Amazon Alexa

Just beginning your smart home journey? A smart speaker is a great place to start. Image: John Tekeridis on Pexels.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Amazon Alexa / Smart Door Locks / Google Assistant / Smart Lighting / Smart Plugs / Smart Speakers / Security Cameras / How-To / Featured Articles

How to Choose the Ideal Smart Gadgets for Your House

You’ll be surprised how far technology has come in recent years, and the latest gadgets for the home are slick and super useful. Move over, sandwich toaster, and make way for smarter and more utilitarian devices that are internet connected and can be controlled remotely.…

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4 August 2019

Ring Stick Up Cam Battery. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Security Cameras / Deals / Secure Home / Featured Articles

Ring Stick Up Cam Deals

We are currently testing the new Ring Stick Up Cams in our Digitized House labs, and have become quite enamored with them. Better yet, they are on sale at Best Buy and the Ring website at $55 off their usual $179.99 prices—making them an attractive…

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3 August 2019

The smallest Amazon smart display, the Echo Show 5 makes an ideal alarm clock. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Product Guide / Smart Speakers / Entertainment / Gadgets

6 Smart Alarm Clocks You Never Knew You Needed

Although there are some days where it sounds nice to spend the day in bed, that's obviously not feasible for people who have work, school, and family obligations. For most of us, alarm clocks are typically bedroom staples for getting going after a long night…

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27 July 2019

Bond Bridge can integrate up to 6 remote-controlled fans with your connected home. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Review / Smart Speakers / Featured Articles

Bond Smart Home Bridge Review

Designed to make standard remote-controlled ceiling fans smart, the Bond Bridge by Olibra can integrate up to 6 fans with your connected home. Once added to Bond, these fans can be controlled with the Bond app on smartphones and tablets, enabling you to preserve your…

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23 July 2019

These Aoycocr LED smart bulbs offer a wide color temperature range and broad digital assistant support. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Review / Smart Lighting / Smart Speakers / Featured Articles

Aoycocr LED Smart Bulb Review

Aiming to offer voice-controllable LED smart lamps at an affordable price point, Aoycocr has launched a line of lighting that brings broad compatibility with the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant ecosystems, while also enabling Apple Siri Shortcuts control. These RGBW color lamps have been designed…

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20 July 2019

Amazon Alexa (Echo), Apple Siri (HomePod), and Google Assistant (Google Home Mini) are all vying for a place in your smart home. Images: Apple and Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Apple HomeKit / Smart Displays / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / How-To / Featured Articles

How to Choose the Perfect Smart Home Assistant for You

If you plan to turn your house into a smart home, choosing a digital voice assistant is one of the first steps. On the surface, it seems like a simple decision—pick the one you’re familiar with. But the choice of a home assistant shapes the…

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16 July 2019

Amazon Books store in Austin, Texas. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Smart Door Locks / Product Guide / Smart Speakers / Deals / Healthy Home / Featured Articles

Our Latest List of Prime Day Deal Recommendations

It's real. Prime Day 2019 is here, and the deals keep flowing from Amazon's cavernous warehouses. For many items, the products will be at reduced prices for the entire duration of the July 15 and 16 event, but still others may have much shorter fuses.…

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15 July 2019

eero mesh Wi-Fi system. Image: eero.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Smart Displays / Product Guide / Smart Speakers / Deals / Gadgets / Featured Articles

Best Prime Day Deals on Smart Tech

For Amazon Prime subscribers, Prime Day may be the best time of the year to outfit their homes with connected home tech at the lowest prices. Here are some of the best deals we recommend from among the thousands of items available July 15-16. See…

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15 July 2019

Ring Video Doorbell. Image: Ring.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Smart Displays / Product Guide / Smart Speakers / Deals / Featured Articles

Prime Day Minus One: Still More Early Tech Deals

Amazon has dropped the prices on more of its connected home tech, just one day before the official Prime Day (actually, 2 days, July 15-16) kicks off. Here are some of the best deals out there. See More of our Prime Day Deal Picks: Our…

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14 July 2019

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Product Guide / Smart Speakers / Audio Gear / Deals / Gadgets / Featured Articles

Amazon Primes the Smart Home Pump with Early Prime Day Deals

For Amazon Prime subscribers, it's often possible to augment their collection of connected home tech at lower costs when the online retail giant hosts its annual Prime Day event. But this year, you can begin deal-shopping earlier since Amazon has begun quietly releasing some deals…

