs into your TV's HDMI port. Mirror your phone, tablet, or
laptop to your TV, or stream live sporting events, movies, or
music. Don't have a 4K TV yet? The Chromecast Ultra will
automatically optimize its content for your TV's best
resolution.
- Whirlpool Smart French Door Pantry Refrigerator with
Infinity Shelves ($3,799;
whirlpool.com) – Say good-bye to a dysfunctional fridge and hello
to pantry-style organization with Whirlpool's Smart French Door
refrigerator. Its Infinity Shelves retract in the center to make
room for tall items (wine bottles) while leaving half-shelves
around the perimeter (no more lost yogurts) clearly visible. You'll
also get grab-a-snack sections, a produce drawer that fits a
lettuce tub, and freezer dividers that hold frozen foods upright.
An app alerts you to power outages and servicing needs.
- Savant Remote + Host ($499; savant.com) – Savant Remote + Host is a
media-centric home-control system. It controls over 380,000
entertainment devices (streaming, speakers, gaming consoles, DVD
players, cable, satellite, and more), plus a super simple set of
lamp controllers so you can set the mood for watching TV or
listening to music.
- Amazon Echo Dot ($49;
amazon.com) – The Amazon Echo Dot does everything the Amazon
Echo does plus a bit more. The main difference is the smaller
speaker. But – and this is important – the Echo Dot has a 3.5-mm
audio output jack so you can attach an external speaker. This gives
the Dot the ability to send its output to any audio system you
have. It also can transmit sound wirelessly over Bluetooth.
- Sony Playstation VR ($399;
playstation.com) – The PlayStation VR takes gaming to the next
level by putting you in the middle of all the action. It turns
amazing games into virtual reality creating incredibly immersive
experiences.
- Lutron Caseta Wireless ($99; Lutron.com) – Caseta from Lutron is a
lighting-centric control system that will work perfectly with your
existing lights. There are both physical and app-based controls,
which means you can operate your lights even if you left your
smartphone in another room. That also means guests won't be left in
the dark.
- Samsung Trio ($99 Gear VR;
$349.99 Gear 360; Samsung.com) –
Samsung's Gear 360 camera, virtual reality headset and Galaxy
smartphone work together in an innovative 3-D system. The phone and
VR headset bring to life what you capture on the camera.
- Canary ($200; canary.com)
– When it detects motion, the Canary records HD video and sends an
alert to your phone. It's a great way to know (and see) when your
child comes home. But if there's an intruder, you can sound a siren
and call local police. With a 147-degree camera span and night
vision, you can always take a peek at what's going on at home, day
or night. It also monitors temperature and humidity.
- Garmin Forerunner 235 ($269.99; garmin.com) – Serious runners need more
than just a fitness tracker. With 24/7 wrist-based heart-rate
monitoring, GPS, built-in activity tracking, and connected
features, Garmin's Forerunner 235 is a device built with athletes
in mind. Track your distance, pace, time, heart rate, and more, and
view all the data in real time. Download workouts and training
plans that work best for you, track your progress with the Garmin
Connect network, then compare and share with friends and family.
It's everything you need in a convenient watch-size package.
- Sony 55-inch X930D / X940D 4K HDR with Android TV
($1,499.99; sony.com) – The biggest
trend in TVs is 4K HDR (high-dynamic range). These new
ultra-high-definition sets – such as this 55-inch Android TV by
Sony – give you whiter whites and blacker blacks, they also offer
10-bit color, which displays almost infinite color space.
- Ford Fusion ($22,120
Starting MSRP, $139 / Mo Lease; ford.com) – You don't have to buy an
expensive sports sedan to get state-of-the-art semiautonomous
features. The Ford Fusion will practically drive itself in
stop-and-go traffic, and it has adaptive cruise control,
pre-collision assist, and pedestrian detection.
Additional winners from the 2017 Editors' Choice Awards include:
IT Bed by Sleep Number; Dropbox; LG Signature
TWINWash/Washer-Dryer Hybrid; All-Clad 5-Quart Slow Cooker with
In-Pot Browning; Apple Music; Netgear Nighthawk
AC1900 EX7000; Blue Apron; Uber; Virtru
Full descriptions of the winning products can be found online at
BHG.com.
ABOUT BETTER HOMES & GARDENS
Better Homes & Gardens serves, connects and inspires
readers who infuse color and creativity into each aspect of their
lives. Reaching 40 million readers a month via the most trusted
print magazine, the brand also extends across a robust website,
multiple social platforms, tablet editions, mobile apps, broadcast
programs and licensed products. Better Homes & Gardens
fuels our readers' passions to live a more colorful life through
stunning visuals, a balance of substance and surface, and a blend
of expert and reader ideas. Better Homes & Gardens is
published 12 times a year by Meredith Corporation, with a rate base
of 7.6 million.
Additional information may be found at www.bhg.com | Facebook:
facebook.com/mybhg | Twitter: twitter.com/bhg | Pinterest:
pinterest.com/bhg | Instagram:
instagram.com/betterhomesandgardens.
ABOUT MEREDITH CORPORATION
Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP;
www.meredith.com) has been committed to service
journalism for 115 years. Today, Meredith uses multiple
distribution platforms – including broadcast television, print,
digital, mobile and video – to provide consumers with content they
desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing
partners.
Meredith's National Media Group reaches more than 100 million
unduplicated women every month, including nearly 75 percent of U.S.
Millennial women. Meredith is the leader in creating and
distributing content across platforms in key consumer interest
areas such as food, home, parenthood and health through well-known
brands such as Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Parents,
Shape and EatingWell. Meredith also features robust brand
licensing activities, including more than 3,000 SKUs of branded
products at 4,000 Walmart stores across the U.S. and at
walmart.com. Meredith Xcelerated Marketing is an award-winning,
strategic and creative agency that provides fully integrated
marketing solutions for many of the world's top brands, including
Kraft, TGIFriday's and NBC Universal.
Meredith's Local Media Group includes 17 owned or operated
television stations reaching 11 percent of U.S. households.
Meredith's portfolio is concentrated in large, fast-growing
markets, with seven stations in the nation's Top 25 – including
Atlanta, Phoenix, St.
Louis and Portland – and 13
in Top 50 markets. Meredith's stations produce nearly 700 hours of
local news and entertainment content each week, and operate leading
local digital destinations.
ABOUT SHELLY PALMER
Shelly Palmer is Managing Partner
at Palmer Advanced Media, a technology-focused strategic advisory
practice that helps Fortune 500 companies and growth-stage
companies with digital strategy, data science, marketing, branding,
and business development. He is FOX 5 New York's on-air tech and
digital media expert and a regular commentator on CNBC and CNN.
Follow him at @shellypalmer or visit www.shellypalmer.com.
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SOURCE Meredith Corporation; Better Homes and Gardens