Image used with permission by copyright holderControlling your home with the simple sound of your voice is easy enough these days, but protecting it hasn’t always been so easy. Here to change that, however, is the SkylinkNet connected home suite, which allows folks to control their entire home security kit with Alexa Voice Service and “nearly all major smart home devices on IFTTT.” So go ahead — sleep easy, and know that if things require your attention, all you need to do is raise your voice.
The Alexa compatibility allows homeowners to integrate SkylinkNet’s products — including sensors, cameras, and alarms — with Alexa-enabled devices. That means that you can say, “Alexa, ask SkylinkNet to check alarm status,” to see if there’s been any suspicious activity, or “Alexa, ask SkylinkNet to panic,” should a camera or sensor detect anything out of the ordinary. And these don’t have to be exclusively SkylinkNet cameras or sensors — with IFTTT compatibility, users can connect their security kits to Nest Cam, WeMo appliances, or Phillips Hue lights.
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You can almost treat SkylinkNet as a central hub, and ask Alexa to have SkylinkNet turn on your kitchen lights, or open or close your garage door. “With the addition of Alexa Voice Services, we are offering homeowners a way to make their homes even smarter,” Skylink president Gallen Tsui said.“Our system provides homeowners with an easy and affordable way of keeping their families safe and providing them with direct access to Alexa Voice Services streamlinestheir connected capabilities, making the smart home even more attainable.”
The SkylinkNet system comes with a backup battery in case there’s a power failure or a nefarious actor attempts to shut down your power grid, and of course, like all other smart security systems, there’s an iOS and Android app that sends you a notification anytime a sensor is triggered or alarm is armed or disarmed. Up to six users can monitor a home at the same time, and the SkylinkNet system will work with up to 100 wireless sensors and controllers, and 10 wireless cameras. You can buy the SkylinkNet starter kit, which comes with an Internet Hub, two motion sensors, two keychain remotes (for arming and disarming the system), two door or window sensors, and two plug-in dimmers for $213.
Early Black Friday chest freezer deals: up to 40% off today
Update 10/29/24: This starts our Black Friday coverage of chest freezers, and we like what we see so far. The following deals are from a variety of good brands, show a wide range of prices, and most importantly come in various sizes, so you can pick what is right for your home.
While Black Friday officially starts on November 29, retailers are getting started early this year. That means great early Black Friday deals, including on things like chest freezers. Here, we search high and low for the best deals on chest freezers to hit the market. That means we're looking at sources like Walmart's, Amazon's, and Best Buy's early Black Friday deals among others to get you the best deals possible. Whether you're wanting to store ice cream, meat, or a party's worth of frozen pizza, these are the best chest freezers for you.
Hisense 5 cu. ft. Garage Ready Chest Freezer — $165 $189 13% off
Best cordless drill early Black Friday deals: DeWalt and more
Update 10/28/24: This marks the beginning of our drill coverage for 2024's Black Friday shopping season, and all of the major brands have at least one great deal. While we're excited for what is to come, this is a fantastic start and there's really no reason to not go ahead and get prepped by buying something now.
If you're buying anything this Black Friday, there's a big chance you might want a drill/driver to go with it. A drill/driver is one part drill, one part (screw)driver and it can help out in many situations. For example, say you take part in one of these early Black Friday TV deals, you very well might want to wall mount it. Then, say you grab up an easy coffee maker from Keurig's early Black Friday deals. An extra side table in your study would sure go nice with that and a drill/driver could very well make the table's construction much easier.
Really, with so so many of your early Black Friday purchases, there might be a chance to pick up a cordless drill or driver and get to work. As such, we've compiled a list of the best cordless drill deals throughout Black Friday deals that are available now, so you can get a head start on prepping for the savings that are to come.
Best Roomba deals: Top robot vacuums from as little as $170
If you come home and don't really look forward to doing the day-to-day dusting and vacuuming that's required to keep everything clean, then robot vacuums are a great solution. Probably one of the best-known brands is Roomba, and if you're looking to pick up a new one, then Roomba has a lot of great options you can pick from.. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly option or something a little bit more high-end that comes with a self-emptying station, we've gone out and collected some of our favorite Roomba deals below.
That said, if you don't necessarily want a Roomba, you can check out these general robot vacuum deals, and for the more substantial messes, there are always these vacuum deals and cordless vacuum deals too.
iRobot Roomba i1 -- $170 $220 22% off
