ConnectSense Releases Updated Smart Home Wall Outlet, the Smart Outlet 2
Today ConnectSense announced its newest HomeKit-enabled smart plug, the Smart Outlet 2 to its product lineup.
Smart Home
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.
Arlo’s New Smart Security Camera Is Wire-Free & Improved in Every Way
Arlo, the popular smart home connected camera brand, has announced the Arlo Ultra Wire-Free Camera System. We’ve covered the original Arlo home cameras previously, so we are excited that the brand is continuing to create updates to the product.
iHome iGV1 Is a Google Assistant Built-In Bedside Speaker System
We’ve seen an explosion in the number of smart home products currently available. Some are standalone units. Others have speakers and/or touch screens. The iHome iGV1 falls somewhere in the middle. It’s a smart speaker with Google Assistant and a digital clock built-in. It’s great if you want to replace your beside clock with something a bit more powerful.
Eufy RoboVac 30C Is the Robot Vacuum Every Smart Home Needs
Eufy recently announced an exciting update to their powerful line of robot vacuums, the RoboVac 30C. The “C” stands for connected, as your RoboVac now can communicate via Wi-Fi with Alexa and Google Assistant as well as with the EufyHome app. With a slim body that’s only 2.85” tall with 1500Pa suction, the RoboVac 30C is my top choice.
NVIDIA’s SHIELD TV Can Now Be Controlled by Google Home
If you’ve read my previous review about the NVIDIA SHIELD, then you know how much I love it. The ability to watch YouTube, DirecTV Now, HBO, Netflix, as well as play games, makes it a must-have device not just in my home but also when I travel.
Anker Unveils Four Exciting New Products at Launch in NYC
On a chilly October night, Anker held their first-ever live product launch in NYC. Announcing products from a number of their brands, Anker impressed with new 27W PowerPort Atom chargers, an updated Nebula Capsule II pocket projector, the Soundcore Model Zero and Zero+ Bluetooth and WiFi speakers, and a groundbreaking security system from Eufy. Read on to find out more!
Chamberlain Ultimate Security Bundle: The Ideal Garage Door Opener
As a parent with young children, my first priority is the safety of my family. My second priority is making sure no one wakes up my kids while they’re sleeping! The Chamberlain Ultimate Security Bundle covers all the bases, as it’s ultra-quiet yet super-secure. With tons of smart and safety features, Chamberlain hits the sweet spot of garage door openers.
August and Yale Locks Give You New Ways to Smarten up Your Doors
Everything in your house is getting smarter, and your locks are no exception. Aside from maybe worrying you didn’t unplug the hairdryer or turn off the oven, fretting over whether you locked your door after leaving is probably everyone’s biggest worry. August Home is teaming up with sibling brand Yale Locks to help alleviate that worry with new smart locks!
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.
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 Ooma Butterfleye Smart Home Security Camera Review (with Giveaway!)
Have you been searching for a great home security system that will protect you and your home all day long, even during internet and power outages? If so you should check out Ooma’s Butterfleye Home Security camera. We got our hands on one, so let’s see if it’s a worthy fit for your home.
Sense Device Can Help you Make Sense of your Electricity Bills
Electricity is a funny thing. We all use it every day, but very few track their usage closely or even know how much juice their devices use. Sense is here to change that, allowing us to tap into our electrical panel and track the electricity our home uses to help us be more efficient and informed, starting at $299.
iHome iAV5B Is a Bluetooth Speakerdock That Will Brighten Your Amazon Echo Dot’s Day
We recently reviewed the iHome iAV2. It’s a speaker dock that not only gives an Amazon Echo Dot much-improved sound but also doubles as a bedside clock. iHome also offers the iAV5B. It too greatly improves the sound from an Echo Dot but, while it lacks a clock, it adds something rather fun. Its lights make your music a visual treat.
Huawei AI Cube Pushes New Features to Smart Speakers While Violating the Rules of Geometry
Smart speakers are only increasing in popularity and number, and one of the benefits of this explosion is that companies are adding more features and better sound quality to what was once a novelty item. Huawei is aiming to add all sorts of value with their new Huawei AI Cube powered by Alexa.
Samsung’s Unveils and Unpacks the Galaxy Note9 & the Galaxy Watch; Teases Galaxy Home
At the Unveiled event today in NYC, Samsung did as expected and announced the new Galaxy Note9, but they also managed to throw in a couple of welcome surprises with the new Galaxy Watch and a sneak peek of the Galaxy Home. Let’s take a look at these new devices!
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.
Kwikset Brings Style to Smart Locks with the Kevo Contemporary
How do you lock and unlock your front door? A key is SO last century, and using a keypad makes it look like you live in a bank vault. Kwikset knows this, and they’ve combined the looks of a traditional lock with the brains of a smart lock with the new Kevo Contemporary!
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!
How the Senteltech T-4F Helped Us Expand Our Business
My wife and I run a makerspace. We often describe it as a “gym for artists.” We have all sorts of equipment and resources that artists and makers can come in and use so they don’t have to make the investment themselves. We also had a few private studios to rent out for artists who wanted a dedicated space.
Better Security Through Tech
So you want better home security? That’s smart. But with so many different options from so many different companies, where do you start? What would it take to turn “home sweet home” into “home safe home”? A quick shopping spree on Amazon can have you up and running in no time.