Topic: home automation
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Aqara G410 Doorbell Hub: Beyond Video, But Not Waterproof
The Aqara G410 Doorbell Camera Hub offers enhanced 2K video resolution, mmWave radar to reduce false alerts, and dual-band Wi-Fi, serving as a versatile smart home hub with support for major platforms and local or cloud storage. Its bulky design and limited IPX3 weather resistance necessitate she...
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Ecovacs Robovac Cleans Nonstop with Rapid Charging
The Ecovacs Deebot X11 Omnicyclone features a GaN-based fast charging system that allows it to recharge quickly during mop rinses, enabling uninterrupted cleaning sessions. It offers strong suction power of 19,500Pa, an upgraded roller mop for deep cleaning, and a 4WD system that navigates variou...
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Can We Trust AI to Build a Smarter Home?
Ambient computing aims to create intuitive, seamless smart homes, but current systems often remain fragmented and intrusive. AI and machine learning are advancing smart homes by enabling contextual awareness, such as interpreting events and predicting needs, though privacy and infrastructure chal...
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Ikea's Entire New Smart Home Line Runs on Matter
Ikea is launching 21 new smart home devices using the Matter-over-Thread standard, ensuring compatibility across brands and simplifying the creation of a connected home. The product lineup includes updated smart bulbs, versatile wireless remotes, and five sensors for automation, all designed to w...
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Philips Hue: Your Lights Will Soon Be Motion Sensors
Philips Hue introduces MotionAware, a feature that uses existing bulbs to create a motion-sensing network via Zigbee signal disruptions, requiring no extra hardware and compatible with most bulbs made after 2014. Activation requires the new Hue Bridge Pro, at least three mains-powered devices per...
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The Many Faces of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is now deeply integrated into daily life across education, governance, and wellness, with widespread use and massive investments. Society is engaged in a largely unregulated global experiment with AI, lacking adequate safeguards and facing potential extremes from benefits ...
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Google's Gemini AI Keeps Confusing My Dog for a Cat
Google's Gemini for Home feature enhances smart home alerts by providing detailed descriptions of detected activities, such as identifying specific delivery drivers instead of generic person notifications. Despite its advanced capabilities, Gemini persistently misidentifies the user's dog as a ca...
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Google Home App Gets a Major Gemini-Powered Redesign
The Google Home app is being redesigned with Gemini integration to enhance conversational control and provide a more intuitive user experience through natural language interaction. A new "Ask Home" search bar allows users to type or speak commands to control devices, review video history, and che...
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Control SmartThings with Siri Shortcuts
Samsung's SmartThings update now integrates with Siri Shortcuts, enabling users to control their smart home devices and routines through Apple's voice assistant on devices like iPhones and HomePods. This integration allows for the creation of custom or pre-designed automations that Siri can activ...
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5 Incredible Home Theater Setups That Will Amaze You
A home theater combines advanced technology and design to create immersive entertainment spaces that can rival commercial cinemas. Custom installations, such as those by Audio Advice and Homeplay, feature high-end projectors, Dolby Atmos sound systems, and integrated control solutions like Contro...
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5 Smart Home Gadgets That Will Actually Make Your Life Easier in 2025
Smart home tech in 2025 is all about making life easier. From Amazon’s Echo Hub to solar-powered curtain bots, these five gadgets offer real-world convenience, security, and energy savings. Whether you're upgrading your home or starting fresh, these picks are worth your attention.
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5 Apple Products Coming in 2024 That Have Us Excited
Apple is rumored to launch a foldable iPhone in 2026, combining iPhone and iPad functionality into a single, ultra-premium device with a unique two-in-one form factor. A screen-equipped HomePod and Apple Glasses are anticipated, featuring advanced Siri AI for home automation and wearable technolo...
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The iPad's New Chip Makes It the Ultimate Smart Home Hub
The new iPad Pro is Apple's first device to officially support the Thread protocol, integrating Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread via the N1 chip, which aligns it with the Matter smart home standard. Including a Thread radio allows the iPad Pro to set up and communicate directly with Thread-compat...
