Remember those super slick wooden smart home panels that Mui showed off back in 2019? Well four years later, it looks like the company is finally ready to start shipping out their next generation model to the public.
Dubbed the Mui Board, this minimalist wooden touchscreen lets you control all your connected devices with a tap. When not in use, it just looks like a chic little ledge. But wake it up and suddenly you can adjust the thermostat, dim the lights, start the EV charger, lock the doors – all from the board’s interface.
It’s like a way classier, more low-key version of something like the Nest Hub. The touch controls blend right into your home decor instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.
Image source – Twitter
One big upgrade this time around is support for the Matter smart home standard. Matter is supposed to work across tons of different brands and devices, so the new Mui Board should be way more compatible than the original version. We’ll have to wait and see how useful that ends up being in practice though.
Mui says the Board won’t actually ship out until late 2024 despite previewing it at CES this year. But starting January 8th you can back the project on Kickstarter for $499 a pop.
For a device from a small company like Mui, the Board feels like a classic “cool CES concept that may or may not pan out.” The design is slick and the features seem neat, but it’s hard to say if it’ll actually make sense for many real-world homes.
Still, with those oh-so-cute pixel animals frolicking around on the display, Mui may have cooked up something practical yet charming enough to warrant a spot on your kitchen counter. Fingers crossed the utility matches the whimsy by the time 2024 rolls around.
