smart home – The News Desk

7 Best Water Leak Detectors (2024): Smart Water, Temperature, and Humidity Sensors

7Apr

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Technology

7 Best Water Leak Detectors (2024): Smart Water, Temperature, and Humidity Sensors

Here's what you need to think about when you shop for smart leak detectors and install them in your home.How do water leak detectors work?Water leak detectors can detect water pooling, and some can also detect water dripping or even humidity rising. Premium water leak detectors monitor the flow of water in your pipes. All connect to a hub or directly to your Wi-Fi network to send alerts when they detect a problem.What kinds of water leak detectors are there?Some water leak detectors have cables with sensors on the end, some have water-sensing cords, and others are self-contained with sensors on the top or bottom or both. You have the option of extension nodes with some detectors. At the premium end of the market, you can get water leak detectors that must be fitted to your pipework to mea...

The Best Pet Cameras (2023): Treat Dispensing, Laser Pointer, and 360 Degrees

18Dec

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Technology

The Best Pet Cameras (2023): Treat Dispensing, Laser Pointer, and 360 Degrees

Our furry friends are important members of the family, and leaving them at home while we go out to do people things can be hard. However, pet cameras—specifically designed to keep watch over dogs and cats—can make the human's absence from the home less stressful for both parties. If you've considered getting a pet camera, there's no better time than now.Read our Best Indoor Security Cameras, Best Outdoor Security Cameras, Best Dog Tech and Accessories, Best Dog Beds, and Best Cat Tech and Supplies guides for more.Updated December 2023: Eufy's Pet Camera Pro is our new top pick. We've added Furbo's cat-specific 360 camera, and options from Petcube and Catit. We've also updated prices and links throughout.Table of ContentsSpecial offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-Year Subscription to WIRED fo...

5 Best Smart Christmas Lights (2023): String Lights, Garlands, Outdoor Lights

17Dec

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Technology

5 Best Smart Christmas Lights (2023): String Lights, Garlands, Outdoor Lights

Sick of climbing that ladder every year to put your lights up? Consider a permanent set of smart lights. This weatherproof model from Govee scores an IP67 rating (IP65 for the control box) and can handle temperatures of –4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. They are designed to be up year-round. I (Simon) tested the 100-foot string (200-foot is also an option), which comes divided into six sections, with an extension cord to branch from the lower level to your roof line. Each bulb is around an inch and a half square and juts out an inch. A flat cable joins them together at 18-inch intervals. Installation was fairly easy for the most part, with the adhesive sticking well to the plastic underhang of my home. I used the supplied screw clips to tidy up some cables and fix them more securely. You can ...

6 Best Indoor Security Cameras (2023): For Homes and Apartments

1Dec

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Technology

6 Best Indoor Security Cameras (2023): For Homes and Apartments

Not quite ready to deck out your house with window, door, and motion sensors and hire an on-call monitoring service? Don’t fret! You can still keep your home secure without messing with your wiring by going with an indoor security camera or two. Knowing you can check in when you are away from home offers peace of mind, but these cameras aren't perfect. There’s an obvious security benefit, but you expose yourself to privacy risks. These are our favorite security cameras after rigorous testing, and we've also got details on what to look for when shopping for one.Be sure to check out our many other guides, including the Best Outdoor Security Cameras, Best Pet Cameras, and Best Password Managers. If you want more smart home products, we have guides on smart plugs and light bulbs, too.Updated ...

What Is Matter? We Explain the New Smart Home Standard (2023)

23Oct

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Technology

What Is Matter? We Explain the New Smart Home Standard (2023)

The ideal smart home seamlessly anticipates your needs and instantly responds to commands. You shouldn’t have to open a specific app for each appliance or remember the precise voice command and voice assistant combination that starts the latest episode of your favorite podcast on the nearest speaker. Competing smart home standards make operating your devices needlessly complicated. It’s just not very … well, smart.Tech giants try to straddle standards by offering their voice assistants as a controlling layer on top, but Alexa can’t talk to Google Assistant or Siri or control Google or Apple devices, and vice versa. (And so far, no single ecosystem has created all the best devices.) But these interoperability woes may soon be remedied. Formerly called Project CHIP (Connected Home over IP),...

15 Best Smart Home Lighting (2023): Decorative Panels, LED Strips, and Ambient Lamps

20Oct

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Technology

15 Best Smart Home Lighting (2023): Decorative Panels, LED Strips, and Ambient Lamps

There are tons of smart ambient lighting panels. Here are a few we also like.Twinkly Dots for $100: You can stick these strings of LED dots around frames and furniture or have them hanging somewhere, and the app offers a wide range of colors and animated effects. You can map your pattern to make the most of the effects, create your own effects, and group Twinkly lights together. On the downside, the strip is split into two sections, with the power controls in the center, and you don’t get enough adhesive dots in the box.Govee G1 Gaming Light Strip for $60: This is very similar to the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC listed above, but not quite as good. It is easy to fit, comes in two sizes (for monitors 24 to 26 inches and 27 to 34 inches), and brightens up your gaming. But it ...

5 Best Nanoleaf Smart Lights (2023): Shapes, 4D Kit, and Installation Tips

15Oct

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Technology

5 Best Nanoleaf Smart Lights (2023): Shapes, 4D Kit, and Installation Tips

Here are some tips and tricks we've learned from testing Nanoleaf products over the years,Prepare before you install. Decide and map out what you want to do in advance. Nanoleaf's lights attach to the wall with adhesive, so it's possible to remove them without taking the paint off, but it's easier to have your design already planned and set. Be sure to use a level to make sure they're straight, since the geometric shapes will make it obvious if they aren't.Plan for power. Don't just plan your design, but make sure your panels will end close enough to an outlet. You can also try to design your lights to hide the power cord behind something, like a nearby bookshelf or plant.Scheduling ability might vary. If you're using the Essentials bulbs, you can only set up schedules with Apple HomeKit ...

9 Best Smart Speakers (2023): Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

31Jul

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Technology

9 Best Smart Speakers (2023): Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

Connects to Google AssistantWith a wireless subwoofer, room-filling virtual surround sound, and Amazon's Alexa onboard, the Yamaha YAS-209 is the best smart soundbar you can buy right now. It's compatible with Spotify Connect and has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections, which makes it a great speaker for all-around listening in your living room.Connects to Alexa★ Alternative: The Sonos Beam soundbar ($499) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is another good option. It isn't our absolute favorite soundbar for the money, but it has Alexa, Google Assistant, and Airplay support (with some Siri) out of the box.Best Google Assistant Smart DisplaySmart displays are great in the kitchen, but they often have speakers too weak to help you dance your way through meal prep. That's why we like the Google Nest H...

12 Best Amazon Echo and Alexa Speakers (2023): Earbuds, Soundbars, Displays

2Jul

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Technology

12 Best Amazon Echo and Alexa Speakers (2023): Earbuds, Soundbars, Displays

Amazon’s family of Alexa-enabled devices is vast. From the spherical Echo to the swiveling Echo Show 10, you can get Alexa into your home in many ways. These devices can answer your questions, help you order essentials, set timers, play all sorts of audio content, and even function as the control hub for your growing smart home. These are our favorite Echo- and Alexa-compatible speakers for every home and budget.The best time to buy any Amazon speaker is during a major sale event like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, as there usually are steep discounts. If you’re trying to decide which smart devices might be best for you, be sure to check out WIRED’s picks in our roundups: Best Smart Speakers, Best Smart Displays, and Best Bluetooth Speakers. We also have guides on setting up your Echo ...