With the advent of gadgets like doorbell cameras, smart kitchen appliances and data-logging sensors that track your sleep, the smart home now extends to even the most intimate areas of the household. It's great for general convenience, like knowing w...
Read More »Google Assistant’s visual smart home controls are on the way
You don't have to pick up a smart display to use touch-savvy controls in Google Assistant. Users at Droid Life and elsewhere have noticed that Google is rolling out visual smart home controls (teased back at I/O in May) to mobile devices. When you...
Read More »For victims of smart home abuse, there’s no easy out
The New York Times recently published a report that revealed a disturbing trend of harassment and domestic abuse via internet-connected devices. In addition to using them to stalk and monitor their victims, abusers are also doing things like changing...
Read More »Sonos Beam is a smart soundbar with HDMI and AirPlay 2
The wait for Sonos fans is over. That rumored new speaker codenamed "S14" has just been unveiled in San Francisco today, and it's just as we expected (and more). The Sonos Beam (as it's officially called) is indeed aimed at home theatre and comes wit...
Read More »Ring doorbell flaw lets others watch after password changes
You'd expect a smart doorbell to instantly boot out everyone the moment you change your password, but that isn't necessarily the case. The Information has learned that the app for Ring's video doorbell wasn't forcing users to sign-in after password...
Read More »Ring doorbell flaw lets others watch after password changes (updated)
You'd expect a smart doorbell to instantly boot out everyone the moment you change your password, but that isn't necessarily the case. The Information has learned that the app for Ring's video doorbell wasn't forcing users to sign-in after password c...
Read More »Xiaomi’s smart home devices now work with Google Assistant
Xiaomi has had a hard time gaining traction with US customers. To help sidestep that, the Chinese company is prepping the runway for (hopeful) domestic success by adding Google Assistant tech to its smart home devices, 9to5Google spotted. Meaning tha...
Read More »Amazon’s Experience Centers let you try out Alexa in a home setting
Amazon announced today that it has opened a number of Experience Centers across the US. In eight cities, those interested in getting a hands-on look at how Alexa works and what a smart home has to offer can visit select Lennar model homes that are fu...
Read More »Google Assistant now works with every major smart home device brand
Google's I/O developer conference is happening next week, and it'll be just about two years since the Google Assistant was first introduced. As such, the company is taking some time to announce a few new features, all of which are meant to expand the...
Read More »Google Assistant’s routines are an easy way to automate your home
Since Amazon's Echo arrived in late 2014, voice assistants have become increasingly important in making sense of the disparate smart home devices like speakers, light bulbs, thermostats, security cameras and more. But in the last few months, Alexa an...
Read More »Qualcomm designed new chipsets just for IoT gadgets
Instead of continuing to repurpose existing processors for smart home devices, Qualcomm has unveiled two new chipsets built specifically for IoT gadgets. The QCS605 and QCS603 are 10nm system-on-chips (SoCs) that will power things like 360-degree cam...
Read More »Engadget giveaway: Win a Logitech Harmony Elite and Google Home Mini!
Universal remote controls have been around for a while, but with a product like the Logitech Harmony Elite, simplicity and future-proofing go hand-in-hand. The Elite's Hub system lets you control IR, Bluetooth and even network-based products beyond y...
Read More »Nest’s $229 video doorbell is a useful addition to its ecosystem
Last September, Nest introduced several products to its connected home lineup: the Nest Secure home security system, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor and the Nest Hello video doorbell. While both the Secure and the IQ outdoor cam have been out for a few month...
Read More »Samsung’s SmartThings hub is down for North American users (updated)
Samsung launched its SmartThings automation Hub back in late 2015. Wirecutter called it the best smart hub the following year, and the company has added more features to the system, like the ability to control it with Gear smartwatches. Unfortunately...
Read More »Amazon acquires Ring’s smart doorbell business
If it wasn't already evident that Amazon wants a stronger foothold in the smart home space, it is now. Amazon has acquired Ring, the device maker best known for its smart doorbells. The terms of the deal aren't clear, but it's expected that Amazon wi...
Read More »