Amazon Alexa

Neato D7 Connected Is an Improvement from the D6, Especially If You Have Pets

Reviews

Neato D7 Connected Is an Improvement from the D6, Especially If You Have Pets

Having recently reviewed the D6 Robot Vac by Neato, I already knew what to expect from their products, but boy was I in for a treat when I received the Neato Botvac D7 Connected. Not only was I amazed by its ability to navigate my home, but even more by how more refined this particular model truly was. At $829, it’s certainly not the cheapest robot vacuum cleaner on the market, but using it for the past few months, it’s certainly one of the more efficient ones, and I’ve reviewed several. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk…

Nanoleaf Canvas Is Gorgeous Kinetic Art That Adds Brilliance to Any Space

Reviews

Nanoleaf Canvas Is Gorgeous Kinetic Art That Adds Brilliance to Any Space

Nanoleaf made a name for themselves with their color-changing triangular-shaped Light Panels back in 2016. Now they’ve upped the ante with the Nanoleaf Canvas; light squares with edge-to-edge illumination, built-in sound reactivity, touch sensitivity, and a whole lot more. Canvas is a beautiful piece of kinetic artwork that adds brilliant light and a sense of playfulness to any space.

Lenovo Brings the Smart Home to the Next Big Things with New Smart Tabs and Smart Clock

Events, News

Lenovo Brings the Smart Home to the Next Big Things with New Smart Tabs and Smart Clock

Lenovo’s Smart Displays blew us away at CES last year, and this year they have some new smart devices to bring us closer to a world like The Jetsons. They have a really amazing smart tablet/dock, along with a smart clock for your bedroom, so let’s see what the future holds! First, let’s talk about the Lenovo Smart Clock. Basically, they’re rolling the various tips for better sleep that are out there with a small Smart Display. This makes a lot of sense because you get a bedside interface that lets you set up a smart home routine around your bedtime…

iHome iAVS16 Alexa Built-in Bedside/Home Office Speaker System Review

Reviews

iHome iAVS16 Alexa Built-in Bedside/Home Office Speaker System Review

I recently reviewed iHome’s small Alexa-enabled bedside clock. Raina used it last night for the first time, and this morning reported that she considers it a “winner.” It is, however, a basic smart clock. If you want or need something with more bells and whistles, you can check out the iHome iAVS16 smart Bedside/Home Office Speaker System.

iHome iAV14 Is a Small but Powerful Bedside Clock with Alexa Built-in

Reviews

iHome iAV14 Is a Small but Powerful Bedside Clock with Alexa Built-in

We recently reviewed a bedside clock from iHome that works with Google Assistant. It’s impressive but only if you are using Google Assistant as your smart assistant. For those of us deep into the Amazon Alexa ecosystem, there is the iHome iAV14. It may look like a traditional nightstand clock but, thanks to its “smarts,” it offers much more.

Anki Vector is the Expressive Pet Robot Who Is Here to Help

Reviews

Anki Vector is the Expressive Pet Robot Who Is Here to Help

Ushering in the age of the loyal pet robot, the Anki Vector is a fun sidekick who can do more than play fetch. Vector is helpful; he can take photos, set a timer, answer questions, play blackjack, and more. Packed with high-tech circuitry, Vector can see, hear, feel, think, and communicate; he even keeps himself charged. Vector retails for $249.99.

Apple Music Coming to Amazon Echo Devices on December 17th!

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Apple Music Coming to Amazon Echo Devices on December 17th!

In our house, more music is played through our Amazon Echo devices than anywhere else. We use Amazon Music, but also Pandora, Slacker and Spotify … and pretty soon Apple Music! Today Amazon announced on its blog that starting December 17th you will be able to add a new skill to Alexa: the ability to play songs and playlists from Apple Music!

Lutron Serena Shades: Wireless, Smart, and Custom-Made

Reviews

Lutron Serena Shades: Wireless, Smart, and Custom-Made

I have an office with two windows on our house’s south side; these windows take in brutal amounts of Texas sun and heat during the spring and summer. Lutron Serena Shades are custom-made window shades that can be controlled by a remote, by your smartphone, or with an AI assistant. What you end up with are smarthome-worthy window coverings.

First Alert Smoke Alarm

Reviews

Onelink’s Safe and Sound: The Smoke Alarm of the Future?

In the modern world, smart appliances fill homes to the brim. Artificial intelligence is a part of nearly every device now, making the average suburb almost sound futuristic. With everything else getting the science fiction treatment, from your refrigerator turning into a TV to your car self-parking into the driveway, safety devices can become smarter, too.

The iHome iAV2 Is a Dock with a Clock for Your Amazon Echo Dot

Reviews

The iHome iAV2 Is a Dock with a Clock for Your Amazon Echo Dot

We have a number of Amazon Echo Dots in our home. They are a great way to inexpensively get into the Amazon Echo ecosystem, and the 2nd generation Dots work incredibly well. Still, the anemic speaker and lack of a display are far from ideal. Enter the $69 iHome iAV2. I describe it as a “clock dock for your Dot.”

RolliBot RolliCool COOL 100H Portable AC with Heater Review

Reviews

RolliBot RolliCool COOL 100H Portable AC with Heater Review

My office is a room that was built on the back of our house. The only issue that we ran into when adding it was that there was no affordable way to tie that room into our central heat and air. An effective and convenient solution for situations like mine is the RolliBot RolliCool Cool 100H Portable AC with Heater.

B-hyve Hose Faucet Timer Takes (Some) of the Pain Out of Watering

Reviews

B-hyve Hose Faucet Timer Takes (Some) of the Pain Out of Watering

After two years of living here, we finally got our lawn looking close to what we have hoped for. The challenge is, of course, the fact that the summer heat is only going to get stronger over the next two months. Thankfully, B-hyve offers their B-hyve Hose Faucet Timer. It is smart, convenient and it even works with Alexa!