Lutron makes all kinds of great devices to keep your home lights going. Their Caséta system aims to make sure you can customize your lighting controls wirelessly, and they’ve expanded that lineup at CES with the new Diva smart dimmer and Claro smart switch in a variety of colors to match your decor!
TCL is truly a jack of all trades, but they manage to change the slogan around by being masters in multiple spaces! Television, computers, phones, and tablets all get zapped with TCL magic this CES!
Anyone can have a regular refrigerator or oven. But if you really want your kitchen to reflect you, then you need to consider a Samsung Bespoke appliance! Samsung is expanding its Bespoke line, so if you’ve ever thought “you know what my fridge needs, besides more half and half? A more stylish exterior!” Well, read on!
Remember when televisions were just conduits for whatever your rabbit ears could get over the air? It’s safe to say things have changed, a lot. LG is right there pushing the envelope with exciting new OLED models that will make your living room more entertaining, smarter, and stylish. Here’s a look at the 2023 LG TV Lineup.
I have used Vivint’s home security and smart products for a few years and have loved everything about the company. Recently, they installed the new Vivint Spotlight Pro and 2nd generation Doorbell Camera Pro for me to review. These replaced the older versions of the doorbell and outdoor camera and have proven to be a considerable upgrade.
We talk a lot about how important MediaTek is to your smartphone experience. However, they power more than just phones (a LOT more). Today is the first day of the 2022 MediaTek Summit in Sonoma, and they kicked it off by announcing the latest Pentonic 1000, Kompanio 520/528, and MediaTek T800 chipsets to make sure your television, Chromebook, and other devices are almost as smart as you are!
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!
We sing the praises of Roku often here. Their user interface and general streaming ecosystem are simple to navigate but offer everything you’d want, from casual users to people building powerful entertainment systems. They’re branching out further now, taking their smart home integration to the next level with their own brand of smart home products!
If your preferred smart home assistant happens to be Amazon Alexa, then an affordably-priced 4K television that you can verbally control hands-free with Alexa will likely appeal. You’ll get that with the new Amazon Fire TV Omni Series. Is a hands-free Alexa-enabled Smart TV the convergent device you didn’t know you needed? Let’s take a look.
We all love our shiny technology, especially now that it is all getting even smarter and more connected. But here’s the thing — the more we want our devices to keep up with us, the more they need that boost under the hood. To that end, the new MediaTek Genio chipsets aim to bring more power and support to devices featuring AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things).
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!
If you are using an Amazon Alexa smart speaker to control your home’s various connected features, adding an Alexa-enabled smart display to the mix seems like the obvious next step. Built with the user’s privacy in mind, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is a convergent device that functions not only as an elegant touchscreen smarthome hub but also as a convenient family communication center, a mesmerizing 15.6″ digital photo frame, a helpful cooking companion, a smart speaker, a movie and video entertainment center, a home security camera, and more!
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!
When Raina and I purchased our home, we did a massive renovation on the upstairs. Eventually, we got to the point of ordering shades. They were fine, but we never loved them. Then PowerShades offered the opportunity to review their products. Our new shade just went in the living room, and I’m quite pleased with the result.
Once upon a time, Wi-Fi was just Wi-Fi. You’d have your modem and Wi-Fi router, and you’d be forgiven if you hadn’t a clue what version of Wi-Fi the router ran because it didn’t matter! Then Wi-Fi 6 happened, and all of a sudden, it was like, “Oh, Wi-Fi 6 is so fast! I upgraded my home and office routers, and now I can fly!” Well, I’m here to let you know that MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 Live Demos are happening today. If you have no idea what I am talking about, get ready to have your mind blown.
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.
The democratization of home security doesn’t get enough attention. Sure, you can call a company, go to the hassle and expense of waiting for them to install the system only to be then saddled with a substantial monthly monitoring fee. Or, you can turn to one of our favorite smart home security brands and let the Arlo Security System secure your home for less.
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.
There are a lot of home security options out there. But for every person who is fine with buying their own devices and setting it up, there are people like my parents who vastly prefer to stick with the consistency of one company handling everything for them. They already use Comcast for their internet, cable, and home security, and they’ll be very excited to hear that Comcast is expanding its offerings early next year with the Xfinity Video Doorbell!