Wyze continues its march towards smart home domination via inexpensive hardware and powerful, yet free (thus far), service… soon to include camera person detection. Not to mention wireless bulbs have just hit the market and an outdoor cam is also en route. But, wait. There’s more! And some of it even makes sense. Let me … Read more
Last year, Anker’s Eufy announced a new Eufycam E wireless camera system looking to get into the home security arena. The system was eerily similar to Arlo’s lineup of cameras, minus the removable battery. Eufy quickly followed up with a Kickstarter campaign to launch the Eufycam that could last for 365 days on a single … Read more
With the release of the updated Ecobee SmartThermostat, the company has also refreshed the Room Sensor as the new SmartSensor featuring an updated appearance, that houses enhanced functionality, and improved mounting options. It comes bundled with the new ecobee, but also backwards compatible and sold independently in 2-packs for $79. So what’s new? Most obvious … Read more
Apple has unleashed a ton of new functionality across their device lineup … that’s still being digested. Yet a significant HomeKit update merited WWDC keynote attention. Apple rightly points out that most of our connected video camera content is shipped across the Internet and entrusted to service providers, perhaps without sufficient privacy controls. As such, … Read more
If you’ve been following along, you know ecobee is working on a variety of new products. While the company will expand their reach into the smart home later this year with (at least) an indoor camera and contact sensor, an updated ecobee thermostat and sensor is expected any day now. And, thanks to Lowe’s, all … Read more
Alexa Routines have become increasingly powerful and Amazon just upped the virtual hub ante with sunrise/sunset triggers. As shown in the video, we can use those ever shifting times to put a variety of smart home devices into action. In my case, I’m migrating three less elegant Hue lighting routines into two Alexa routines given … Read more
What if you could take the Arlo Pro 2 1080p cameras, run on standard AA batteries instead of proprietary, significantly lower the price of entry, and potentially have a 2-year camera charge? You’d have the new Blink XT2! At least that’s the Blink sales pitch — and it could be close. Amazon-owned Blink announced the … Read more
I’ve long been a fan of Hue lighting wall dimmers. But those days are about over given the Lutron Aurora. Years ago, the Hue dimmer bridged the analog and digital environments, allowing all household members to easily control room lighting via a more traditional switch. While the dimmers go well beyond simplistic brightness controls with … Read more