If you have a smart home filled with Wi-Fi-connected light bulbs, cameras, and more, then you’ve likely wondered how to keep everything functioning in case of a power outage. In this guide, you’ll find out top recommendations for how to keep your smart home online during a power outage.
Ever since I bought fifteen Echo Dots, I have been on the lookout for more ways that I can lean on Alexa for help throughout the day. As with any voice assistant, there are areas in which I find Alexa lacking. One major disappointment that is always on my mind is how some skills do not support multi-room audio. Even with occasional letdowns like this, I am happy with my investment in the Alexa ecosystem and want to share some of tips and tricks that I have learned on my adventure.
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So you’ve adopted Alexa into your home and paired it with some Hue bulbs or smart plugs, but now what? Surely there’s more to the whole home automation trend than just voice controlling your lights. We’ve rounded up five of our favorite unique Alexa-enabled devices to help expand your smart home’s capabilities. So whether you’re looking for some help tidying up around the house or managing your home theater, you’ll want to check them out below.
I love home automation. For so long I have bought a thing or two here and there to expand my smart home, but up to this point the high-cost of HomeKit-enabled accessories has kept me from going all-in on light bulbs and switches.
When I made the switch to using Alexa as my primary voice assistant, one of the deciding factors was how inexpensive it is to buy Alexa gear compared to competitors that support Apple HomeKit. Head below for a look at which lighting products I’m using to illuminate my home.
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Up to this point, I have been adamant about using Siri as the only virtual assistant in my home. Feelings on this began to change as Siri failed my wife and I time and time again. Whether it be our iPhones not hearing us say “Hey Siri” several times in a row, or seeing them change the correct transcription of what we actually said into what it thought we said, these failures have really gotten on our nerves. For this reason and many others, I have bought several Echo Dots and am now using Alexa to control my smart home accessories.
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With tons of different products to chose from, building the best smart home that you can isn’t easy. If you have lots of different smart devices on your Wi-Fi network especially, you might be faced with slow or even unreliable control. Below you’ll find four different ways to improve your setup with the best smart home products out there.
Philips Hue is synonymous with smart home lighting these days, but it’s also synonymous with expensive pricing. Philips Hue does offer some nice features, like HomeKit, Assistant, and Alexa integration among many in-app bonuses as well.
But, it’s possible to achieve the same look of Philips Hue for less. You can sometimes expect to pay up to $80 or more for a single LightStrip from Philips. If you want to outfit a den or office with these strips, it can get very expensive, very quick. Keep reading to find out how you can get the same look at a much lower price point with these Philips Hue alternatives.
Choosing your preferred smart home system can be confusing enough, but thinking about what gear you may want to adopt later on makes starting out even more difficult. Lighting is one of the cornerstones of any smart home, and due to the wide range of options on the market, can be one of the trickiest areas of your home to outfit. Some systems shine as perfect entry-level buys, while others require you going all-in to reap the benefits. But fear not! We’ve rounded up our top picks for smart lighting down below.
Whether you’re hearing about it in the context of more basic smartphone control, home security or voice assistants, a lot of perks come from being a smart home owner. But often times smart home tech can be expensive, especially to someone just looking to get started. So below you’ll find our top picks for building a budget smart home under $200 to have you living in the 21st Century in no time.
With the wide range of smart home platforms currently on the market, opting to center your home’s automation around Z-Wave may not be your first thought. But adopting Z-Wave over alternatives like HomeKit and Alexa has some serious perks that are worth considering for anyone contemplating a more in-depth smart home.
With the delicious meals eaten, family gatherings over and the gifts unwrapped, the holiday fanfare is finally winding down. If you’re up to date with the latest technology, odds are pretty high that you found an Amazon Echo or Google Home underneath your tree. To help you get the most out of your new device, we’ll be rounding up the best smart home accessories.
We cover a lot of smart home tech here on 9to5. But if you aren’t already familiar with it all, choosing a platform might seem like an overwhelming task. Because after all, there’s no guarantee that two devices you buy are compatible with each other. From HomeKit to DIY-oriented solutions, we’ll be diving into how to get started bringing automation and voice control to your home and appliances.
