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
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
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, 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
TiVo has submitted a number trademark filings for a “TiVo Enhanced” logo and verbiage… seemingly covering just about everything the company currently offers. One example: Subscription television broadcasting services; transmission of cable television and interactive delivery of audio and video over digital networks; cable television transmission of personalized and interactive television programming; Transmission of network … Read more
A pair of Fitbit devices just passed thru the FCC. And, given aggressive $90 Versa pricing today, my first thought was a quick refresh of the company’s relatively new smart watch. However, with ‘activity tracker’ verbiage and narrow “e-label” screens, a revamp or replacement of the Fitbit Alta line seems way more likely. From limited … Read more
Having been through numerous mesh WiFi products over the past couple of years, I finally settled on eero at the beginning of 2018 and haven’t looked back. Eero continues to update not only their internal router firmware, but also their controller apps for iOS and Android. The latest update brings a fairly useful feature, push … Read more
After scooping up startup Layer3 TV earlier this year, T-Mobile’s plans to launch a disruptive online video service in 2018 appear to have faltered. The delay may not be a long one, but it follows years of bold claims by the Layer3 TV team that have amounted to very little in the consumer market. Bloomberg … Read more