- Home
- Smart Home
- Features
Smart Home Features
A smarter Alexa? Sign me up
Amazon says its Alexa voice assistant is about to get a lot smarter. It's about time.
Google TV Streamer: everything you need to know
The Google TV Streamer has arrived to replace the company's Chromecast with Google TV for your media consumption needs. Here's everything you need to know.
The best tech of IFA 2024: laptops, phones, drones, and more
We attended IFA 2024 with one mission: find the best tech in the world. These are the products we came away impressed by.
This retro robot vacuum is one of my favorite gadgets at IFA 2024
The Karcher RC 3000 is one of many gadgets on display at IFA 100 Years: The Exhibition, and it's seriously cool for a robot vacuum that's over 20 years old.
Home Depot’s Hubspace is a great way to start building your smart home
Hubspace isn't as powerful as Alexa or Google Home, but its simple design makes it great for beginners. Here are our impressions of the smart home software.
EcoFlow gave my house off-grid superpowers with a box you can fit in your trunk
The EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra and Smart Home Panel 2 put off-grid wizardry within reach for more homeowners, whether for backup power or just dodging peak rates.
The truth about outdoor smart home gadgets and extreme cold
Has your smart camera or smart light frozen solid? It's frustrating, but can it be prevented? Here's what to know about smart home devices and extreme cold.
Top ways smart tech can save Thanksgiving dinner
Stressed about hosting a Thanksgiving dinner? We share the tech and gadgets (you probably already have some) that can help make it the best holiday ever.
Here’s how to throw a killer Halloween party with your smart home
With Halloween just around the corner, it's the perfect time to use smart home technology to make your home the spookiest one around.
Self-emptying robot vacuums: Do you really need one?
Self-emptying robot vacuums make cleaning your floors smarter and more efficient. But do you really need one? Here's a look at the benefits and drawbacks.
At Amazon’s annual device event, AI was everywhere — and nowhere
Artificial intelligence essentially is the fuel that powers Amazon Alexa — and any number of other features and services. The trick is making that a selling point.
Adding AI to Alexa is the brain transplant we’ve all been waiting for
Present-day Alexa sucks. But new generative AI features promise the type of effortless interaction we’ve been promised for a decade.
The Amazon Echo Hub is almost the whole-home hub I’ve always wanted
A first look at the new Amazon Echo Hub shows a wall-mounted (or not) screen that may well solve your smart home control issues.
I tried the Amazon Echo Show 8, a smart display that transforms when you get close
The third generation of the Amazon Echo Show 8 brings a redesign and faster innards — and it's now also a good bit smarter. All at a palatable price.
Everything announced at Amazon’s fall 2023 devices event
With a big focus on AI, Amazon's annual Devices and Services event brought a ton of new devices and features for its products. Here's everything it announced.
6 HomeKit settings you should disable (or adjust) right now
Apple claims better security, but it still gathers information about its users. Here are six settings you should change now.
Are smart kitchen gadgets worth it?
So many gadgets are popping up with smart in the name. But what does this really mean, and when it comes to smart kitchen appliances, is it worth it?
6 things you didn’t know Apple Homekit could do
HomeKit is capable of a lot more than you might have thought? Here are six underutilized features.
Why moving your smart home could be a nightmare
As we adopt smart home devices and make intelligent spaces, what happens when we relocate? Moving a smart home can be a nightmare -- but it doesn't have to be.
Break out of a rut with these useful summer-focused smart home routines
From managing your air conditioning to adding life and color to your outdoor ambiance, here are the best smart home routines you can use throughout the summer.
6 smart home devices that can save you hundreds per year
A smart home isn't only convenient, it can also save you money in the long run with energy efficiency improvements.
Here’s why you need a robot vacuum that empties itself
Robot vacuums that can't empty themselves are less than ideal. Here's why you should consider upping your budget and snagging a self-emptying robot vacuum.
The future of Matter in 2023
Matter has big plans for the rest of 2023, but with no timetable for releases and Belkin stepping away, what can we realistically expect over the next months?
