Favorite smart home gadgets of 2016

I've come across many great smart home products and there will be a lot of new products announced at this month's Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Here are a few of my favorites from this past year:

With a simple setup, including connecting the Rachio to your existing Wi-Fi network, you'll have your lawn watered for however long you want in as many zones as you choose.

The installation was surprisingly simple, assuming you have a sprinkler system already in place so you just have to swap out the controller box.

Once the hardware is connected, you control the system with the Rachio app, which lets you schedule watering days and length of watering for each zone. The app shows you how much water you have used along with how much has been saved due to shutting the system down for rain and automatically changing the water times as the seasons change.

($199.99 for an eight-zone controller, rachio.com)

Elgato's Eve Smart Home products work with Apple HomeKit and include wireless motion, window and air quality controls through plugs for controlling just about everything in your home. Everything is hub-free and has easy setup.

The newest product to the Eve line is the connected wall switch ($49.95). This can be an additional switch or replacement for an existing light switch. Once installed, the app controls lights with a tap on the switch or with a Siri voice command on an Apple device.

The wall switch is connected with Bluetooth or over the internet with an Apple TV.

Check the Eve website for electrical requirements and setup at elgato.com.

All you need is Wi-Fi and the free Arlo app to get the Arlo security cameras working. The HD cameras are 100 percent wire-free, have integrated, infrared lights for night vision and are weatherproof.

You even get free cloud storage to save your recordings for a week for up to five cameras. If you want them saved longer, upgrade options are available for additional cost.

The Arlo app sets everything up including schedules and alerts when motion is detected.

The August Smart Lock replaces the inside deadbolt latch for controlling a lock with a smartphone.

After the installation you'll need the free/password protected August app and a financial-level digital security protected account.

The app lets you set the lock to open hands-free as you approach it and control who has access to the lock.

Your account keeps a 24/7 activity log of when the lock is locked or unlocked. The lock can be controlled via Wi-Fi by adding the August Connect plug, which connects to a wall power outlet within 30 feet of the lock.

Four AA batteries to power the lock are included; you'll be notified by the August app when they need replacing.