This morning Apple revealed the HomePod, their first "home speaker" - or Siri Speaker, if you prefer. This device has the same processor as the most modern iPhone, no display, and a much more powerful set of speakers than an iPhone. It needs to be plugged in to a physical wall socket and it's able to do a litany of tasks if you ask it - through Siri, of course. Today we're having a closer look at Apple official.
Washing clothes today is far easier and less time consuming that it was mere decades ago, and that's thanks to improved technologies boosting cleaning quality and drying times while decreasing energy consumption. Modern technology has done little to reduce the human element involved in clothes washing, though, meaning you still have to retrieve the dried clothes, fold them, and put them away. Laundroid may change that.
Verizon has introduced SmartHub, a new 4G LTE router designed for your smart home devices. This hub taps the carrier's own network, of course, to offer high-speed Internet access for a variety of WiFi products, including your phone, tablets and laptop. Verizon says that the SmartHub, when used with the related app, can be used to control a variety of smart devices, including thermostats, connected lights, security cameras, door locks, and similar.
A new smart lock called 'Friday' has successfully finished a crowdfunding campaign, raising more than $175k to arrive on the market. The lock, like competing models, is designed to work with modern technology to take the hassle out of home security. The lock itself is minimalist and attractive, not readily standing out as a smart product. Despite its looks, though, Friday is capable of working with a home owner's smartphone for hands-free control.
Shopping online has become increasingly popular, but only for certain things. Buying clothing and furniture online remains difficult for various reasons; when it comes for furniture, knowing how it'll look in your home is half the battle. Houzz has released a new app feature to address that, one that leverages augmented reality to let prospective buyers 'see' a particular item in their home in real time. This feature differs from the previously launched one that put 2D furniture in photos of users' homes.
Google has introduced new integrations for its Google Home product, making it possible for owners to use Google Assistant with a slew of new products. Google Home, of course, is the company's somewhat new competitor to Amazon Echo, giving users hands-free access to the Google Assistant product. These integrations go a long way toward making Google Home a suitable device for controlling a smart home, including everything from lighting to heat.
Every home should have a security camera even if it's just for peace of mind. There's no shortage of options on the market, and just about every budget range is covered. The lower one goes on the budget scale, though, the higher one's odds of picking up a low-quality, inferior product. Such concerns have been expressed about Chinese company Yi's wireless Home Camera, but are those concerns valid? Read our review to find out!
This afternoon the family crew at Google have revealed Family Link, a connection app between Android devices for smart device control. This control app will help parents monitor and control the account use of their child. Digital ground rules is the term they use to encompass this situation.
Amazon has plans to bring Alexa into more homes via one or more devices that function as in-home intercoms and as devices for making phone calls via voice commands. The news comes from recently surfaced sources who claim Amazon will be releasing one or more of these types of devices some time this year, and that such hardware has already undergone beta testing within the company.
It looks like Amazon’s getting into the home security camera market, at least if a new image pulled from the retailer’s website is any indication. According to a recent report, an automated script stumbled upon the image; in it we see a tall oval-shaped camera with Amazon branding on the top and a glowing blue ring, possibly indicating Alexa is present, on the bottom.
Acer has introduced its new Air Monitor, a device that does exactly what its name suggests: monitors the quality of air that is, in this case, located within one’s home or other indoor space. The Air Monitor features what Acer describes as a ‘breathing’ LED light that helps owners monitor the quality of the air in their home at any given time.
Dyson knows you had your eye on a V8 Absolute cordless vacuum but might have blanched at the $599 price, and so now the company is rolling out two more battery-powered models that are a little more affordable. The Dyson V7 Motorhead and Dyson V8 Animal each pack more suction than the vacuum-maker's old V6 models - up to 150-percent in the case of the V8, in fact - but are both priced under $500. Meanwhile, there's also a pair of new Dyson uprights.