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13 July 2019

The ConnectSense SmartOutlet2 features an over-outlet design. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Apple HomeKit / Google Assistant / Review / Smart Plugs / Featured Articles

ConnectSense Smart Outlet2 Review

Smart outlets have become de riguer in modern homes, as they offer an express route to automating non-smart devices such as lamps, fans, and myriad other appliances. Moreover, their rapid adoption can largely be attributed to the integration of voice assistants, enabling the use of…

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8 July 2019

The Amazon Echo Show 5 smart display has a privacy switch for its camera. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Smart Displays / Smart Speakers / Gadgets / News / Featured Articles

The Amazon Echo Show Line Just Grew Larger

If you’ve been hanging onto the edge of your seat for news of another smart hub device, you’ll be happy to hear Amazon’s release of the Echo Show 5. The 5-in. smart display—which resembles the 7-in. Google Nest Hub—is available from the Amazon website and…

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24 June 2019

Gosund Mini WiFi Smart Plug. Image: Digitized House Media.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Review / Smart Lighting / Smart Plugs / Smart Speakers / Featured Articles

Gosund Mini Smart Plug Review

Smart plugs have become a staple in today’s connected home, and for good reason. They are perfect for converting standard table and floor lamps into smart lighting, controlling small appliances such as coffee makers and fans, and saving on energy consumption. This is the sweet…

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9 April 2019

iRobot Roomba 690 robot vacuum. Image: iRobot.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Product Guide / Healthy Home / How-To

6 Technologies to Make Spring Cleaning a Breeze

Whether you do spring cleaning every year as a personal tradition or not, it's something everyone ends up doing. There's something about being cooped up inside all winter that makes any living space feel stuffy. Once warmer spring weather arrives, everyone wants to start fresh.…

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17 March 2019

Image: IKEA.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Apple HomeKit / Smart Speakers / Design / Window Coverings / Homes / Home Design / News

IKEA Smart Shades Delayed in European Union, Coming Later to U.S.

Update 15 March, 2019: IKEA has delayed launch of their smart shades in Europe to later in 2019, and an exact date has not been made known, This means they will be coming even later to the U.S. Below is our original article on these…

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15 March 2019

Amazon Echo vs. Google Home Mini Speakers. Image: Digitized House Media.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers

Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant for Smart Home Control

The soaring popularity of virtual assistants has set the stage for competition. With contributions from Amazon and Google, consumers across the country have to choose between two of the tech industry's leading brands. Neck and neck, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and each deliver value…

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27 February 2019

Yale Assure Lock SL YRD256. Image: ASSA ABLOY/Yale.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Apple HomeKit / Smart Door Locks / Google Assistant / Product Guide / Privacy & Safety / Secure Home

5 Smart Door Locks to Buy in 2019

Smart locks prevent you from fumbling with physical keys and can also allow you to grant temporary access to someone such as a house sitter or delivery person. But, the market is growing, and it can be difficult to determine which one to buy. This…

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13 February 2019

Smart home tech, such as the Nest Protect Smoke + CO Alarm shown here, can enable real-time detection and alerts for smoke and carbon monoxide events in the home. Image: Nest.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Apple HomeKit / Water Conservation / Healthy Home / Privacy & Safety

Preventing Environmental Hazards with Connected Home Tech

Americans spend an average of 90% of their time inside, where pollutants can be up to five times more concentrated than they are outside, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These pollutants, such as mold or carbon monoxide (CO), pose health risks ranging…

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6 February 2019

Image: Lutron.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Amazon Alexa / Apple HomeKit / Google Assistant / Smart Lighting / Smart Speakers / Window Coverings / News

Lutron Adds Smart Fan Control to Caséta Wireless Switch Line

Giving homeowners another choice for controlling air circulation in their dwellings, Lutron announced at CES 2019 they will launch the Caséta Wireless Fan Speed Control in March 2019, enabling flexible smart control for non-smart ceiling fans. The in-wall fan control joins the rest of the…

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19 January 2019

Bali AutoView Shades. Image: Digitized House Media.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / Window Coverings / Home Design / Secure Home

Why You Should Use Smart Technology to Control Your Blinds

Getting enough natural sunlight in your living space is vital if you wish to feel good and stay healthy, and focusing on the blinds is the easiest way to do that. Controlling blinds through motorization might not be on the top of your list of…

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14 January 2019