At this point, it seems like everyone is working on their own variation of smart mirrors. From DIY setups, to even major companies. Getting started with your own isn’t terribly difficult, but a new project on Kickstarter hopes to make use of those old tablets you have lying around. Firefly, yet another smart mirror, has launched on the crowdfunding site with one major difference: it relies on an iOS or Android tablet to power it.
Best Buy offers the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit (2nd generation) with Apple HomeKit support and a free $50 Best Buy Gift Card for $179.99 shipped. Today’s bundle deal yields an effective price of just $129.99, which is $70 below its going rate. We saw it for a bit less last month, but that pricing hasn’t returned since then. What’s more, Amazon currently has it listed for $184.99 and doesn’t include a bonus gift card. Rated 3.7 out of 5 stars from 243 Amazon reviewers. Philips Hue allows you to take control of your home’s lightning like never before:
Amazon offers the OSRAM LED Landscape LIGHTIFY Gardenspot Mini Outdoor Kit for $54.42 shipped. It typically sells for around $80 at Best Buy and today’s deal is a match of our all-time low mention.
Note: the previous generation model is also on sale for $44.99 Prime shipped (Reg. $70). It has much of the same functionality but slightly less powerful lights.
OSRAM and Belkin made the move last summer to release a line of smartphone-connected lights to compete with Philips’ continually expanding line of Hue products. This kit includes a 14-foot string of lights with nine Gardenspot RGB lights. Each set is dimmable and can reproduce a wide variety of colors. It is compatible with SmartThings, Wink, Nest and Amazon Echo. You’ll need the OSRAM gateway if you’re planning to use it as a standalone without any of the aforementioned products. We positively reviewed this outdoor lighting setup, calling it a “worthwhile investment” if you’re looking for a simple way to add outdoor lighting. Rated 3.8/5 stars.
It’s pretty hard these days to come up with an original idea. The internet is flooded with real, conceptual and on-the-way products that fill nearly every void in our lives. Evidently, for a guy named Max Braun, he found a need that couldn’t be met. After setting out to find a better bathroom mirror, he came to the conclusion that this product category has largely been untouched by the Internet of Things.
So what did he do? He built a pretty sweet two-way mirror with a built-in display that shows the latest info from Google Now. With a mixture of Android and assorted APIs, he found his way to a surprisingly polished product. More details and a gallery below.
CES 2016 is just around the corner and we’ll have a full crew on-site delivering the latest news on fresh products coming out of Las Vegas. LG has kicked off the event early, quietly releasing details on a new Smart Home Hub that is eerily similar to Amazon Echo. The SmartThinQ Hub has a familiar design with a handful of features and an eye on knocking off established names in this category.
In our continued coverage of the best Black Friday deals of the year, it is time to look at some items for around the house. While we haven’t seen as many smart home products as we would have liked (yet), Best Buy and Lowe’s will both be offering solid deals on Nest and Phillips products. We’ve also picked out some not-so-smart items for the kitchen and more:
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I’d be willing to bet your home has some sort of smart or internet-connected device. Whether it’s a Nest Thermostat or WeMo smart plugs, the internet is invading our home one small piece of plastic at a time. The struggle with many of these devices, such as the Nest, is that it only provides a data point for one location in your home. While it is possible to add additional thermostats, that’s not a cost-effective solution for most consumers.
That’s where Koto comes in. Its recently launched Indiegogo campaign offers three different sensors that each collect and report on important measurable data in your home, like air quality or dust count. By doing so, Koto is able to paint a more reliable picture of your home’s health and can even recommend on how to improve it…
Smart connected devices for our homes are becoming more commonplace, with technology giants like Apple and Samsung leading the way with support for a myriad of devices. Even Amazon has an internet-connected speaker that will control your lights, thermostat and more.
One of the biggest issues with this technology is price. Many consumers are not willing to pay the premium that comes with support for Apple’s HomeKit or other platforms like Z-Wave or Zigbee. Simply put, the deadbolt has worked in its existing state for decades, why upgrade it now?
