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Best smart home control panels in 2024
Simplify smart home management with sleek displays that integrate your devices with intuitive controls
One of the most frustrating aspects of building a smart home network is the diverse device management, using varied technologies located across your home. Solutions that can gather and control smart home devices on a centralized platform make smart home living so much easier.
13 best Prime Day tech deals under $50
Amazon Prime Day is in full swing, and these are our favorite affordable tech deals
Amazon’s annual shopping event Prime Day is in full swing, and there are tons of ways to save money on some of the best tech out there. In fact, Prime Day doesn’t even have to break the bank with some super affordable deals. To make it easier for you to navigate all the hundreds of sub-$50 offers out there, we’ve created this list to highlight just the crème de la crème of cheap and quick grabs, relating to smart home, entertainment, storage, fitness, and charging.
Get this massive 256GB Samsung EVO Select microSD card for just $24
Capture everything from your dash cam or expand your tablet's storage
There are two things you can never have too much of, especially during the holiday season, and they are batteries and microSD cards. MicroSD cards provide storage for a number of popular devices, including the best budget Android phones, drones, the best Android tablets, and the Nintendo Switch. These storage cards are normally pretty inexpensive, but this Amazon deal makes them downright cheap. For a limited time, you can pick up this 256GB card from Samsung for just $24.
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- Unfortunately, it looks like The Claw has already sold out and there's currently no word from Google on when a resupply can be expected. If you want to make sure you get your hands on The Claw the next time it comes around, the pre-order for the second shipment from Power Support is still available.
If you've been playing playing the growing library of Stadia games on your phone, you're probably getting tired of finding ways to prop the thing up comfortably by now. Last month, Google announced that Power Support was developing a phone mount specifically for the Stadia controller. If you want to get that gadget, The Claw is now available on the Google Store for $15.
In the market for a slim battery pack that doesn't compromise on capacity or features? The Anker PowerCore Slim 10000 PD may be precisely the product you need. Even better still, this portable charger is currently available for only $30 ($12 off) from Amazon. Making this the lowest price we've seen yet for this model — albeit only by $2 less than the last time we spotted it on sale.This power bank features a sleek design, 2 USB ports (one USB A and one USB C), and three charging modes to ensure compatibility with a variety of devices. The PowerCore Slim can be fully charged in as little as three and a half hours using the USB-C port and a PD compatible wall charger.
Google just shook up the smartphone game with the announcement of the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. Suddenly, owning a Pixel with Google's fast updates and excellent cameras is significantly more affordable (and tempting) for AP readers.
Smartwatches don't seem to be gaining the cultural cachet that Google was hoping they would, but cheaper and more basic fitness monitors continue to do well even among the non-techy crowd. Just ask Fitbit, which is apparently flush enough to buy Pebble lock, stock, and barrel. The company's latest minimalist fitness tracker is the Alta HR, announced today and heading to retailers in April for $149.95. The Alta HR is an upgraded version of the current Alta, which adds a full-time heart rate sensor to the basic design.
With gigantic screens and the extra internal space that goes along with them, Samsung's plus-sized flagship phones already offer large batteries: 3000mAh for both the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. But for some that just isn't enough, and that's where third-party battery supplier ZeroLemon shines. Both phones have sealed battery compartments, but the usual work-around is to build a giant battery into an even more giant phone case. So it is with ZeroLemon's latest offerings: enormous 8500mAh battery-cases for both devices.
Yesterday ComputerWorld writer JR Raphael found that the Motorola Keylink, the Bluetooth phone/key finder accessory that was released a couple of months ago, had suddenly vanished from Motorola's online store. This caused a certain amount of confusion and speculation that Motorola had discontinued the gadget, even so quickly after its launch. We reached out to our press contact at Motorola for some clarification.
We've seen the Keylink pop up a few times at retail and in various rumors. Now it's finally official at $24.99. This Bluetooth dongle goes on your keychain and tethers to your phone so the Moto Connect app can keep tabs on your keys and vice versa.
In the Android Police review of the OnePlus One, we called it "the best flagship you can't buy." That will change soon: the independent and often divisive manufacturer has finally seen fit to set aside its invitation system and start selling phones the old-fashioned way. Pre-orders will be available via OnePlus.net starting on Monday, October 27th at 15:00 GMT (8 AM Eastern time).
Automatic Link Review: The One Nag Whose Yammering Might Actually Improve Your Driving
A review for the Automatic Link.
