News

The Bose Portable Home Speaker includes Alexa and Google Assistant, runs up to 12 hours on a charge. Image: Bose.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / Audio Gear / Entertainment / News / Featured Articles

Bose Portable Home Speaker Joins Inside/Outside Smart Speaker Genre

Adding to its repertoire of wireless smart speakers, Bose has released the Portable Home Speaker, a battery-powered mobile speaker made to be used inside or outside. Designed as a companion to the Bose Home Speaker 300 and 500 as well as the Soundbar 500 and 700 multi-room…

0 Comments

21 September 2019

The first new product since the Google and Nest brands merged, the Google Nest Hub Max was on display at an Austin Best Buy store. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Smart Displays / Google Assistant / Smart Lighting / Smart Speakers / Security Cameras / News / Featured Articles

Google Nest Hub Max Makes its Debut, Nest.com Fades Away

The Google Nest Hub Max, the bigger brother to the Google Nest Hub (the original Google smart display formerly known as the Google Home Hub), finally made its way into stores this week. The first connected home product debuted since birthing of the new Google…

0 Comments

15 September 2019

For the first time, Apple will stream a Special Event via YouTube. Image: Apple.

Smartphones / Connected Home / Apple HomeKit / News / Video / Featured Articles

Apple to Stream Launch Event on YouTube for First Time: How to Watch

Apple September launch events are a mainstay in the tech world, and these annual events typically usher in the latest iterations of the iPhone, Apple Watch, and other technology advancements the Cupertino company wants to make a splash about. The 2019 iteration of this event…

0 Comments

9 September 2019

The Sonos Move speaker resting on its charging base. Image: Sonos.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / Audio Gear / News / Featured Articles

Sonos Takes It Outside With Move Speaker

Sonos has announced its first speaker designed for the great outdoors, the Sonos Move. In addition to a durable shell and IP56-rated water and dust protection, the $399 Sonos Move is also the first speaker from the company with rechargeable battery power and onboard Bluetooth…

0 Comments

6 September 2019

Lighting maker Lutron is warning its customers to delay migrating their Nest Accounts to Google Accounts to preserve Works with Nest connections. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Google Assistant / Smart Lighting / Smart Thermostats / News / Featured Articles

Smart Product Makers Lay Down Markers on Google Nest Account Migration

The Google Nest connected home domain is undergoing a major shift, as the company is nudging current Nest Account holders to migrate to Google Accounts in light of their plan to fully integrate the Google Home and Nest brands into one cohesive ecosystem. The upshot…

0 Comments

31 August 2019

Are you ready? Google has quietly rolled out the Migrate to Google Account capability for Nest Account users. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Smart Displays / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / News / Featured Articles

Google Nest Launches Nest Account to Google Account Migration

It's happening. Google Nest has quietly rolled out the capability for current Nest Account holders to migrate to Google Accounts, as part of their plan to fully integrate the Nest and Google Home brands under one device ecosystem. However, current Nest users should not be…

0 Comments

22 August 2019

The Phyn Smart Water Assistant brings intelligent water to the home at $299. Image: Phyn.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Water Conservation / Google Assistant / Sustainable Home / Smart Speakers / News / Featured Articles

Phyn Smart Water Assistant Debut Flows Intelligent Water to DIY Market

Phyn has flowed intelligent water management into the DIY connected home with the announcement today of the $299 Phyn Smart Water Assistant, a smart device conceived for whole-house leak detection and water conservation. Whereas installation of the company’s flagship Phyn Plus Smart Water Assistant +…

0 Comments

21 August 2019

The forthcoming iOS 13 will include a new Sign in with Apple feature for websites and apps. Images: Apple.

Smartphones / Connected Home / News / Featured Articles

Forthcoming Features in Apple iOS 13 You Should Care About

Whenever Apple announces a new operating system, people immediately start assessing which features are the most important and which might be mere hype. iOS 13, slated for release in September, is no different. Here's a rundown of some of the offerings that seem to be…

0 Comments

11 August 2019

Sonos and IKEA announced the first products in the IKEA Symfonisk line. Image: Sonos and IKEA.

Connected Home / Smart Speakers / Audio Gear / Design / News / Featured Articles

No Assembly Required: Sonos and IKEA Smart Speakers Begin Shipping

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 can now purchase the first fruits of the collaboration through the new IKEA…

0 Comments

4 August 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…

0 Comments

24 June 2019

In Irvine, California, KB Home is selling homes with smart tech trickle-down from its KB Home ProjeKt concept house, revealed at CES 2019 in Las Vegas. Image: KB Home.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Google Assistant / Sustainable Home / Architecture / Smart Speakers / Healthy Home / News / Real Estate / Featured Articles

KB Home Trickles Down Smart Tech from Concept Home to Production Builds

Shall we call it KB Homenomics? The national home builder has just trickled down smart health, wellness, and automation technology from its futuristic KB Home ProjeKt concept home to production builds in California. Located in the Genoa at Orchard Hills community in Irvine, the new…

0 Comments

21 May 2019

Google Nest says they will not be turning off Works with Nest integrations en masse on August 31, 2019 after all. Image: Google Nest.

Connected Home / Smart Displays / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / News / Featured Articles

Google Nest Backtracks on Works with Nest Hard Line

Responding to fallout from developers and consumers alike, Google Nest has revised their plans for sunsetting the Works with Nest (WWN) integration program. In a blog post on The Keyword, Google’s corporate blog, Google Nest clarified their approach regarding the planned transition to the Works…

0 Comments

17 May 2019

With the new Google Nest brand, the Works with Nest program is slated to shut down. Image: Google Nest.

Connected Home / Smart Displays / Smart Speakers / News / Featured Articles

Fallout Mounts from Impending Works with Nest Sunsetting

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.…

0 Comments

10 May 2019

From the new Google Nest brand, the Nest Hub Max. Image: Google Nest.

Connected Home / Smart Displays / Google Assistant / Smart Speakers / News / Featured Articles

Goodbye, Google Home and Nest. Hello, Google Nest.

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…

0 Comments

7 May 2019

The Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery service has launched in 50 U.S. cities. Image: Digitized House.

Connected Home / Connected Garage / Apple HomeKit / Review / Security Cameras / News / Featured Articles

Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery Launches with Chamberlain myQ Technology

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…

0 Comments

2 May 2019

The Amazfit Verge smart watch uses a RISC-V processor. Image: Huami.

Connected Home / Futures / News / Featured Articles

Future Connected Home Devices Likely to be Powered by New Processor Architectures

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…

0 Comments

28 March 2019

Image: IKEA.

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

0 Comments

15 March 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…

0 Comments

19 January 2019

Google Home Hub aims to be the central command center for your connected home. Image: Google.

Connected Home / Energy Conservation / Smart Displays / Gadgets / News / Secure Home

Google Home Hub Embraces the Hybrid Connected Home

Making a wager on the existence of connected home life beyond pure voice activation, Google has announced Google Home Hub, a 7-in. touchscreen tabletop display with the Google Assistant built in. As part of the growing Google Home speaker family, the device dutifully processes voice…

0 Comments

11 October 2018

From the new line of hardware from Facebook, the Portal+ features smart two-way video capability on a 15-in. screen. Image: Facebook.

Connected Home / Amazon Alexa / Audio Gear / Gadgets / News

Facebook Bets on Smart Video Calling with Portal Displays

Putting a new face on the social network, Facebook has announced its Portal line of countertop video displays and cameras, designed to enable video calling with Facebook friends or Messenger contacts. Clearly ideated to embrace the video-everywhere mantra of the Menlo Park company, the two-way…

0 Comments

10 October 2018