smarthome – Review Geek

Some Amazon Fire Tablets Now Feature a Smart Home Device Dashboard

Amazon is rolling out a smart home dashboard to select Fire tablets. The new Device Dashboard is a one-stop-shop for all smart home controls, and you can access it from a new Smart Home button on your Fire tablet’s navigation bar.

Andrew Heinzman 2 days

Apple’s New $99 HomePod Mini Offers Stellar Audio and Deep Integrations

Today, Apple announced the new HomePod Mini smart speaker, which is the smaller and more affordable version of the full-sized Apple HomePod. The Mini costs just $99. You can order yours on November 6, and it will start shipping on November 16. Improved audio and Siri integrations make it a seriously impressive competitor to the Amazon Echo.

Suzanne Humphries 16 days

Google Assistant Now Supports Home and Away Routines

Your smart home can do lots of stuff, but it’s mostly dependent upon you to activate them. Not anymore: The Google Home system is rolling out upgrades that let you activate features based on whether or not you’re actually present in your home. The system uses an Android phone’s location (assuming it’s enabled) to determine whether or not anyone’s home.

Michael Crider 18 days

The Smart Clock Essential is Lenovo’s Simpler Google-Powered Bedside Clock

Last year we were blown away by Lenovo’s Smart Clock, a Google Assistant gadget that makes a perfect companion to your night stand. Lenovo is back with a simpler, cheaper design, if you prefer the look and function of a more old-fashioned alarm clock but still want some smart speaker capability.

Michael Crider 2 months

The Best Programmable Thermostats Under $100

Most people can live without an expensive smart thermostat. If you want to automate your home temperature and save a little cash, then a cheap programmable thermostat is all you need. Here are our favorite programmable thermostats, along with info on why they might be right for you.

Andrew Heinzman 3 months

The Wyze Cam Outdoor Is Almost Unbelievably Good for $50

Wyze might be one of my favorite companies right now: It makes quality smart home products, with good software and apps, at prices that seem borderline impossible. I’ve been using the inexpensive Wyze Cam for a while, and my only complaint was that it wasn’t actually rated for the outdoor conditions of the porch where I was using it.

Michael Crider 3 months

Google’s Online Store Offers a New Deal Every Day for a Month

Fans of Google hardware are probably itching to get their hands on a new Pixel 4a. That doesn’t appear to be coming in the immediate future, but Google is starting a huge sale. The official Google Store is presenting a new deal every day for a month. The deals come with skits from Fred Armisen.

Michael Crider 4 months

Wyze’s Long-Awaited Outdoor Cam is Here: Weatherproof Security for $50

Wyze has quickly made a name for itself with inexpensive, reliable smarthome equipment, including the popular Wyze Cam. While it’s often used as such, it’s not actually rated for use outdoors. The new Wyze Outdoor Cam makes that upgrade, as well as some other interesting upgrades. It’s available in a limited preview starting at $50.

Michael Crider 4 months

Reminder: Google Assistant Will Stop Working With First-Gen Hue Bridges on June 22nd

Philips Hue officially ended support for its first-gen Hue Bridge on April 30th, nearly two months ago. The original Bridge can no longer connect to the internet but still works on local networks with the legacy Philips Hue Bridge v1 app, as well as voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Andrew Heinzman 4 months

IFTTT Cuts off Wink While Adding Support for 25 Other Services

IFTTT is a cloud-based service that links together with your disparate smart home devices. It allows gadgets that generally can’t talk to each other to work together for a better smart home experience. Now, IFTTT is adding 25 more services to its repertoire—and cutting off Wink in the process.

Josh Hendrickson 5 months