SanDisk announces the Ultra II series of SSDs, targets mainstream upgraders
PC enthusiasts dig the very fast solid-state drives that SanDisk builds, but the drives in the company's Extreme Pro line can be pricey. The Ultra II series of SSDs that SanDisk announced today target...
View ArticleLenovo targets small businesses with three new budget-priced desktop PCs
Lenovo today took the wraps off three diminutive desktop PCs aimed at small businesses with tight budgets. Details are thin so far, but two elements look promising: First, all three systems have...
View ArticleHands-on with Dell's Venue 11 Pro 7000 Windows tablet
Dell launched a revamped version of its 11-inch Windows 8 tablet Wednesday: The Venue 11 Pro 7000 series, powered by Intel’s new Core M processor (formerly codenamed Broadwell). I laid hands on one...
View ArticleWeird name, cool tool: Smappee monitors and reports energy consumption for...
Using an acronym isn’t always the best way to market a product, so here’s hoping that consumers won’t ignore this one because it has an odd name. Smappee (it’s a sort of an acronym for Smart App for...
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The 6 best (and 4 worst) smart-home products we saw at CES 2015
CES: A Disneyland for smart home geeksImage by ThinkstockWhether you call it the connected home, the smart home, or just the Internet of Things, the concept of connecting everything inside the home to...
View ArticleBattle of the connected LED light bulbs: Cree Connected Soft White vs. GE Link
If you’re considering switching from incandescent to LED light bulbs to save energy, you should consider switching to a so-called “connected” light bulb that you can control and schedule using an app...
View ArticleThe wireless router reinvented: Eero brings mesh networking to consumer Wi-Fi
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A brand-new company says it’s designed a Wi-Fi router that’s going to change the way consumers think about and use Wi-Fi routers. This new product is will solve...
View ArticleArcht One all-in-one speaker review: Call it the anti-stereo
The Archt One (it's pronounced “arc”) is something of an anomaly, and not just because this self-powered speaker is shaped like an artillery shell crowned with one of Saturn’s rings. The Archt One is...
View ArticlePowerline vs MoCA: Which alternative networking technology is the best?
Ethernet cable (either CAT5e or CAT6) is the gold standard of home-networking technology. If you can string cable from your router to everywhere you need Internet access, do it. You'll get...
View ArticleGoogle enters the Wi-Fi router market with the very different OnHub
Just when you thought the announcements from Google HQ couldn’t get any weirder (Alphabet, anyone?), Google product manager Trond Wuellner takes to the Google Blog to announce the company’s entry into...
View ArticleAmazon launches 6 major new devices, including a 4K Fire TV and a $50 Fire...
Amazon took the wraps off no fewer than seven products today: two new media streamers, four new tablets, and a new tablet operating system, Fire OS 5. The all-new Fire TV is of particular interest:...
View ArticleAmazon won’t sell Apple TV and Chromecast hardware, bans marketplace partners...
E-commerce giant Amazon will not only not sell the Apple TV and Google Chromecast, but it has banned its marketplace sellers from offering those devices for sale, too As first reported in this...
View ArticleComcast Xfinity Home subscribers can now add Nest thermostats and other...
Comcast announced earlier this year that it was adding support for the Nest Learning Thermostat, August Smart Lock, Chamberlain MyQ garage-door controller, and the Lutron Caseta wireless lighting...
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5 awesome gifts for smart-home enthusiasts
Smart home technology has yet to rise to the level of sophistication depicted in the Jetsons, but it’s getting closer every day. And the hardware needed to reach that goal is becoming more affordable...
View ArticleKindle vs Fire: How to choose the right Amazon e-reader
Reading is one of life’s finer pleasures, especially while tippling your favorite beverage. E-readers make this pastime supremely convenient. If you’ve decided to choose from Amazon’s lineup, we’ll...
View ArticleSamsung ATIV Book 9 (2014 Edition) review: This laptop sounds as gorgeous as...
Based on the way most laptops sound, I'd venture a guess that audio is the last thing engineers think about when they design laptops. In fact, I'd go one step further to speculate that marketing...
View Article10 smart light bulbs that work with Amazon Echo and its virtual assistant, Alexa
If you think using your smartphone to turn on your lights is cool, you’ll flip when you can do that (and more) with just your voice. In fact, when I reviewed the Amazon Echo last year, I predicted a...
View ArticleBest Bluetooth speakers
Last updated September 30, 2016 to include our review of the Vava Voom 20 weatherized Bluetooth speaker. There was a time when Bluetooth speakers were like jelly beans: They were cheap, they all...
View ArticleAmazon Echo Dot (2nd generation) review: This is the Echo most people should buy
When I reviewed the Amazon Echo 13 months ago, I predicted that people would want one in every room. The Echo can control your home’s lighting, play music, estimate your commute time, operate a timer,...
View ArticleSmart bulbs that work with Amazon's Alexa
What’s cooler than turning on your lights with your smartphone? Turning on your lights hands free, using just your voice. Smart lighting control is one of the best features that Alexa, Amazon’s...
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