If you’re looking for a simple DIY smart home security system that doesn’t need a bunch of fuss to install, abode systems has the answer for you in their “iota” Security & Camera smart home system.
As Amazon Alexa continues its road to smart home domination, an increasing number of devices are adding Alexa functionality to their products. Azpen Innovation is jumping on the bandwagon with two Alexa-enabled DockAll wireless docking stations/chargers. If you make use of Alexa devices and have a phone with wireless charging, you need to check these out.
Have you been thinking about hiring an office assistant? Amazon has someone they think would be perfect for the job — their virtual voice assistant, Alexa.
I purchased the first generation Amazon Echo thinking it was the best Alexa-enabled speaker available — at the time, anyway. While the Echo does all right in a smaller room, the speaker is anemic at best. But I’ve had the opportunity to check out the KitSound Voice One Smart Speaker recently, and I’ve found it to be much better.
Do you live on a busy street? Have noisy neighbors? Do you have a housemate who snores in an adjoining room? All of these things may be no big deal during the day, but at night, when you need to sleep, they aren’t exactly conducive to a solid 8+ hours, are they? You need the Nightingale Smart Home Sleep System.
I’m a huge fan of Ultimate Ears speakers. The UE MEGABOOM was close to perfection. It delivers huge, amazing sound, has great battery life and is waterproof. It is an amazing Bluetooth speaker and one I highly recommend. Now, however, the UE MEGABLAST is here. It improves on the MEGABOOM, which is still a great speaker, in almost every way.
It’s that time of the year again! For this gift guide we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite gifts for the home – but really for the whole family. We’ve made sure to include products from a wide price range, so you can decide to go large, or not to spend much at all, but you’ll still manage to impress them.
It seems like everyone is coming out with smart speakers this fall. New to the game is 808 Audio. They recently released the XL-V Smart Speaker. It includes voice-control for Alexa, Bluetooth and is priced at $129. It looks similar to the original Amazon Echo, and it’s a good option if you are in the market for a smart speaker.
I’ve been a huge fan of Ultimate Ears speakers and have always impressed with both sound and aesthetics. In fact, the ROLL 2, BOOM 2 and MEGABOOM serve as our poolside speakers all summer long. (Check out all the reviews!) Now the company has announced the BLAST and MEGABLAST. They look amazing and have Amazon Alexa hands-free voice control baked in.
After years insisting their system be as closed as possible with regard to everything but the streaming music services with which it has partnered, Sonos has finally moved into the “smart speaker” space. With the launch of the Sonos One, Amazon Alexa will be available out of the box with support for Google Assistant sometime in 2018.
Last year I reviewed a small Alexa-enabled speaker from FABRIQ. (Read the review.) I was impressed but wished it had the voice-enabled feature that makes my Amazon Echo so great. Now FABRIQ has released an updated device. The Chorus is bigger, sounds better and is voice activated. It is Amazon Alexa-enabled AND Bluetooth and costs under $100.
If you’ve got an Amazon Alexa or Google Home device, then you’ve already found out that while intelligent speakers are okay, they usually aren’t that great to look at nor do they sound as amazing as one might hope.
Smart home technology has offered added convenience to many users, but when those devices require activating a smartphone for all interactions, they can still be a challenge for some disabled users. Now, however, integration with personal assistant technology such as Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Apple’s new HomePod could enhance smart home device value for all users.
Portable? Yes. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Enabled? Yes. Rechargeable Battery? Yes. Talk and Touch Control? Yes. Android Tablet With Touchscreen? Yes. Stereo Speakers? Yes. And perhaps best of all, the Clarity Speaker works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Voice services. It’s coming soon and we can’t wait to check it out. Preorder pricing is $149. After that, it is $199.
The people behind Brilliant Control asked a simple question: “Are you tired of digging for your mobile phone every time you want to adjust your smart lighting, music, or climate systems?” That’s obviously a rhetorical question, and their answer is one that is poised to take the exploding smart home market by storm.
My Smart home gets smarter and smarter thanks to the Amazon Echo, but with the Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini by TP-Link, the sky’s the limit.
If you haven’t had enough of Amazon’s Echo, or hearing about products that might feature Alexa, that’s good because there’s you need to check out Bixi 2.0, the world’s first digital home assistant powered by gestures and commands. Seems like CES 2017 is full of smart home tech and digital home essentials. The Bixi 2.0, is a gestured fueled device made by Bluemint Labs that now will receive Alexa integration….
Let’s face it, the Amazon Echo has won 2016. It’s the most sought after gadget this year, and with its compatibility to virtually everything, it’ll be a surprise not to see it in every home soon. As a result, companies are making it a mission to make their gadgets Alexa compatible.
We’ve got two TCL 4K Roku-enabled televisions in our house, and I feel like TCL is one of those brands that isn’t yet well-known, but they should be. TCL products are extremely well made, they work exactly as promised, and they are generally well priced.
I love my Amazon Echo and the way Alexa controls so many of my smart home features; I love the simplicity and power of the Logitech Harmony Hub and Remote, and I especially love the fact that the two now work together. A new Amazon Alexa Skill makes it all possible.
Amazon just introduced an updated Fire TV Stick which is priced at $39.99 and due for release on October 20, 2016. The new device looks and acts a lot like the old one with the addition of Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.
