CES 2016

One of the biggest catch phrases at CES this year has been the IoT, or the Internet of Things. JBL is partnering with PubNub to create a Developer Ecosystem to the Pulse 2 and other JBL speaker systems to make them better than ever.

On its own, the Pulse 2 (MSRP: $200, available now) is a great little portable Bluetooth speaker. It has two 45mm drivers with dual passive radiators and delivers up to 10 hours of play time from its internal 6000 mAh battery. While not waterproof, it is splashproof so it can hang out outdoors. It has a built-in microphone with noise-cancelling technology for taking phone calls.

Plenty of people are making color-changing speakers - even more make them with different colored chassis. The Pulse 2 has a black or silver chassis, but it has a prism color sensor lens that detects and matches any color you want. Simply hold it up to whatever you want to match and it instantly changes to that color. Want to pair a series of them to look like a fireplace? No problem. Want to match your wallpaper? No problem. Want to match your tee-shirt? It’s got that.

However, it’s as part of this new Developer Ecosystem that the Pulse 2 really shine. There’s an app that uses the built-in microphone to measure ambient sound levels and compensate the playback volume. It can be set up to interact with other devices throughout the house. For example, you can set it so that it flashes red if the garage door is opened. Flash green with the front door is locked.

JBL is working on so many other exciting new developments. Follow Me is a sound proximity app that interacts with all the speakers in your home to let you seamlessly transition from room to room and have your music follow you. It can also be used to detect how far your are from the speakers and adjust the volume accordingly. You can even set up the speakers to be used as a whole-home intercom and send messages to family members throughout the home.

Harman’s JBL division is working on so many very cool new concepts. One app that is currently in development is a headphone application that gives audible notifications through the speakers. The headphone can notify of approaching traffic, bicycle bells, or even be set to identify if someone calls out the user’s name.

While the Internet of Things typically refers to home devices, it’s exciting to see it applied to audio devices that we’ll use for more and more interactive things. The Internet of “My” Things is more like it.