Apple’s HomePod only makes up 4 percent of the smart speaker market
Canalys recently published new data about the burgeoning smart speaker market, and revealed that Apple's HomePod, once a highly anticipated competitor to the Google Home and Amazon Echo lines, isn't catching on quite the way the Apple hoped. The HomePod only makes up about 4% of market share.
Alexa makes for a good shopping buddy but Google Assistant may ‘get you’ better
The struggle over the smart speaker rages on, as CNBC surveyed five digital advertising agencies who say that Amazon's Alexa is the better shopping assistant, but Google's deep roots in machine learning and voice recognition makes Google Assistant more understanding.
Apple’s latest updates for iOS, tvOS, and WatchOS are now available
Apple has launched the latest and greatest consumer versions of its operating systems, including iOS 11.4.1, WatchOS 4.3.2, and tvOS 11.4.1. The new operating systems are largely incremental upgrades, and bring with them a series of bug fixes, along with improvements to Find My AirPods.
Smart home devices are being used in domestic abuse, report finds
A disturbing new trend leverages smart devices as tools of abuse, with some ill-intentioned users (not even hackers), using their smartphones in order to remotely control locks, speakers, thermostats, lights, and the like, and wreak emotional havoc on those within the home.
Google offers giant discounts on speakers and phones during its summer sale
Amazon Prime Day is fast approaching, but don't think that Amazon is the only online giant putting on a massive summer sale. Not to be outdone, Google is throwing a price-slashing party of its own, and is cutting the prices of some of its most popular flagship products, including the Pixel and Home.
August Smart Lock (3rd gen) review
In our August Smart Lock Third Generation review we discover a lock that’s sleek, secure and simple to use.
Plated vs. Blue Apron: Which is better?
It can be a bit overwhelming to decide which meal kit delivery system to choose, so we're making it a bit easier for you by comparing two of the most popular on the market: Blue Apron and Plated. Here's a breakdown of the two meal kits.
Google Duplex could have a new job — taking the place of humans in call centers
Google may be looking for more commercial ways to employ its A.I. assistant -- not Google Assistant, but rather Google Duplex. According to a report from The Information, Duplex could be replacing human callers, for better or for worse. They could serve as telemarketers and as customer service agents.
Repainting a room sucks, so I tried to see if tech could make it any easier
To figure out what color to paint our walls, we used a bunch of online tools, from paint company’s sites to Adobe Color Wheel, to get just the right look. Then we tried out a paint sprayer to see if it really was any easier than doing the job by hand. There are some parts of painting that tech hasn’t figured out how to help with yet, though.
Tesla Powerwalls keep Vermonters comfortable and safe during heat wave
Vermont's Green Mountain Power electric utility uses nearly 500 Tesla Powerwall energy storage units in residents' homes for extra power during peak periods in the summer heat wave. GMP subsidizes the home units for customers and in return, the utility can access the power to supply the overall electrical grid.
PG&E applies to build Tesla’s largest battery farm yet in Silicon Valley
Pacific Gas & Electric applied to the California Public Utilities Commission for four new energy storage projects, including the largest Tesla Powerpack battery farm in the world. The other projects are third-party owned. PG&E would own the Powerpack storage facility with a potential 1.1 GWh energy capacity.
GoSun Fusion combines solar power with electric heating for outdoor cooking
We're no strangers to GoSun's lineup of solar-powered ovens. The company has created and crowdfunded its unique outdoor cookware since 2013. Five years later, it's back again with its latest project. It's called the GoSun Fusion, and it goes a bit beyond solar power with its electric heating.
The best home security cameras under $200 you can buy
Want a home security camera, but don't want to spend a ton of cash? No problem. Here are some of the best home security cameras you can buy at prices ranging from $20 to $200. Some of the models on the list can be used outdoors.
Amazon Echo Look Review
The Amazon Echo Look is a combination of a virtual assistant and a style assistant. It gives you style advice, organizes your closet, shows you how you look from all angles, and provides feedback on what types of clothes fit your style. We got a chance to test out the device to see if it really helped our fashion game.
Google’s smart home mastermind talks security, A.I., the future of control
Google product lead Mark Spates works on the company’s smart speakers, including Google Home. In an interview with Digital Trends, he talked about the role of voice in the smart home and where the future might lead, including gesture control, proximity sensors, and new smart speaker hardware.
Win a Furbo treat-tossing dog camera for your good boy or girl
The Furbo treat-dispensing dog camera lets you check in on your pup and give him some love right from your phone. If this sounds like something your good boy needs, then you're in luck: Digital Trends has teamed up with Furbo to give a few lucky readers a chance to win one.
Wisenet SmartCam D1 video doorbell review
Pitched at the top of the video doorbell market, the Wisenet SmartCam D1 Video Doorbell has some great features, but can’t quite deliver the performance required to chase Nest and Ring away from your porch. Read our review to get more details.
