Ikea Smartshades are here! Well “here” as in some European stores with broader availability expected February 2nd — hopefully that includes the US, although prior reports indicated our availability would come later in the spring. In any event, we now know sizes, prices, and mechanics. There are two lines of grey Ikea smart shades, one … Read more
As discovered by Variety (and yours truly) Sonos is prepping a new speaker. The paperwork has it labeled as S18 and RM016 — but those designations don’t really mean anything as it’ll surely carry a more natural name like Beam or One (unlike the horror that is Vizio audio naming conventions). And, speaking of the … Read more
Wyze, the company known for surprisingly robust smart cams with generous cloud services in relation to its inexpensive pricing (starting at $25, no fees!), is extending their reach into our smart homes … by soon fleshing out the product lineup with motion and contact sensors that communicate via what looks to be a tiny USB-powered … Read more
Tipster Susan H shouldn’t have been doubted… as a small number of lucky folks did indeed receive Echo Auto invites. And orders have started arriving! Not much yet in the way of commentary, but Tod Kuntzelman has posted some nice pictures while we await more well-formed initial thoughts, including the requisite Roav Viva comparisons — given experiences … Read more
48 hours after going live, the $30 Amazon Echo Clock has begun arriving in homes… including redditor kaotsu, who has posted his first impressions of the Alexa accessory, and our very own Adam Miarka who shot a hands on video. I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the clock pairs to a single Echo device, over Bluetooth, … Read more
While it had appeared that Echo Auto might have been delayed until 2019, possibly in relation to upcoming location services and new auto skills, golden tickets may have started going out … as ZNF tipster Susan H has reported receiving one. And Amazon is certainly adding fuel to the fire that the flood gates are about to open, having … Read more
As discovered by AFTVNews, a number of updates have been made to the Alexa-powered Echo Auto product page to recalibrate expectations. Most notable is a list of incompatible Android devices plus what looks to be a delay in navigation capabilities: Ask for directions and Alexa connects to supported apps like Google Maps. Apple Maps and Waze support … Read more
Taking a page from professional home monitoring services and DIY glass break sensors, Amazon is readying Alexa “Guard” mode to place our Echo hardware into a new sort of listening mode while we’re out and about as the company continues to flesh out their home automation platform. And the Alexa app has just been updated … Read more