Following the announcement by Google and Nest of the impending sunset of the Works with Nest third-party integration program on August 31 2019, major players in the connected home sphere are beginning to advise their customers to plan for the inevitable disconnect of these services.…
In a move to streamline the connected home accessory lines of Alphabet Inc. sister companies Google and Nest, the new Google Nest brand has been hatched as an umbrella for all Google Home and Nest Labs products. Announced at the 2019 Google I/O developer conference…
We won't take the time here to beat around the forsythia bush. So just how intelligent is a Zilker smart water timer? Let's do some Q & A to find out. Can it alert you to possible leaks? Check. Adjust itself based on the weather?…
Zeroing in on doorstep package theft, Amazon has partnered with garage door opener maker Chamberlain in the launch of the Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery service. Available now to Prime customers in 50 U.S. cities—including our home base of Austin, Texas—the service requires a Chamberlain myQ…
Smart devices are becoming more and more commonplace in modern homes. While you may be familiar with virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, did you know you can trade in your traditional kitchen appliances for smart alternatives? Let's take a closer look at…
From our colleagues at CopyPress, here's a timely infographic for Earth Day 2019, where you can learn about some great tips for saving money and helping to save the environment. These include recommendations for switching to LED light bulbs and smart thermostats, tips on water…
It’s no secret Sonos and IKEA have been working on integrating Sonos speaker technology into IKEA home furnishing designs. With the latest news from these two companies, it has been confirmed consumers will be able to purchase the first fruits of the collaboration through the…
Having plenty of natural light in your living space is not only healthy, but it’s also very beneficial for your overall well-being. What’s more, having adequate daylight streaming into your living space will reduce the need for artificial lighting—thus saving you money on energy costs…
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…
Haiku Home fans and lights just got smarter. These high-end products from the home division of Big Ass Fans have been uplifted by new integrations with Google Assistant and the Google Home ecosystem. We just tried out the new voice-activation features with the Haiku L…
When talking about smart homes, the main focus is usually the functionality and convenience factor. However, investing in smart home automation technologies can also help you save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. There are myriad ways in which a smart home can help you…
As March Madness rolls into its final days, the drudgery of work can get in the way. But seriously, what's more important than NCAA hoops this time of the year, particularly when your alma mater is still in the mix? Solve that dilemma by asking…
Most home-centric electronics products demand low power at cost aggressive prices. Given that, the processor which is selected for many designs is undergoing a major transformation. The force behind this fundamental change is known as RISC-V (Reduced Instruction Set Computing – 5th iteration). RISC-V—pronounced “risk…
Our houses, like most aspects of our modern lives, are becoming increasingly technological—and increasingly smart. Smart devices for the home range from a button that restocks your laundry detergent via an Amazon order to a camera that answers your doorbell for you when you’re out.…
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.…
Does your relationship with your electrical utility seem grounded in 1995? Anemic websites, cryptic data access, and paper bills can become a relic of the past with leading-edge utilities, where they are using a Google Home Hub and voice activation skills to enable frictionless access…
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…
As we wrote in Part 1 of our coverage of the KB Home ProjeKt, this Las Vegas-area concept home endeavors to deliver connected home and holistic design features aimed at the long-term health and wellness of its eventual occupants. In this segment, we will take…
Let’s face it. There is no joy in paying your monthly energy bill. But there is much you can do to reduce the amount of energy your home consumes each month, driving your bill down to a more reasonable level. In this infographic, you can…
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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