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Amazon & Google's Plan to Fix AI's Smart Home Problems
Amazon and Google are launching next-generation voice assistants, Alexa Plus and Gemini for Home, which use generative AI to enable more conversational, context-aware, and proactive smart home interactions, marking the biggest shift in home automation in over a decade. These AI-enhanced systems a...
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Google Home Gets Gemini AI With New Nest Cams & Speaker
Google is replacing Google Assistant with its advanced Gemini AI in the Google Home ecosystem, maintaining the "Hey Google" wake command and introducing a redesigned app and new hardware. Gemini enables fluid, natural conversations for smart home control, simplifying complex tasks like multi-step...
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Google Home's 'Ask Home' Redesign Launches on iPhone
The Google Home app for iPhone has been redesigned with a new visual identity and introduces the "Ask Home" feature, which includes a chat-style interface for device control and search, though complex conversational prompts are not yet active. Navigation is streamlined into three main tabs—Home, ...
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Google Teases New Nest Hub Release
Google has confirmed its ongoing commitment to smart displays, with plans to announce new hardware soon, reassuring fans of the Nest Hub line. Smart displays are seen as ideal for interacting with advanced AI like Gemini, offering multi-modal experiences through audio, visual, and camera inputs. ...
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Google Nest Cam 2K Review: Smart Home Security Done Right
The new Google Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor models feature a simplified setup process, requiring only a power connection, QR code scan via the Google Home app, and Wi-Fi, with the outdoor version including a magnetic mount for easy installation. These cameras offer enhanced video quality with 2560...
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Save $50 on Philips Hue String Lights for October Prime Day
Amazon's October Prime Day offers Prime subscribers discounted premium holiday decorations, including the Philips Hue Festavia string lights at $169.99, a $50 savings from the original price. These smart lights feature 250 color-changing LEDs, preloaded scenes, and seamless integration with other...
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Top 22 Non-Amazon Deals You Can't Miss Right Now
Major retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target offer competitive deals on tech and home essentials, often rivaling or surpassing Amazon's Prime Day promotions. Standout tech deals include the Lenovo CX15 Chromebook at Walmart, Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition at Best Buy, and Samsung’s Od...
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Google Kills Nest Brand: The Real Reason Why
Google has officially retired the Nest brand, merging all its features and devices into the Google Home ecosystem to streamline the user experience. This move culminates a gradual integration process, with the Google Home app now offering enhanced camera functions, automation tools, and cross-pla...
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Matthew Prince: AI Companies Must Pay for Their Sins
AI companies are prioritizing unique, human-generated content over homogenized information, leading to higher premiums for platforms like Reddit. Reddit secured a significantly larger licensing deal than traditional media due to its irreplaceable, authentic content like public opinion and niche e...
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Google's New Home Speaker: A Better Look and Sound, But Not Yet Available
Google has unveiled a new smart speaker with a flattened spherical design, vibrant colors, and AI features powered by the Gemini voice assistant, set for release in spring 2026. The speaker offers 360-degree sound, supports stereo pairing and home theater setups, and integrates as a hub for smart...
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Tado's AI Learns How to Heat Your Home Perfectly
Tado's AI-driven system personalizes home heating for optimal comfort and energy efficiency by managing temperatures intelligently. It features Adaptive Heating that learns each room's thermal behavior and a Preheat function that warms the home automatically before your arrival. The system includ...
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I Tested Amazon & Google's New Smart Gadgets - Ask Me Anything
Amazon introduced new Echo devices with an advanced, conversational Alexa Plus AI assistant and AI-powered Ring cameras that can help locate lost pets. Google announced the full integration of its Gemini AI into the Google Home platform, replacing Google Assistant with a smarter, language model-d...
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Amazon's Largest Smart Display Bundle Just Hit Its Lowest Price
The Echo Show 21 bundle with its Premium Adjustable Stand is now available at its lowest price ever, $439.99, offering significant savings and flexible placement options. It features a large 21-inch 1080p screen for widgets and entertainment, enhanced audio with a four-driver system, and a 13MP c...
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Eufy's New Robovac Stairlift Solves Multi-Level Cleaning
Eufy's MarsWalker is an innovative device that transports compatible robot vacuums between different home floors using independently controlled arms, eliminating the need to carry the vacuum or buy multiple units. The MarsWalker operates via a drive-track mechanism to navigate various staircase t...
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