Float off the grid with this solar-powered tiny home houseboat
Full-time residence could be challenging, but Daigno's Le Koroc houseboat is ready for off-grid fishing trips and short-term escapes. The 3-float pontoon boat is light enough to tow to lost lakes and rambling rivers where it can operate as self-contained living and relaxing quarters with minimal environmental impact.
Throw some shade at your office space with voice-controlled, self-tinting glass
Sage Electrochromics unveiled a prototype of its dynamic glass called SageGlass back in 2015, and in the three years since, has further developed its revolutionary product to allow users to control the dynamic tinting of the glass. Its latest innovation comes in the form of Amazon Echo compatibility.
The best wall ovens of 2018
Wall ovens are usually a lot more ergonomic than a range oven because when they are placed at eye level, you don't have to bend and stoop in order to retrieve hot dishes. We've done the research for you and rounded up the best wall ovens in all three different options: electric, gas, and convection.
Eufy Robovac 11S (BoostIQ) review
Affordable and simple, the Eufy Robovac 11S isn’t going to wow you with smart home compatibility or a fancy app. It instead relies on simple, effective cleaning and a low price. Is that enough to compete against other robot vacuums with a long list of standard features?
Morgan Stanley says, ‘Hey Google, give away the Home Mini for free!’
Morgan Stanley made a fairly dramatic admonishment to Google's parent company Alphabet this week when the financial giant suggested in a note to investors that the company should simply give away its signature smart speaker for free, at a cost of $3.3 billion.
The Foreo UFO can fit into your makeup bag and your busy lifestyle
The Foreo UFO is a smart mask treatment that's controlled by your smartphone. Even with the steep price tag, the easy setup and quick execution had us incorporating it into our skincare routine whenever our skin felt dull or needed hydration -- busy schedule or not.
A California chipmaker is working to free Alexa from the power cord
If a California chip maker is successful in its new partnership with Amazon, its digital assistant Alexa could soon be free to roam in third-party products like smart home fixtures, thermostats and cameras, making the voice platform less reliant on external power sources.
Alexa helps players travel the globe in the new board game, ‘When in Rome’
London-based game developer Sensible Object is paying off on a multi-million investment by releasing its first Alexa-powered board game When in Rome, a multimedia experience that uses the digital assistant to guide players through 20 cities around the globe.
‘Hey, Google, what’s wrong?’ Google Home ‘glitch’ gets a fix
Google has announced a fix for a glitch that took down users' Chromecast and Google Home devices all day on Wednesday, June 27. The company explained what happened, and said users can either reboot their devices now or wait until the fix is automatically made in a few hours.
This Minion-looking robot will nag you to improve your posture as you work
It turns out that even owning a standing desk is no guarantee that you're standing in a healthy way. Called Giiro, this Alexa-connected robot and smart mat will nag you about your posture as you work. Here's how you can get your hands on one -- for your own benefit, of course.
Google and Nest pack more than 25,000 apartments with smart home tech
In what is claimed to be the largest smart apartment technology rollout in history, Alliance Residential Company announced that more than 25,000 apartments in its $10 billion portfolio will be outfitted with a complete smart home package that includes a Google Home Mini, Nest Learning Thermostat, and more.
Show, don’t tell, with Amazon’s new Show Mode Charging Dock
Amazon is continuing to beef up its smart home offerings with the addition of the Echo Show-like Show Mode and the wireless charging Show Mode Charging Dock for the Fire HD 8 and HD 10. It's also introducing a kids edition for the huge Fire HD 10, making child-friendly entertainment even easier.
Weird home security camera mix-up streams video to wrong person
A woman with a home security camera recently received an alert to her phone, suggesting the camera's motion sensor had been triggered. But when she looked at the live footage, she noticed it wasn't of her home. Instead, she found herself looking at a family she didn't know, in a kitchen she didn't recognize.
Warning: The way your neighbors use Alexa will bore the snot out of you
The technology that powers smart speakers like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home may be wildly sophisticated and continually evolving but users in the U.K. report using the smart speakers for remarkably basic functions, according to a new survey.
Electrolux Pure i9 review
Robot vacuums are often more for maintenance than for deep cleaning, but we were excited to try the Electrolux Pure i9. Electrolux is known for its vacuums, after all. The bot definitely got our floors clean, but there were a few drawbacks, like a 40-minute battery life, that were hard to get over.
How millennials can learn to #adult with Amazon Alexa
Baby boomers and Gen X might remember how they had to learn to #adult -- by asking someone or simply figuring it out as you went along. However, millennials have a new option for #adulting - using an Amazon Alexa device.
Amazon is finally bringing Alexa voice control to the iPhone
Amazon Alexa may be your favorite digital assistant, but so far you haven't been able to control Alexa with your voice on the iPhone or iPad. Now, however, that's finally changing -- Amazon is bringing Alexa voice control to iOS, a feature that's been available on Android for some time now.