Amazon created the smart speaker category with the Echo, introducing hands-free Alexa voice control to countless households. Alexa is better than ever, and the latest, third-generation Echo uses the same acoustic design and drivers as the Echo Plus but removes the Zigbee home automation hub and temperature sensor. It turns a $150 speaker with gimmicks most people ignore into…
Smart Home
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) With Clock Reviews
We’re big fans of the Amazon Echo Dot. It’s a tiny smart speaker that sounds surprisingly good for its size, with a friendly price and all of the voice control features of Amazon Alexa. The Amazon Echo Dot third-generation with an LED clock face on the front. It’s a small upgrade that bumps and it’s…
Sonos One (Gen 2) – Voice Controlled Smart Speaker Reviews
While Amazon’s Alexa was once available only on Echo devices and Google Assistant was limited to certain Android phones, the popular voice assistants are popping up everywhere now. The Sonos One is one such device where you’ll find both. The wireless smart speaker is effectively the same as the Sonos Play, with the added benefit of a microphone…
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Reviews
The new Ecobee Smart Thermostat With Voice Control is the company’s fifth-generation model, and as is the case with each Ecobee release, this new model offers more features than its predecessor, the Ecobee4. Enhanced Alexa and multimedia support, more powerful audio components, and dual-band Wi-Fi is just a few examples of what this thermostat has to…
The Best Smart Thermostat Reviews and Buying Guide
The best smart thermostat will have an outsize impact not only how comfortable you are in your home, but also on your household budget. Heating and cooling your home accounts for nearly half of the average home’s utility bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A programmable thermostat can help reduce those costs by…
Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat
The latest addition to Honeywell’s family of smart thermostats, the Lyric T5 is an affordable option that offers some neat features, including geofencing technology to turn your heating and cooling on and off when you leave and return home, and support for Apple HomeKit, which allows you to use Siri voice commands. It’s not as…
Bosch BCC100 Connected Control Smart Thermostat Reviews
As with any good smart thermostat, the Bosch Connected Control BCC100 lets you control your home heating and cooling system from anywhere using your phone and a mobile app. It features a relatively large full-color touch-screen display, is easy to install and program, and works with Alexa voice commands. It’s a solid buy, but it lacks…
Google Nest Thermostat E Reviews
If you’ve been itching for a Nest Learning Thermostat but find its $250 price prohibitive, there is now a more affordable alternative. Priced at $169, the Nest Thermostat E does pretty much everything the Nest Learning Thermostat does: it can be programmed and controlled from your smartphone, and automatically creates a heating and cooling schedule based on…
Kono Smart Thermostat Reviews
When we reviewed the Lux Geo smart thermostat, we gave it high marks for style, ease of installation, and intelligent scheduling features, but wished it worked with other smart home devices. The Kono represents the company’s next generation of smart thermostats, and like its predecessor, it’s stylish, easy to install, and offers the same handy scheduling options. It also…