Shane Dyer is surrounded by a dozen or so home appliances made by a dozen or so different manufacturers. As the CEO of Arrayent, one of a small group of companies thats popped up to help smart appliances connect, Dyer is one of the few people who can pull off even this basic magic trick of connectivity right now. Meet todays connected home: a collection of appliances and home gadgets that offer enhanced functionality but won’t work together in concert unless you happen to buy them all from the same manufacturer — perhaps a Samsung fridge, a Samsung stove, a Samsung washer, and a Samsung dryer. What the smart home really needs is one single way for appliances to speak with each other — a standard that can do for appliances what Wi-Fi did for laptops, tablets, and the internet.