Topic: smart home tech
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SwitchBot Launches an Improved Smart Fan
The SwitchBot Battery Circulator Fan 2 Pro ($119.99) features a bigger battery, longer throw distance, higher wind speeds, and native Matter-over-Wi-Fi support, but removes the height-adjustable stand. Its 3,600mAh battery provides up to 70 hours of quiet operation at 21dB on the lowest setting, ...
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iRobot’s newest floor cleaner skips the robot tech
iRobot launched its first non-robotic floor cleaner, the $399 Roomba Electro Plus, a cordless 5-in-1 device that uses electrolysis to turn tap water into a commercial-grade disinfectant. Five new Roomba robot vacuums were introduced for the U.S. market, featuring increased suction, more compact d...
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Apple’s Screen Time updates arrive too late to matter
Apple's Screen Time is an unreliable parental control tool with persistent bugs, bypassable restrictions, and frustrating limitations that have plagued users for nearly a decade. The upcoming iOS 27 introduces an "Ask to Browse" feature to monitor web activity, but core issues like slow syncing, ...
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Eero Pro 6E routers hit all-time low price in 2026
The Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi system has hit its lowest price ever in 2026, with a three-pack available for $329.99 at Best Buy and $399.99 at Amazon, matching the all-time low from December 2025. This tri-band system covers up to 2,000 square feet per unit, supports the 6GHz band with wireless spee...
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Ring's Battery Doorbell Now Captures 4K Video
Ring has launched a new Battery Doorbell Pro, its first battery-powered model with 4K video, requiring a complete internal redesign to support the power demands of high-resolution recording and AI processing. The enhanced video enables new AI features like Ring Retinal Vision and AI video search,...
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Reolink Solar Floodlight Camera: Wire-Free Home Security
The Reolink Solar Floodlight Camera is a wire-free, solar-powered security device that eliminates the need for electrical wiring, offering flexible installation and a launch price of $87.99. It features a 2K camera, 1000-lumen floodlights, a siren, and on-device AI for free smart alerts, powered ...
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Ring's Search Party backlash: Big questions remain unanswered
Ring's founder is defending the company amid controversy, but the core issue is its expanding AI-powered camera network raising privacy and surveillance concerns beyond marketing. The company's Community Requests feature facilitates direct video sharing with police, placing it at the center of de...
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Ring's AI Search Party Expands Beyond Finding Lost Pets
A leaked email reveals Ring's founder envisions its AI Search Party feature evolving beyond finding pets to "zero out crime," raising privacy concerns about pervasive surveillance. While Ring states the tool is currently limited and user-controlled, critics fear its combination with facial recogn...
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Ring's Flock Shutdown Misses the Real Issue
Ring's decision to end its Flock Safety partnership fails to address core public concerns about privacy and its ties to law enforcement, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), offering only a logistical explanation that appears to be a response to public pressure. The shutdown do...
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Reclaim Your Digital Life from Big Tech
A growing ecosystem of privacy-focused and open-source alternatives now makes it possible to reduce reliance on major tech platforms like Google and Apple. Key recommended services include Proton for email and storage, Signal for messaging, and Nextcloud for self-hosted tools, alongside options l...
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Ring Ends Flock Safety Deal Amid Privacy Concerns
Ring has canceled its planned integration with Flock Safety, citing resource needs and public backlash over privacy, and confirmed no customer video was ever shared. The company faces ongoing trust issues due to recent product features like "Search Party" and "Familiar Faces," which critics warn ...
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IKEA's New Smart Home Sensors Are Quietly Rolling Out
IKEA is launching an affordable smart home collection focused on environmental monitoring, security, and lighting, designed to integrate seamlessly into modern homes. The products are compatible with the universal Matter standard, allowing them to connect directly to major platforms like Alexa, G...
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Aliro Smart Lock Standard Launches This Year
The Aliro smart lock standard, an open protocol developed by a major industry consortium, is launching this year to unify digital access across devices and manufacturers, enabling tap-to-unlock and hands-free entry. It is designed to extend secure, phone-as-a-key functionality—using NFC, Bluetoot...
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iRobot CEO: Bankruptcy Is a Reboot, Not the End
iRobot's Chapter 11 filing is a strategic reboot, with a pre-packaged plan to be acquired by its manufacturer, Picea Robotics, to preserve operations and continue product development. The company is shifting from a "tech-first" to a "consumer-led" approach, accelerating development with Picea to ...
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Roomba's New Owner: Who Is Picea Robotics?
iRobot, maker of the Roomba, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be fully acquired by its Chinese contract manufacturer, Picea Robotics, as part of a debt-forgiveness and restructuring deal. The company's newer Roomba models had become less distinctive, facing performance issues and rese...
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iRobot Files for Bankruptcy: What's Next for the Roomba Maker?
iRobot, the maker of Roomba, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to be acquired by its contract manufacturer, Picea Robotics, to secure its future. The company's market dominance eroded due to intense competition from rivals like Ecovacs and Roborock, and the collapse of a planned acqui...
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Amazon's Fall Hardware Event: What to Expect
Amazon is hosting its annual fall hardware event on September 30th, 2025, in New York City, where it is expected to introduce new Echo devices, Fire TV products, and Kindle e-readers. The invitation hints at a possible color Kindle Scribe model with stylus support, suggesting advancements in e-re...
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Ultraloq Smart Lock Now Unlocks with Android Tap-to-Open
The Ultraloq Bolt NFC smart lock now supports tap-to-unlock with compatible Android smartphones, expanding its cross-platform functionality alongside iPhones. This free update, available via the U Home app, uses NFC technology to allow unlocking without waking the screen or opening any applicatio...
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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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