Instead, they found a trapped robotic vacuum cleaner. Three seasoned deputies -- one with at least 20 years on the force -- a detective who happened to be in the area, and two canine officers all responded to the call of a burglary in progress at a Cedar Hills home near Portland, Ore. Instead, they found a trapped robotic vacuum cleaner. The Washington County sheriff in Oregon says there was nothing unusual about the call. Sure, it was broad daylight -- 1:48 p.m. local time exactly -- but "crime can happen anytime."

At first blush, the bathroom is the most boring possible spot smart-home technology could be applied, except maybe a closet. But consider a mirror that turns on motion-activated lights when you get up in the middle of the night, or tells you the weather in the morning. Consider setting the shower on to the perfect temperature just by asking, before you climb in. There are even "intelligent" toilets in the works though how intelligent they'll be remains to be seen. At an opening press event for CES Sunday, Kohler debuted a voice-enabled lighted mirror with dual-microphones and Amazon.com