Kwikset has been leading the charge on smartphone connected locks with its Kevo Bluetooth-enabled product. But for roughly $200, the adoption rate has been slow. Today, the lock maker has released a new deadbolt that drops a number of features but retains its internet connectivity in exchange for a lower price point.
iRobot is finally giving its Roomba vacuums the smart home treatment. Today, it was announced that the new Roomba 980 would include Wi-Fi connectivity that enables cloud-based administration and more. Coinciding with today’s release is the new iRobot HOME app that brings smartphone management of this new vacuum to life. The 980 will even make a virtual map of your home with its new on-board camera. All of these new features are going to cost you though.
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Walmart has the Quirky + GE Aros Smart Window Air Conditioner for $149 shipped today. That’s more than 50% under the original $300 listing, $81 under the typical price over at Amazon, $50+ under the next best prices, $28 under our previous mention and the best price we can find.
The Quirky Smart Air Conditioner comes with a number of intelligent features that enable it to set the temperature just the way you like it, at just the right time. It is equipped with 8,000 BTUs of power and, according to Quirky, can easily cool a room up to about 350 square feet. There is a simple installation here as it should slide right into traditional window openings from 24.5 to 40.5-inches.
As we have mentioned previously, reviews are mixed on the Aros. But this is more than 50% off the original price, from a trusted retailer, and the best price we have ever posted. More details below and over on 9to5Mac:
Late last year, Keen Home received over 1.5 million in funding to further the development of its Smart Vent product. And now a full year later, the intelligent vent cover replacement is ready to come to market this fall. Much like other smart home products looking to make things easier around the house and more affordable in the process, Smart Vent is looking to bring some innovation to those old vent covers we have been using for years:
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There are a wide range of devices available for consumers today that are internet and smartphone connected. It is often a struggle to decide whether to upgrade existing products with an add-on or make the investment in a new release that has these features built-in. Upgrading can be hit or miss and new products, especially appliances, can be pricey. With the impending arrival of Apple’s HomeKit, now is the time to get on the smart home train more than ever.
A new product called tado° has put air conditioning in its sights for a smart upgrade. We have seen smart AC units before, but the execution has at times left something to be desired. By adding tado° to an existing system, consumers have more options with the actual cooling unit, as long as the existing unit meets some requirements.
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Following up on the popularity of Philips Hue and Belkin’s WeMo offerings, GE has announced that it will soon be releasing its first Apple HomeKit-enabled Intelligent LED lightbulbs. GE is also including features that will help save on energy costs and even help improve your sleep.
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9to5Toys Specials currently has the Ring™ Video Doorbell for $189 with free shipping using $10 off coupon code: ring9t05 at checkout (Tax in CA). That’s $40 off the original price and the lowest price we can find it. It lets you see who is on your front step via a live video stream on your phone. We reviewed it very positively on 9to5mac and it gets 4/5 star reviews at Amazon where it is $10 more expensive with tax in more states.
It’s nice to know who is on the other side of the door before you open it, but the Wi-Fi streaming is also great for when you’re away from home. The Ring™ Doorbell has motion detection and two-way audio, so it knows when someone is there, and it lets you tell the delivery guy to leave the package somewhere suitable. The video is available on both iOS and Android devices, and it is 720p quality. Optionally, you can record the video clips for later viewing (one year of this service is included in the deal). Installation is pretty easy, and the Doorbell can run on battery for 12 months at a time.
Pick up the Ring™ Doorbell here and use coupon code ring9to5 at checkout.
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Last week we featured a couple of smart devices to help keep the items in your kitchen automatically replenished, including these tiny iOS connected Droplet buttons and this hybrid smartcan. While the GeniCan isn’t going to help keep your floors clean at the same time, it can certainly make any one of your regular trashcans a whole lot smarter.
The weather is starting to warm up and that means grilling season is right around the corner. While anyone can add a smart thermometer to a grill, SABER is introducing a new smart grill called the EDGE that puts even more info right on your iPhone.
Consumers are making a run for LED bulbs and internet connected devices, today Cree announced a new solution to these trends. Already known for its highly-rated products, Cree is now bringing smart home compatibility with the Connected LED Bulb. They have priced them very competitively, coming in at 50% the price of a comparable smart home lighting option.
