IoT

Amazon Alexa has colonized the smart home, and now Amazon Sidewalk is coming to spread a shared network around your neighborhood. Both similar and different to mesh WiFi systems in approach, Sidewalk isn't just one wireless standard but a whole bundle of ways for Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets to get online, and future trackers to pinpoint your lost keys or pets. With a US switch-on soon, read on for what you need to know.

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Amazon is preparing to launch Amazon Sidewalk, its localized networks for Echo, Ring, and other devices, and it looks likely to be one of the most controversial products from retail behemoth so far. Echo owners have begun being notified by Amazon that Sidewalk shared networks are launching later in the year, along with apparent confirmation that it will be turned on by default.

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Google has quietly added support for scheduling actions with the Google Assistant, with the new feature allowing for smart home tech like lights to be switched on and off according to what time it is or for the duration you want them active. It builds on the existing smart home integration, which lets the Assistant remotely control registered lights, smart plugs, and other devices by voice command.

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Amazon's Alexa glasses, the Echo Frames, are graduating from the retailer's tech preview and going up for general sale, with a bunch of new updates for those eager to wear the assistant on their face. At the same time, fellow Amazon Day 1 Editions product Echo Loop - effectively a ring for interacting with Alexa - is being discontinued, the retailer says.

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Tesla's Powerwall is getting some new competition, with Sonnen launching a home backup battery of its own for those wanting reliability should the grid go down. The sonnenCore home battery is designed to integrate with solar power systems if you have one, with enough juice in the wall-mounted pack to potentially keep a whole house running.

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Amazon has revealed a new, limited edition version of its latest Echo smart speaker, with the PRODUCT(RED) model promising a share of the price goes to charity. As with other PRODUCT(RED) launches we've seen, sales of the red-finish Echo will include a contribution to the Global Fund to support HIV and AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Wyze's smart home range continues to grow, with the Wyze Sprinkler Controller aiming to take on watering your garden in a more intelligent way. As with the company's other products, part of the appeal here is the surprisingly low price tag, though that doesn't mean the gadget misses out on features you'd expect from much more expensive systems.

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Amazon has launched Care Hub, a new Alexa feature that enables users to keep tabs on family members who live independently, but who may need assistance from time to time. The feature is particularly useful amid the pandemic, making it easier to connect with isolated elderly parents and more without the risk of in-person visits.

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Wyze is back again, this time with a robotic vacuum rivaling the bigger and more expensive names on the market. The new Wyze Robot Vacuum will arrive this January with a number of smart features, including the ability to map its surroundings, schedule sweeps, avoid virtual walls, run in a special quiet mode, and more.

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Comcast is offering its customers a new home security package that offers the hardware and software necessary to protect their homes. The new offering is only available for Xfinity Internet customers who have the xFi Gateway, according to the company, which bills its Self Protection as a high-quality offering for those who aren't interested in professionally installed and monitored alternatives.

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Alexa is getting a fresh wardrobe for 2020, and the new Echo Dot (4th Gen) is going spherical just like its bigger Echo sibling. As always, the pitch is fairly straightforward: at $49.99, the Echo Dot is a more affordable way to add Alexa to a new room, while the $59.99 Echo Dot with Clock clamors for a spot on your nightstand. Unlike with the 4th Gen Echo, however, the advantages aren't quite so clear-cut.

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iRobot's automatically-emptying Roombas are meant to be a time-saver, but at least one model could be a headache the company has warned owners today. The company is contacting those with one model of its robot vacuum cleaners to alert them that the Clean Base docking station could "present a hazard" in certain situations.

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