I’ve tested dozens of smart home devices and these are the 3 I can’t live without By Anthony Spadafora published 25 February 23 There are hundreds of smart home devices out there, but these are the three I depend on the most and use everyday.
First look: the Apple HomePod 2 sounds great, but is that enough? By Mike Prospero last updated 31 January 23 I was able to listen to a few selections from the Apple HomePod (2nd generation); here's what I thought.
I turned this smart light into a sunrise alarm clock — and it’s a game changer By Katie Mortram published 30 January 23 Here’s what happened when our Homes Editor used a portable smart light as a sunrise alarm clock.
I was equally terrified and impressed when I heard Alexa whisper for the first time By Anthony Spadafora published 15 January 23 Controlling your smart home devices at night with a smart speaker can bother others in your household, but not if you use Alexa’s whisper mode.
I put this smart lamp together for under $75 — and it really surprised me By Anthony Spadafora published 7 January 23 Outfitting your whole home with smart lights can be a daunting task, but you can still change the look of a whole room with just a few smart bulbs.
I got the Echo Show 15 and it’s great — except for this one flaw By Anthony Spadafora published 10 December 22 The Echo Show 15 has a sleek design and a beautiful display but the customization options just aren't as robust as they could be.
This $17 gadget automated my garage with no hassles By Sanjana Prakash last updated 28 November 22 The My Q Smart Garage Control is a $19 device that automated my garage with no fuss and minimized all the home security loopholes in my house.
I test video doorbells for a living — and here are the best Cyber Monday video doorbell deals By Mike Prospero last updated 27 November 22 Package detection is the best feature to look for with any video doorbell; these are our favorite models with the feature.
I’m testing Roku’s new security cameras — and this is one feature I really like By Anthony Spadafora published 26 November 22 Roku now makes smart home devices and I love how easy it is to view the company’s security cameras right from my TV.
I added a smart display under my monitor and it’s changed the way I work By Anthony Spadafora published 5 November 22 A smart display is perfect for under your monitor as you can use it to listen to music, watch videos and control your smart home while keeping your main display clear.
Google Assistant is great at controlling smart lights — but Alexa does this one thing better By Anthony Spadafora published 15 October 22 Going back to using Google Assistant to control my smart lights after trying Alexa has been hard since Amazon’s virtual assistant is much less talkative.
I'm done with decorating for the holidays — thanks to these smart lights By Anthony Spadafora published 11 October 22 Smart lights are more versatile than traditional holiday lights with the added bonus that you can leave them up year round.
Google Pixel Tablet could kill smart displays — and tablets — as we know them By Mike Prospero last updated 7 October 22 The Google Pixel Tablet's dock with built-in speakers should make this one of the best smart displays ever.
Google Nest Wifi Pro — 5 reasons to buy and 5 reasons to skip By Anthony Spadafora published 6 October 22 The Nest Wifi Pro adds Wi-Fi 6E and Matter support but is it worth upgrading to Google’s latest mesh router system.
Google Home is finally catching up to Alexa and HomeKit — here's how By Mike Prospero published 5 October 22 Google Home is getting a redesign and getting smarter about how you can use your smart home devices.
The Amazon Echo Show 15 is finally becoming the device it should be By Mike Prospero published 29 September 22 Adding Fire TV to the Amazon Echo Show 15 makes this large smart display a much better device.
I made an old smart speaker portable and now it’s perfect for outside By Anthony Spadafora last updated 6 August 22 Easily bring Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri with you outside by adding a battery base to an old smart speaker.
Amazon is wasting an opportunity with the Echo Show 15 By Mike Prospero published 20 July 22 Amazon needs to get more third-party widgets on the Echo Show 15 in order for it to succeed.
This solar panel is a game-changer for security cameras — but there’s a catch By Mike Prospero published 17 July 22 Blink makes a solar panel charger for its security cameras, but you can only buy it with a new camera.
I test video doorbells for a living — and this is the one I installed for my mom By Mike Prospero published 19 June 22 There are lots of video doorbells; here's the one I picked for my mom.
I tried these smart lights in my son’s room — and it’s made bedtime a breeze By Cynthia Lawrence last updated 12 June 22 I’d been wary of putting smart devices in my son’s room, but these smart lights helped to solve one problem.
The new Samsung Home Hub is what the Amazon Echo Show 15 should be By Mike Prospero published 8 January 22 Samsung's new Home Hub tablet, which lets you control all your smart home devices, should be the new standard for smart home hubs.
People quickly grow tired of Alexa, report claims — and I'm not surprised By Alan Martin published 24 December 21 Internal Amazon documents reportedly show Alexa struggling to keep users engaged. And that matches my experience with the voice assistant.
I’m using these cheap smart plugs to control my Christmas lights By Mike Prospero published 4 December 21 How to use smart plugs and smart home routines to control your holiday lights
Why Google Assistant is losing big to Alexa By Mike Prospero last updated 22 April 20 Google has a long way to go before its smart home skills are as good as those of Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit.
We’re not rescinding our recommendation of Ring’s cameras. Here’s why By Mike Prospero published 24 December 19 Ring’s security isn’t as bad as it seems
Google Just Un-Killed the Best Thing About Its Nest Products By Mike Prospero published 16 May 19 By ending the Works With Nest program so abruptly, Google is alienating both consumers and smart-home companies. Update: No longer!
Cortana Is Dead: Why Microsoft Needs to Move On By Monica Chin published 2 February 19 Cortana is dead, but Microsoft doesn't want to admit it yet.
Here’s the Real Reason Google Home Can’t Catch Amazon Echo By Mark Spoonauer published 28 June 18 One analyst is urging Alphabet to give away $3 billion worth of Google Home Minis to close the gap with Amazon. It won’t work.
Why I'm Still Using a $40 Smartphone From 2014 By Robert Carnevale published 9 June 18 How well does a budget handset from 2014 hold up in 2018?
