[ad_1] Many smart home device makers rely on subscriptions to keep a steady stream of money coming in, but Wink is learning how that strategy can easily go wrong. The company has announced plans to move to a $5 per month subscription on May 13th (yes, just one week from now), and it’s mandatory. Decline […]
Category: smart home
Tesla Powerwall knows when to stop charging your EV during power outages
[ad_1] Tesla’s Powerwall can ironically create problems if you’re all-in on the company’s ecosystem. What happens if there’s a power outage and the battery pack has to juggle the needs of both your home and your EV? You might rest a little easier from now on. Teslerati reports that Tesla has released a Powerwall update […]
Ecobee expands its smart home lineup with a camera and more sensors
[ad_1] You can employ a different monitoring setting for each of your sensors: armed, armed-stay or disarmed. Haven can tap into WiFi and geolocation information to detect when you come home or leave, so you won’t need to, for instance, tap in a code on a keypad to disarm the home monitoring functions. Ecobee says […]
IKEA’s smart blinds are finally available to buy online
[ad_1] You can’t visit an IKEA store right now due to the pandemic, but you won’t be missing out on the company’s connected devices as a result. Shoppers on Reddit and 9to5Mac have noticed that IKEA has started selling its FYRTUR smart blinds online in the US several months after they were initially limited to […]
Amazon’s latest Blink camera costs just $35
[ad_1] Amazon’s Blink is known for making affordable, easy-to-install cameras like the XT2. Its latest camera continues the trend. At $35, the Blink Mini is Blink’s most affordable product at the moment and a close competitor to devices like the Wyze Cam Pan. For that price, you get an indoor camera that can capture 1080p footage, detect […]
Ring’s latest doorbells feature a three-camera array
[ad_1] Ring founder, Jamie Siminoff, explains in a blog post that the company had to engineer a product that was constantly recording video footage without draining the battery. The solution is a three-camera array, two of which capture Pre-Roll footage at a low resolution and low framerate — and in black and white. The main […]
Arlo will require two-step sign-ins for its smart home devices
[ad_1] Of the three smart home security companies, only Ring’s two-factor requirement is active today. Nest’s is due to take effect sometime in the second quarter. Still, Arlo’s move is an important start. There’s a mounting concern that intruders can use security cameras and other connected devices to spy on and harass homeowners. Two-step logins […]
Eero’s mesh WiFi routers now support Apple HomeKit
[ad_1] Eero has acted on its promise of supporting HomeKit for Routers. You can now add any Eero, Eero Pro or Eero Beacon device running eeroOS 3.18.0 (or later) to Apple’s Home app, letting the mesh WiFi routers firewall your smart home devices so that a vulnerability in one doesn’t compromise your entire local network. […]
All Nest accounts will require extra sign-in security this spring
[ad_1] Nest still recommends that users migrate to Google accounts if they want to stay secure, although there is a caveat: you can’t currently link a Nest account if you have Google’s Advanced Protection turned on. Google is fixing this, but doesn’t have an estimate for when that solution will be ready. It’s not hard […]
Ecobee’s Family Accounts put limits on smart home control
[ad_1] You’ll have access to Family Accounts so long you’re using the latest version of Ecobee’s Android or iOS apps. It’s a simple update, but it could go a long way toward locking down your smart home tech. It reduces the chances of a lost phone posing a threat to your smart home account, for […]