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FOR A LONG time the kitchen has been con- sidered the nexus of communication and gather- ing in the home. With all of the laptops, tablets, smartphones, ftness trackers and other devices, a kitchen can become so many diferent things. With the swipe of a fnger, your kitchen can be a movie theater, an ofce or even an arcade. To design kitchens for the present and fu- ture, designers need to be aware of what it takes to keep all of these devices connected, used, charged and stored in the kitchen. CONNECTIVITY The Internet is essential for just about every de- vice these days. Last week my Internet went out for a few hours. I looked at my laptop and said to myself, "Well, that's useless now." I don't think kitchen designers need to (or should) turn into IT professionals, but understanding the basics of how to get a good WiFi signal are important. A router broadcasts the Internet over WiFi for all devices to connect to. Placement of these routers is really important. You want them close to where the devices are going to be used the most. The kitchen is often times where that happens. A router typically is an afterthought plastic box that's shoved behind a desk. This makes them hard to access if they need main- tenance, and also can seriously hinder wireless signals, slow Internet performance and seriously degrade your Crossy Road game or your child's latest Snapchat. Just like we think about how many coun- tertop appliances one will use in a kitchen, a router should be considered on this list as well. Up until recently, routers were quite ugly. Thankfully, some design sense is being put into them to encourage people to put them more out in the open. The OnHub series of routers are designed to be simple to use and elegant to look at. Even more on the design angle, Google, the maker of these particular routers, is encourag- ing designers to make them ft even better into a space by allowing designers to make "shells" for them. These shells allow them to look like a vase, hold fruits or just match a color: If you do spec a router, check with your elec- trician to make sure all of the wiring is where you need it. You're going to need power, cable TV and ethernet. These are all pretty easy to do in a remodel. When entertaining guests, more than just ofering a solid cup of tea or cofee, ofering WiFi access can be very accommodating. Select a rout- er with a "guest" network. This allows visitors to access the Internet without dealing with complex passwords. It also isolates all of the homeown- ers' connected devices in a way that keeps them secure from casual users. POWER UP So, you've got all of those devices connected, your family has watched Netfix, sent a hundred texts, video chatted with grandma, and now all of the batteries are dead. You've got to charge all of these things! You could run extension cords and power strips across the counters…but we can't do that. We're designers. Just like we consider where the power outlet goes for a stand mixer, we need to deeply consider where and how these new devices are used. There are two kinds of power that devices need: 110-volt power from a standard outlet, and USB power. The most common use for the 110-volt outlet is a laptop. Talk to your clients and fnd out when and where they use it. If they're sitting at a raised bar using the laptop while someone else cooks, make sure there's an avail- able outlet that won't get in the way. Consider storage for the laptop's power adapter as well. Nearly all tablets, phones, activity trackers and even some laptops charge over USB. There are two ends of a USB cable, the one that plugs into the power, and the other end that plugs into the device. They typically get plugged into a power brick. Now those power bricks can get ugly, and a lot of times they can crowd outlets, blocking the ability to plug something else into an adjacent one. In addition to that, if you're like me, I carry my pow- er brick with me in case I need it. I don't want to leave it at home. An excellent solution would be outlets that have USB plugs built in. These install anywhere you have (or can install) a traditional outlet. They are reasonably priced and can be sourced from just about any hardware store. The USB plug has been a staple charging port on computers for over 15 years. It's been incredi- bly versatile. As designers, we should be wary of specifying technology that could easily be obso- lete in a few years. USB plugs won't be anytime ERIC SCHIMELPFENIG, AKBD " To design kitchens for the present and future, designers need to be aware of what it takes to keep all of today's devices connected, used, charged and stored." The OnHub series of routers are designed to be more visually appealing, and designers can even create 'shells' to dress them up. A charging mat can be used to eliminate the need for cables and wires that can clutter up the kitchen. Kitchens Must Facilitate Connectivity Corian can now build a wireles charging coil into the countertop; plug the ring into the device and just place it on the counter to charge it. 30 Kitchen & Bath Design News • January 2016 DESIGN TECHNOLOGY