Brains and Beauty: Smart Mirrors for Your Bathroom
Illuminating, informative and entertaining, these mirrors add an entirely new dimension to your vanity.
3 min
Want to make the most of your morning routine? Take a look in the mirror.
Reflective glass has not been immune from the integration of smart-home technology and the latest high-tech mirrors can keep you up to date and well lit while your hands are occupied with the important tasks of primping and polishing.
Here are a few smart mirrors worth hanging in your bathroom.
Kohler
Available in three sizes and with or without a medicine cabinet, the Verdera series from Kohler features vertical lighting strips integrated into the surface of the mirror, which can be activated by the user via voice control. That means effortless, instant and adjustable hands-free lighting at the drop of a phrase that frees users to focus on teeth brushing, hair combing and other beauty regimens—and that’s just the start. Kohler Verdera mirrors feature embedded speakers, allowing users to listen to music, check the weather or catch up on news. Plus, Kohler Konnect technology allows Verdera owners can use their mirror to control other Kohler devices in their home, like their shower.
Kohler Verdera Mirrors are available for approx. $1488 to $2500, depending on size and features.
Hilo Light
Hilo
Round and robust, the Hilo smart mirror provides a ring of light (think of your favourite online content creators) available in a variety of modes, including a clean white light for skincare and makeup application. And speaking of applications, this mirror has all of them. Hilo owners can download their favourite apps directly onto their mirror, enabling them to watch YouTube, check stocks, send Tweets and more by using the Hilo’s touchscreen. Lest you be worried you’ll end up staring at a bunch of smudges, fear not—the Hilo Light is fingerprint resistant, fog resistant and waterproof.
The Hilo Light smart mirror is available for approx. $1628
Seura Vanity TV Mirrors
Seura
If you’re someone who wants an information download while you get made up, consider a Vanity TV Mirror from Seura. Seura Vanity TV mirrors seamlessly integrate—you guessed it—a TV mirror directly into your bathroom mirror. Seura offers an array of customization options, including screen size, screen placement and audio output, and when users are down catching up on traffic, weather, the latest news (or the latest episode of “White Lotus”), they can simply turn off the TV and the mirror reverts to a stylish reflective surface.
Seura Vanity TV Mirrors are available for approx. $4209 to $4750, depending on size.
HiMirror Slide
HiMirror
Lightweight and compact, the endlessly portable HiMirror Slide lets you bring your bathroom mirror with you wherever you go. But make no mistake—this is no simple surface. Half mirror, half tablet, the Wi-Fi equipped slide allows users to follow along with their favorite YouTube tutorials as they apply makeup or stream tunes from Spotify as they tackle tangles. And if you want lighting options, the Slide has got them. With two LED ambient light strips, Slide users can adjust color temperature and brightness to their exact liking—or choose from five presets to match the lighting conditions they may encounter throughout the day. The Slide also features Amazon Alexa and Google Duo built-in, allowing your vanity to double as a voice-controlled, video calling device.
The HiMirror Slide is available for $134
Copyright 2020, Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. LEARN MORE
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
Excluding the Covid-19 pandemic period, annual growth was the lowest since 1992
2 min
Australia’s commodity-rich economy recorded its weakest growth momentum since the early 1990s in the second quarter, as consumers and businesses continued to feel the impact of high interest rates, with little expectation of a reprieve from the Reserve Bank of Australia in the near term.
The economy grew 0.2% in the second quarter from the first, with annual growth running at 1.0%, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday. The results were in line with market expectations.
It was the 11th consecutive quarter of growth, although the economy slowed sharply over the year to June 30, the ABS said.
Excluding the Covid-19 pandemic period, annual growth was the lowest since 1992, the year that included a gradual recovery from a recession in 1991.
The economy remained in a deep per capita recession, with gross domestic product per capita falling 0.4% from the previous quarter, a sixth consecutive quarterly fall, the ABS said.
A big area of weakness in the economy was household spending, which fell 0.2% from the first quarter, detracting 0.1 percentage point from GDP growth.
On a yearly basis, consumption growth came in at just 0.5% in the second quarter, well below the 1.1% figure the RBA had expected, and was broad-based.
The soft growth report comes as the RBA continues to warn that inflation remains stubbornly high, ruling out near-term interest-rate cuts.
RBA Gov. Michele Bullock said last month that near-term rate cuts aren’t being considered.
Money markets have priced in a cut at the end of this year, while most economists expect that the RBA will stand pat until early 2025.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned this week that high interest rates are “smashing the economy.”
Still, with income tax cuts delivered at the start of July, there are some expectations that consumers will be in a better position to spend in the third quarter, reviving the economy to some degree.
“Output has now grown at 0.2% for three consecutive quarters now. That leaves little doubt that the economy is growing well below potential,” said Abhijit Surya, economist at Capital Economics.
“But if activity does continue to disappoint, the RBA could well cut interest rates sooner,” Surya added.
Government spending rose 1.4% over the quarter, due in part to strength in social-benefits programs for health services, the ABS said.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
