One redditor wonders why Roku doesn’t offer a web browser. Only Roku employees know for sure, but we can make some educated guesses. First, and most likely, is that web browsing just isn’t what Roku’s designed to do and therefore not something they’d prioritize development or support of (despite the many web technologies brought to … Read more
Ring continues to quietly release new ecosystem accessories, such as an outdoor contact sensor last month, and now a Ring Stickup Cam pan & tilt mount spotted by Dan Wroclawski. The Ring Pan & Tilt Mount comes in three flavors, running $45-55, dependent upon which style Stickup Cam you plan to augment and indoor/outdoor usage. … Read more
OK. So maybe it’s not really a thousand. But, by way of the FCC, we learn GE is prepping no fewer than seven smart filament-style bulbs in various shapes and sizes, including candelabra and globe. The regulatory filings indicate they utilize both WiFi and Bluetooth, as my Cree lighting does; Some are soft white, and … Read more
While Hue continues to be my primary smart lighting solution, given its local control and rock-solid reliability, Cree Connected Max lightbulbs are what I’ve begun using to economically outfit the rest of my home. For example, I run a Cree filament in our upstairs hallway fixture and just picked up a $13 1600 lumen tunable … Read more
While legacy television services continue to contract, I remain a subscriber (for now) and keep on eye on Dish as one of the most technically progressive service providers (and having personally been acquired, way back when). Now cable and satellite companies don’t iterate at the speed of retail-facing co’s, and generally with less fanfare when … Read more
The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max sees its first discount ahead of Black Friday. As the second most powerful Fire TV device Amazon’s ever released, the Max was already competitively priced at a $55 MSRP. But now it’s quite the bargain, more than a third off, at $35. The original 4K Stick was … Read more
Freshly infused with cash, the Amazon Basics of IoT and Health gadgetry is back with a variety of new and refreshed products (and the end of free shipping). I’ll start by saying Wyze appears to have a whole lotta stuff in the pipeline. Much of it seems relatively minor, but here’s a taste of some … Read more
As foreshadowed at CES, GE Lighting is preparing a smart thermostat under its newly minted ‘Cync’ shingle. And, by way of Lowe’s and the Cync app, additional details (via pretty pictures) reveal themselves as we close in on launch. Box art indicates the Cync Smart Thermostat will be voice controllable via both Alexa and Google. … Read more