Stumped on what to get Dad for Father’s Day? TCL has some smart TVs that make great gifts he will love. And with prices starting below $300, there’s something for almost every budget. If you aren’t familiar with TCL Smart TVs, there’s no better time than Father’s Day to check out the TCLQ6, TCL Q7, TCL QM8, and the TCL S Class S4 for Roku TV or Google TV.
We can tap into multiple lifetimes’ worth of music libraries on our phones, but nothing will replace a home entertainment system to really enjoy our music. JBL has a slew of stylish and powerful speakers, turntables, CD players, and streaming devices in classic and modern designs to up your music game in 2023!
A few years ago, I bought a Kenmore window unit air conditioner that touted being smart, app-controlled, and able to connect to Alexa and Google Home. After Kev had securely installed the AC in my office window, I powered it on only to find that the app and smart features were incompatible with my WiFi mesh system. :facepalm: Long story short, for the past three years, I’ve had an otherwise excellent window unit that’s never lived up to its potential. However, that all changed when I received a Cielo Breez Plus review unit; with it, my AC is finally smart!
The robot vacuum space is full of many options with many features. These devices make the busy lives we live today more convenient, cutting down cleaning times. ECOVACS DEEBOT X1 OMNI is one of the most advanced all-around cleaning systems available; vacuuming and mopping have never been this easy!
My wife’s and my busy lives can make it hard to keep up with daily cleaning. We also have two dogs, including our labrador Lola who makes a mess and sheds plenty. I recently tried the Neabot NoMo Q11 Robot Vacuum in our den, which is where my family spends most of our time. Let’s take a look at this self-emptying robot vacuum.
Winter is almost over, and we are all looking forward to spending time outside again. Of course, some pests make our time outdoors less enjoyable, mosquitoes being the worst! That’s okay; the new Thermacell LIV system promises to repel them, and it will work with Alexa and Google Assistant!
In 2018, I reviewed a custom set of Lutron Serena Smart Shades for my office. I opted for a traditional roller shade style, and I’m happy to report that they are still operating as perfectly as they did when first installed. Serena Smart architectural honeycomb shades have just been announced, and they look very sleek and elegant. If you’ve been thinking about adding smart window treatments to your home, and you’re particularly interested in something that looks refined and timeless, these might just be the shades that you’ve been looking for!
After spending countless hours scouring the latest press releases, sitting through virtual embargoed showcases on new products, planning to be in Vegas, and once again having to attend virtually, we’ve found that the best-laid plans don’t always work out. Even so, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most innovative and exciting tech that came out of CES while trying to stay away from products that won’t ship or become available in 2022. So, without further ado, we present Gear Diary’s Best of CES 2022 Awards!
Smart home technology is everywhere these days, and Moen is making it clear that they are the leaders in smart water technology. The Moen Smart Faucet with Motion Control has new touchless technology to control the water’s temperature and flow with simple hand motions or voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The Moen Smart Water Network is a whole-home ecosystem of products that, when working together, provide complete control over the water in one’s home.
You have LED string lights, bendable tubes with LED lights, and under-shelf mounted LED lights, but do you have Twinkly Dots? Twinkly Dots are pill-shaped, matte LED bulbs that can diffuse 16 million colors at 360º; you can wrap them around things or stick them to surfaces using the included adhesive pads, and they look fantastic.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned after a prolonged pandemic, it’s the increased importance of a good television in our everyday lives. Well, hopefully, we’ve also learned the importance of washing hands regularly, but two years of binge-watching has definitely led to a new love for the glowing box that streams the world to our living rooms. If you think it’s time to improve your setup, Hisense has you covered with some amazing new announcements at CES 2022.
The amazing thing about modern technology is that we literally have devices that we can ask to lock doors, turn off and on lights, look up recipes, and even change channels for us, all with a verbal command. The scary thing about modern technology is that we’ve also invited always-listening microphones into our homes to meet that convenience. Pozio aims to solve the privacy issue without taking away our digital butlers using listening blockers that double as cradles!
When you think of home theater set-ups, you usually picture a soundbar under the TV with speakers and a subwoofer set up around the room. That all changes with the Lovesac Sactionals StealthTech Sound + Charge System, which puts the home theater audio components inside your sofa, for a deep and immersive Harman Kardon sound experience that you can feel and hear but don’t see.
As an avid Pixel phone user, I was excited that Google developed its own earbuds. I sat out on their first iteration of the true wireless version but jumped in with the Google Pixel Buds A-Series. The idea of wireless buds designed to work with my phone is an exciting idea for a non-iPhone user. The last week, both my son and I have put them through their paces.
Earlier this year, Anker announced the limited edition Anker Nebula Capsule II R2-D2 version of their popular Nebula Capsule II smart mini projector to positive reception in this galaxy. We were able to get our hands on one of the 1000 units, and while it might become a collectible in the years to come, it’s also an excellent smart portable projector that you can enjoy right now.
Not everyone needs or wants a full-fledged smartphone, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a completely dumb phone, either. The new 4G Nokia 2729 V Flip is perfect for those who love the pocketability of the classic flip feature phone but also want smart features like an external notification screen, a 4G hotspot, built-in Google Assistant, and more.
So many of the things in your home are smart, but wouldn’t it be cool if the exterior of your home was smart, too? Imagine if you could control your backyard landscaping lights, the lights you have hanging under your patio, your pond, holiday inflatables, up to 1000′ of holiday lights, or other outdoor items with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Homekit. With the new Lutron Caseta Outdoor Smart Plug, you can.
There are many reasons why you might want to have one or more cameras in certain rooms of your home, like entrances, common areas, or the nursery when you’ve got a baby. The Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor aims to not only help you keep a close eye on the people coming and going in those areas, but it also allows you to communicate with them.
The Google Pixel 5 was released last October as the follow-up to the Pixel 4. Rather than offering an XL version as Google had done with previous Pixel flagship models, the Pixel 5 was more of a “take it or leave it” proposition. It came in one size, a choice of two colors, and only one user memory option. There are some upgrades and some compromises, but overall it’s solid. Even so, I can admit that I wasn’t as enthused with it from the start as I had been with the Pixel 3 XL and the Pixel 4 XL.
My old eero system, now in my in-laws’ home, was a terrific mesh router. If you have a mesh system and are happy with it, there’s probably no reason to upgrade, but the upgrades we see with the new eero 6 are significant. My three-pack review sample is enough to cover a home of up to 5,000 square feet in size.
If you’ve got a Sam’s Club membership, you can take advantage of two great deals that have just popped up today for the Google Nest Smart Thermostat with Bonus Trim Kit and the Google Nest Audio Speaker 2 Pack. Take a look, and then get out your Sam’s Card!