The home automation sector of consumer technology continues to grow and generally improve, as more devices gain “smart” functionality. We’ve seen a number of products enter the fray during Q4 of 2014, but it’s yet to be seen whether any one company is ready to bring it all together in a truly mainstream way. While we continue to wait on Apple HomeKit-compatible devices, we had the opportunity to spend some time with products from SmartThings, a Washington, DC-based company that promises an “easy, open and limitless” smart home experience.
Known for its consumer networking gear, TRENDnet is announcing the latest addition to its lineup of home WiFi devices. The new THA-101 Home Smart Switch is a hybrid network extender and basic smart electrical outlet that looks to offer the best of both worlds in one small package…
We’ve all done it, found ourselves in a panic about 10 miles down the road, wondering if we have left that little space heater on in our bedroom. Today, WeMo is teaming up with Holmes to bring its own solution to this moment of fear. The Holmes WiFi-enabled Smart Heater connects the popular home company with Belkin’s WeMo ecosystem. This adds another piece to the puzzle of WeMo’s expansive line of home automation products.
Holmes is also introducing a new Smart WiFi-enabled air purifier, which puts the focus on consistantly monitoring the air quality in your home and adjusting as needed.
We’ve got full details below on pricing and Holmes new Frost Protect feature on these heaters.
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eBay’s new Innovator’s Collective pushes the online marketplace further away from its yard sale roots. This collection features fifteen high-tech gadgets from smaller outfits with crowdfunding backgrounds like Nomad to powerhouse companies like Nest.
Most of the products have a smart home twist, but there are a some playful options like the Boosted Electric Longboard and the Sphero 2.0 app-controlled ball. Each product page has large beautiful images and a simplified layout, which is a welcomed departure from eBay’s typical cluttered layout.
Make sure to apply coupon code CTAKE15 to save 15% on some of these gadgets. Full coupon eligibility and more info follows:
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Unlike many of the currently available smart home security options out there, the new Homeboy camera offers a simplified take on home surveillance in a tiny all-in-one system. It is a completely wireless solution that requires no additional hardware, taps right into your home WiFi network and offers simple mobile device monitoring.
Along with a built-in mounting system and an impressive battery life, Homeboy has a number of other security features, seamless integration with other smart home products and full functionality with no subscription fees. More details below:
Today, smart home product company ecobee is introducing a new product to its line of smart home thermostats. The ecobee3 is a “smarter” Wi-Fi thermostat that offers automated heating and cooling throughout the entire home.
Unlike previous generation models, the ecobee3 system consists of the main thermostat as well as up to as many as 32 sensors for complete coverage. According to ecobee, “the industry has seen the introduction of new thermostats that seem modern but have the same flaw that thermostats did fifty years ago – they only measure the temperature in one location, often the hallway.” With the added sensors, ecobee hopes to solve this issue by tracking temperature and occupancy in multiple rooms to offer optimal HVAC settings across the entire home.
Head below for more details, pricing, and a short introduction video:
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Amazon is offering the Quirky Aros Smart Window Air Conditioner for $177 shipped (matched at Walmart). That’s $123 or 41% off the original listing, between $102 and $72 off the average selling price from trusted retailers and the lowest price we’ve seen by $27.
The Quirky Aros Smart Air Conditioner is a fresh take on your average window air conditioner and comes with intelligent features to learn which settings you like best and when. This 8,000 BTU unit can also track usage so adjustments can be made to save on your energy bill. It can cool a room up to about 350 square feet and will slide into any window between 24.5 to 40.5-inches. Check out the introduction video below for more details.
While it has received mixed reviews so far, at nearly 50% off the list price this particular deal seems to be worth a mention for anyone who is specifically interested in the Aros.
Interested in other Quirky creations? Save 25% with code WOWZA at Quirky.com this weekend only.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA__njK0OEM
Littlebits Electronics makes a large line of magnetic electronics modules (or Bits) that can be used to create a number of different gadgets and devices without the need to know how to code or to pull out a soldering iron. While there a number of different bundles that can be purchased, the Bits range from switches, light dimmers, sensors, small motors, and even Korg made a littleBits DIY synthesizer kit.
Until now, the prototyping and hobbyist platform didn’t allow for creations that were connected to the internet, so littleBits has decided to introduce the new cloudBit module.
