Alexa

The new Smart Doorbell Camera that Ecobee rolled out Tuesday offers an “industry leading” vertical field of view and a “first of its kind” live video stream beamed to a thermostat screen, the company said.

For any smart home powered by HomeKit or Amazon Alexa, the camera offer clear vision day or night, radar-sensing tech for accurate detection and a battery-free enclosure that allows reliable usage in extreme temperatures, Ecobee said.

Meross rolled out a new smart LED floor lamp the other day with HomeKit support for $79.99, and it’s already available at a considerable discount.

Amazon just rolled out a new update for its Alexa app that adds a much-anticipated Home screen widget for iPhone and iPad. You can use it to ask Alexa anything you like faster than ever before. Here’s how to set it up.

Amazon plans to combine every Echo speaker and Ring security camera in the United States into a shared “mesh network” to ensure devices stay online even when disconnected from their owners’ home Wi-Fi connection.

The system, called Amazon Sidewalk, faced scrutiny over the lack of transparency with regard to its rollout. Many people also express concerns about the potential privacy issues it could raise.

Not interested in taking part? Here’s how to opt out of Amazon Sidewalk before it goes live on June 8.

Pick up an Amazon Smart Plug with Alexa support and enjoy 40% off the usual price for a limited time only. The device adds voice and smartphone control to any electrical outlet, and allows you to schedule lights, fans, and other appliances to turn on an off automatically.

Get yours today for just $14.99 — down from $24.99.

Why spend $99 on a HomePod mini when you can get Amazon’s newest Echo Dot for a mere $34.99? It looks and sounds better than the previous model, and it’s smarter than ever.

Bag yours before this 30% discount disappears!

Amazon today instructed Echo Buds owners to urgently update their headphones to avoid a “potential safety risk.” The company says that in rare cases, Echo Buds can overheat while charging.

A new firmware update addresses this problem, and helps ensure that headphone batteries last as long as possible, by making charging more efficient. Here’s how you can install it.

One of the most iconic brands in rock ‘n’ roll amplification is ready to give Apple’s HomePod some fresh competition.

Zound Industries unveiled its newest portable speaker today, the Marshall Uxbridge Voice. It comes with Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, plus you can control it with your voice using Alexa. Best of all, though, this thing is really freaking loud.

Apple’s CarPlay infotainment system is finally coming to all of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in North America thanks to a little help from Android.

Fiat Chrysler revealed its new Uconnect 5 platform for cars today that is five times faster than the previous version. FCA says Uconnect 5 was built with future growth in mind and comes with support for CarPlay along with Android Auto and Alexa. It’s basically the Swiss-army knife of in-dash infotainment systems.

Apple is teaming up with Amazon, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to create a new open and royalty-free standard for smart home devices.

Project “Connected Home over IP” aims to increase compatibility among smart home gadgets and make development easier for device manufacturers. It should also simplify smart technology for consumers.

Those who consider Amazon Alexa one of their closest friends can now take her almost anywhere with the new portable Echo speaker.

The confusingly named Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker Edition has a built-in battery that lasts up to 11 hours in between charges. But you can’t buy one (yet) if you don’t live in India.

Amazon is ready to push Alexa into every single corner of your life with a new wave of Echo products unveiled this morning.

Armed with 15 new products, Amazon is ready to challenge Apple like never before. The company even introduced some bold new products, like new smart glasses and a smart ring — wearables that give you 24/7 access to Alexa wherever you go. While Apple’s iPhone 11 keynote featured zero mentions of Siri, Amazon’s yearly product keynote put Alexa’s might on full display.

Apple Music subscribers in Germany can now stream their favorite tracks on Amazon Echo speakers. You’ll need to add the Apple Music skill via the Alexa app to get started.

Siri doesn’t have all the answers, but Apple’s digital assistant continues to get smarter.

Loup Ventures fires 800 questions at the leading digital assistants for its twice-a-year IQ Test to measure the practical use of voice as a means of computing input on smartphones. They are all improving, but not at the same rate.

Amazon’s Echo is annihilating Apple’s HomePod when it comes to smart speaker sales. But Jeff Bezos’ retail giant clearly knows a great idea when it sees one.

According to a new report, Amazon is developing a new Echo device that will measure up more favorably to Apple’s audiophile HomePod.

Amazon just introduced a brand new Echo Show 5 that will cost you less than $90.

The more compact model can do everything its big brother does, and it’s ideal for desks and bedside tables. You can preorder yours today ahead of its launch in June.

Your Amazon Echo speaker can now keep an eye on your home while you’re away.

A new feature called Alexa Guard lets your speaker listen for signs of danger while you’re out. If your speaker has a built-in camera, it will also provide a direct video feed into your home.

Amazon employs a team made up of thousands of people to listen to recordings made by Echo devices, a new report claims.

These recordings are transcribed, annotated, and ultimately used to “help improve” the quality of Amazon’s smart speakers.

Apple’s AirPods are about to get some fresh competition from Amazon.

The online retail giant is reportedly planning to release its own set of wireless earbuds that will be powered by its digital assistant Alexa and possibly better audio quality.

Apple’s latest acquisition could give Siri a better chance at competing against Amazon’s popular voice-power assistant, Alexa.

Pullstring, a San Francisco-based startup that specializes in helping developers design, prototype and deploy voice apps has reportedly been purchased by Apple. The company’s platform helps create voice apps for Alexa and Google Assistant, and will likely help Apple make more tools for Siri.

Right when Apple has decided to get out of the router business, one of its biggest competitors is ready to jump in.

Amazon revealed today that it reached an agreement to acquire mesh Wi-Fi router maker Eero, giving the online retailer another powerful tool in its effort to dominate the smart home market.

Apple may have been late to the smart speaker game but its HomePod is showing signs it could one day outperform them all.

But only if Apple gives Siri the power.

In Loup Ventures annual smart speaker comparisons, Google Assistant understood all 800 questions and answered nearly 88 percent of them correctly. In its first Loup Ventures test, the HomePod with Siri at the helm misunderstood just three questions and managed to answer correctly nearly 75 percent of its queries.

Apple Music will make its way to third-party Alexa speakers eventually, Amazon has confirmed.

The streaming service finally joined Alexa earlier this week — you may have gotten an announcement notification on your iPhone — but it’s currently available only on Amazon’s own Echo devices.

Amazon’s Alexa speakers can finally connect to your Apple Music account.

Support for Apple Music on the Amazon Echo was rolled out today, giving iPhone and iPad owners the option to pump out their favorite jams without signing up for an Apple Music competitor like Spotify Premium.

Getting the new Apple Music integration up and running is ridiculously easy, but we’ll walk you through the entire process.

Apple has a real winner in AirPods. But the company’s slow pace of updating them is reportedly giving competitors a chance to catch up.

A respected analyst says Google and Amazon will have their own versions out next year.