For several years now, ecobee’s been trying real hard to expand beyond the smart thermostat with a video camera, contact sensors, and wall switches. And, as you can see above, a doorbell is up next. As to why one might choose an ecobee video doorbell, over any of the numerous existing offerings, we’ll likely have … Read more
Last week, Roku boldly entered the Smart Home space with an initial product offering “developed in partnership with Wyze.” And, boy, do the business considerations and implications fascinate me. We’ll never have a full accounting of the relationship (although I’m quite looking forward to Roku’s quarterly securities call), so I’ll just go ahead and assume both … Read more
By way of Reddit, Walmart, a pair of shipping manifests (1, 2), and some noodling around we learn that Roku is imminently expanding beyond streaming media and into the smart home… with more than a half dozen white-labeled Wyze products, a seemingly confirmed ‘Roku Smart Home’ Channel, and likely a new dedicated mobile app. Thus … Read more
By way of Canadian Tire (!?) and reddit, we learn ecobee has two new models in the pipeline — its first since being acquired by a generator company last year. The new ‘ecobee Premium Smart Thermostat‘ looks to replace the existing flagship model. As such, microphones and both Siri or Alexa voice assistants remain onboard … Read more
Freshly infused with cash, Wyze continues to crank away on new products . And, next up for the Amazon Basics of gadgetry (and occasional iHealth reseller) is the Wyze Air Purifier. Unlike some of their other recent home products, the upcoming Wyze purifier will indeed be “smart” with WiFi connectivity and app control. Like my … Read more
The unannounced Wyze Cam Outdoor v2 has arrived at Home Depots across the country. Indeed, most stores across my region appear to have inventory (SKU 1007492425)…and I walked away with a brand-spanking-new smartcam. What’s new and notable is Wyze has, once again, repurposed their somewhat amazing ‘Starlight’ sensor found in the Wyze Cam v3 that … Read more
As the headline states, Arlo appears poised to introduce a smart home sensor. For real this time. Originally announced way back in January 2019, the Arlo Home Security System was quickly scrubbed from the company’s website as they tightened focus on core camera competencies and financial viability, by dropping free storage to drive subscriptions for … Read more
Wyze, the low-cost gadget distributor, continues to crank away on new products and hardware updates. And next up for a makeover is the Wyze Smart Lock. Whereas the first version was basically a retrofit sold alongside a small $20 keypad accessory, the next gen Wyze Smart Lock v2 comes bundled with both a deadbolt and … Read more