Sonos Preps Cheaper, Smaller Speaker?

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

Ring “Beams” Spotlight & Floodlight To Debut, Updated Landscape Lighting Too

Prior to Amazon acquiring Ring, Ring acquired Mr. Beams outdoor lighting… and the promised 2018 lighting solutions never materialized. Enter 2019 and, based on regulatory filings, Ring is back with a Beams vengeance. The company is relaunching the brand as simply Ring “Beams” and includes am impressive array of products — which have just hit the … Read more

August “View” Video Doorbell & Chime On The Way

When Assa Abloy acquired August Smart Home, I had assumed the consumer brand was dead. And a cobranded Yale August upgrade kit seemed to reinforce that they were moving in that direction. Welp, I totally read that wrong and August is refreshing their line. And what caught my eye is this beautifully designed August View … Read more

TP-Link To Unveil Outdoor & In-Wall Kasa Outlets

Perennial smart home accessory maker TP-Link will be unveiling several new Kasa products at CES, including the previously disclosed Smart Spot camera and a pair of new connected outlets/plugs. The upcoming WiFi-powered in-wall outlet, with two controllable sockets, obviously requires installation, along with a neutral wire. As such, it may not be a great solution … Read more

Chamberlain Moves Out Of The Garage With MyQ WiFi Camera & Lockitron

Everyone wants a piece of the smart home pie. And it appears connected garage door leader Chamberlain will be next to branch out by imminently expanding their MyQ home automation platform to include a WiFi camera. Like so many these days, MyQ Camera account linkage will be handled via QR scanning and the black camera (which also hopefully … Read more

AT&T Power Drum Wirelessly Charges Apple Watch & iPhone

While Apple continues to drag its feet on the wireless Airpower charging pad, others have filled the void. And next up is the clever, multipurpose AT&T Power Drum that I inadvertently discovered today while trawling the FCC and confirmed with the Qi Wireless Power Consortium. The compact $100 accessory simultaneously, wirelessly charges Apple Watch and iPhone, up to … Read more

Wyze Moves Beyond The Cam With Motion & Door Sensors

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