I love to drive. No, seriously. I'm someone who actually enjoyed commuting to work, back before I landed my first gig putting words on the web. I'll gladly run to the grocery store to knock a few items off our shopping list, then sometimes head back on the same day to pick up something we forgot. If a friend lives less than two hours away, then they're local. Let's hang out this weekend.
Peanut butter and jelly – these things go together. Bert and Ernie? Same deal – they just work together. An e-cigarette and Bluetooth? Well, that's a tougher sell. The folks at Supersmoker think they're on to something, though. The new Supersmoker Bluetooth pairs with your phone to act as a speaker and Bluetooth headset, except it's in your mouth. The promo video is pretty weird too.
Geneva Model S Wireless Review: This Bluetooth Speaker Is Chic Décor Eyes Will Dig And Ears Will Love
I don't have high expectations when it comes to audio. I want something that sounds good enough not to make my friends cringe and doesn't take half a day
I don't have high expectations when it comes to audio. I want something that sounds good enough not to make my friends cringe and doesn't take half a day for me to figure out how to set up. If the device producing the sound happens to look nice, that's an added perk. When I pulled the Geneva Model S Wireless out of the box and started streaming music from my phone with zero setup time, I was in love. Its user experience is as simple and clean as its timeless design.
Hope you like the idea of a smartwatch, because startups are not giving up on them. To wit, one of the most popular manifestations of the concept is the Pebble which began as a Kickstarter project that aimed to raise $100k. Instead, the company raised million. Yes, a hundred times a hundred thousand. That investment seems to be paying off a bit, though, as today an Android app landed in the Play Store just prior to the first round of units arriving on customers' arms.
You remember this little guy? Of course you do. He's freaking cute, how could you not remember? Don't act like you don't want one. Everyone does. However, if you've loved the idea but were holding out for one in white, today's your lucky day. Right now, the useful bugdroid buddy has gone on sale in a new 'Chill' flavor. Perfectly white with a nice silver accent along the neckline. Fantastic.
[Lightning Review] Geneva Model XS Portable Bluetooth Speaker: Really Cool, Just Don't Ever Buy It
The portable Bluetooth speaker market is rapidly heating up, and one of our favorite designs in recent memory in the super-portable range was the Geneva
The portable Bluetooth speaker market is rapidly heating up, and one of our favorite designs in recent memory in the super-portable range was the Geneva Model XS. It's sleek, minimalistic, and so retro. Unfortunately, one crippling design flaw (along with some strange control choices) means this $250, almost art-like speaker / clock-radio just doesn't work in the real world.
The Zeemote is a plucky little device that keeps popping up around these parts. Normally $30, the Bluetooth controller pairs with any Android device to give physical controls to games that would otherwise be touchscreen-only. We gave away a thousand of them, and when I reviewed the little guy, I said it would be great, if it were just a bit cheaper. Well, for this weekend, it is. Use coupon code "JS1MDE12" (no quotes), and the company will knock 50% off the controller, bringing it down to a much more palatable $15.The code works for one or more controllers, so if you want to grab a couple, your coupon code should stack. We were told when we did the review that some games require two controllers, though when I never encountered one that did. And I sure played my fair share of Zeemote-supported games.
We're still hoping that more developers pick up Zeemote support. Last we checked, the likes of Rovio and Imangi still haven't made a space for third-party controls, but there are still plenty of games out there to make this purchase worthwhile. Which is something that we wouldn't (and didn't) say at the previous price point. So, if you were on the fence, it's time to jump on over.The promo is live now. Grab the Zeemote here, then enter promo code "JS1MDE12" (again, no quotes) at checkout. So make sure you're not using 1-click purchasing. The promo code will be valid all weekend. Promotion ends Monday the 28th at 11:59PM.Source: Amazon
No one is more tired of hearing the word "magic" applied to gadgets than I am. For the iFrogz Boost, though, I'm willing to make an exception. This device promises to amplify the sound coming out of "nearly any smartphone or digital media device" sans wires, Bluetooth, setup, or syncing. For once, in a parade of lofty promises coming from every corner of the tech sphere, a device not only makes a grandiose guarantee of convenience and ease-of-use, but actually delivers.[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ET5cqK8nm0[/EMBED_YT]
Google has finally released the last of the accessories for its first foray into the mobile handset market, the Nexus One. Shortly after the Nexus One was announced, we were graced with the desktop dock - a simple, yet functional device that takes advantage of the metal contacts on the bottom of the phone to allow charging and audio playback without the need to mess with pesky wires.