SMART HOME Posts on XDA

Samsung SmartThings starts testing for Matter with a new partner program

Samsung SmartThings starts testing for Matter with a new partner program

May 18, 2022
At Google I/O, there was a sizeable focus on smart home, and in particular, Matter. The upcoming standard developed between Google and a range of partner manufacturers in the space is set to officially launch in the latter stages of 2022. But preparations for it are well underway, and that includes at Samsung. SmartThings is...
Ecobee makes its new Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced official, starting at $200

Ecobee makes its new Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced official, starting at $200

May 18, 2022
In just the last few days, new Premium and Enhanced thermostats from Ecobee were leaked pretty much in full. Now, they're officially official, and we know a little more about the new smart home devices. Ecobee hasn't launched a new thermostat in around three years, so fans have every right to be excited. The two-fold approach...
New Ecobee Premium and Enhanced thermostat leaks, support for Alexa and Siri built-in

New Ecobee Premium and Enhanced thermostat leaks, support for Alexa and Siri built-in

May 16, 2022
When you're looking for information on upcoming but as yet unannounced hardware, everyone knows you should head to Canadian Tire. No, really, of all the retailers to out a new product, here we are. As highlighted by ZatsNotFunny and a Reddit thread, Ecobee has a new Premium and Enhanced model thermostat on the way it...
How to listen to Apple Podcasts on the Amazon Echo

How to listen to Apple Podcasts on the Amazon Echo

May 14, 2022
The Amazon Echo can be the center of your home entertainment. And that includes listening to podcasts as well as music or the audio from your Fire TV. Podcasts are a great alternative to digital radio stations and on the Amazon Echo, you have a number of options on where to get them from. If you...
Google Home extension for Visual Studio Code is now available

Google Home extension for Visual Studio Code is now available

May 12, 2022
Developers building for Google Home have a fancy new tool to play with as of Google I/O. It was first talked about in 2021, but now, the Google Home extension for Microsoft's Visual Studio Code is now available. Visual Studio Code is one of the most popular IDEs available on Windows, Mac, and Linux (including...
Google Home gets a fancy new homepage and ‘works with’ program

Google Home gets a fancy new homepage and ‘works with’ program

May 11, 2022
There is a lot to digest from Google I/O, and one of the categories that's getting a lot of love is the smart home. Later in 2022 the long-awaited launch of Matter, the open smart home standard part-developed by Google, will finally launch. Ahead of this, Google Home is getting in order, starting with a...
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) Review: A small speaker with big sound

Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) Review: A small speaker with big sound

May 8, 2022
The Amazon Echo family is bigger today than ever. There really is something for everyone, from the tiny speaker to the massive display and everything in-between. It's the former we're looking at here, the smallest, most affordable member of the Amazon Echo family. Well strictly, that's not quite true, the Echo Flex exists, but the...
How to link Zigbee devices to the Amazon Echo

How to link Zigbee devices to the Amazon Echo

May 7, 2022
When it comes to controlling a smart home with an Amazon Echo, the first thought is using Alexa. Besides being the voice of the Echo, the Alexa platform contains support for an absurd quantity of smart home hardware. If it's connected, there's a pretty good chance it's connected to Alexa. Using Alexa isn't the only way,...
Sonos reportedly launching its own voice assistant, because the world doesn’t have enough of them

Sonos reportedly launching its own voice assistant, because the world doesn’t have enough of them

May 5, 2022
If you find yourself looking at Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri (Bixby?) and decide another voice assistant is needed, good news! Sonos, famed for its connected audio systems, is coming to the rescue you didn't know you needed. Or so a new report from The Verge claims, with Sonos preparing to ship Sonos Voice on June 1...
Wyze Video Doorbell live view seems broken after most recent firmware update

Wyze Video Doorbell live view seems broken after most recent firmware update

May 4, 2022
Owners of the Wyze Video Doorbell should have been dancing on the doorstep with the most recent firmware update. Along with promised fixes and improvements, it enabled the much-anticipated support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, that seems to have been overshadowed by a pretty serious issue for a video doorbell to have....
Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit Review: A lot of work goes into installing these affordable light panels

Cololight Hexagon Light Plus Kit Review: A lot of work goes into installing these affordable light panels

May 1, 2022
Smart LED light panels are all the rage right now and I can see why. A spectacular set of smart lights can instantly change the atmosphere of a space, whether it's your office or your living room, adding that bit of flair to your smart home. When done right, you even get capabilities such as...
Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Review: Still the King in 2022

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) Review: Still the King in 2022

May 1, 2022
The Amazon Echo is one of those products that truly kickstarted a whole category. The best smart speakers now come from far and wide, many using the same Alexa voice platform. Amazon wasn't the first to bring a voice assistant to the world, in fact coming behind Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Alexa debuted in late...