Smart Home

Kodi 18 has been in development for two years, and the first release candidate (RC 1) is finally available. Although it is still technically a beta version, RC 1 will be reflective of the final release. There are several new features, including better Android TV support, a 64-bit version for Windows, and a new gaming section with support for emulators.

Lei Jun, Xiaomi's CEO, announced at a press conference that 43.9% of the company's revenues in the third quarter of 2018 had come from international markets. These overseas earnings had increased by over 100% compared to last year. This may be attributed to Xiaomi's by-now solid standing in Europe as an electronics provider.

Google Pixel users — and the lucky ones who are using other handsets — on Android Pie can finally enjoy the Digital Wellbeing app, which has just rolled out of Beta. As more handsets get updated to Android Pie, the list of Digital Wellbeing-supported devices should also receive new entries.

In certain corners of the Internet, there has been a crowd of enthusiasts calling for the removal of the front-facing camera. While that request isn't exactly viable, Nubia has only just gone and done it, with the new Nubia X ditching the selfie camera entirely.

Huawei has used its home market launch event for the Mate 20 series of smartphones to debut its Huawei AI Speaker. More than a little reminiscent of Apple's HomePod, the new speaker has been co-developed with famed Dutch audio specialists Dynaudio.

Samsung and India's Department of Telecommunications teamed up to conduct the first large-scale 5G trial in the country, which is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2019 if everything works as planned. Samsung made the announcement at the India Mobile Congress 2018 earlier this week.

A list of proposed rules put out by the U.S. Copyright Office would make jailbreaking devices like smartphones and smart speakers completely legal, if adopted. Jailbreaking, or circumventing DRM, is currently in a legally grey area. If these rules are implemented, then people could create their own tools to jailbreak a device for repair purposes. However, jailbreaking tools could not be distributed under these rules.

Only available for Pixel devices until now, the Digital Wellbeing app is finally ready for Android One handsets. The problem is that it only works on Android 9.0 Pie, so only Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6.1 Plus users can enjoy this piece of code until additional Android One devices receive the update.

It has been reported that Essential’s next smartphone-related product may be saturated with enough AI technology to enable users to have a full-fledged virtual assistant in their pockets. Apparently, there is a prototype in the works, and it could even see the light of day at the 2019 CES event in January. It's unlikely it will be a successor to the Essential Phone PH-1 though.

The Home Hub is the newest form of domestic voice assistant from Google. It has been revealed as part of the Made by Google event, along with the new Pixel phones and Pixel Slate. The Hub is supposedly designed to subtly blend in with a home, while forming a central control point for its connected devices.

Facebook has introduced a smart home product it has dubbed Portal. Available in two sizes, the device offers similar functionality to the Amazon Echo Show, but focuses on providing seamless video chatting through its Messenger app.

The Amazon Alexa app has received a much-needed redesign and now features a clearer user interface and a new Devices tab. Users will be able to go directly to a list of devices in their home that utilize the popular virtual assistant without having to switch between tabs. The app update is already available for iOS and Android.

Almost a year since the initial announcement of the name change, Hitachi changes its name to HiKOKI. However, this change only affects the tools division of the huge conglomerate that also makes power plants, computers, trains, and more. The electronics brand Hitachi will remain around as well.

Just as promised, Verizon's first commercial 5G network is now live in the following four US cities: Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Houston, and Sacramento. On this occasion, a Houston resident named Clayton Harris who subscribed to the Verizon 5G Home service has become "the first 5G customer on the globe."

Instead of battling it out at the very high-end smartphone market dominated by Samsung and Apple processors, MediaTek is taking a tangent into the world of voice activation. The move has paid off as the majority of voice activated products are powered by MediaTek SoCs with even more to come in the near future on everything from microwaves to cars.

Although an accurate date is not available yet, a spokesperson for Jaguar and Land Rover has recently confirmed that all their vehicles — starting with the 2019 model year — that come with the InControl Touch Pro or Touch Pro Duo infotainment systems will get an optional connectivity package including CarPlay and Android Auto.

The recently unveiled Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 2S is an air filter for home and office use, sporting an OLED display and real-time air quality monitoring capabilities. Also featuring both Google Assistant and Alexa integration, this smart home appliance will go on sale in India later this week for roughly US$125.

Smart home technology has definitely caught on by now, with many people automating or controlling their living spaces with new products designed to be integrated into them. A new market research report suggests that the market built up around this trend is worth billions now and will be worth even more in the future.

Cortana's future is uncertain nowadays because Amazon and Microsoft are now working together on bringing Skype calling to the ever-increasing crowd of devices that feature Amazon Alexa support. According to Microsoft officials, Skype calling support will be available on Alexa-driven devices before the end of the year.

Amazon has released a stunning array of new Alexa-powered devices that spans traditional products like its Echo range, through to a new car product and even an Alexa-enabled microwave oven. The new devices highlight the increasing popularity of its digital personal assistant and the company’s plans to make the platform ubiquitous.

Apple's Homepod has so far been a flop, only managing to capture 6% of the smart speaker market as of June 2018. The picture is even more bleak among Apple's own consumers; of Apple users that own a smart speaker, only 2% have purchased a Homepod.

Amazon Alexa fans should get ready to celebrate before the end of the month because the tech giant will soon unveil a few new devices. By the end of the year, the list of new Alexa-driven devices by Amazon should include an in-car solution, a microwave, an amplifier, a subwoofer, and a receiver.

As the first step in its new quest of "building a connected human experience," OnePlus is planning to launch its first TV set next year. The OnePlus TV will come with a premium design, focusing on providing the best audio/video experience in its segment. The only detail public at this stage is that fact that the TV will feature an AI assistant.

Although coverage will need time to improve, Verizon will launch its 5G Home internet service on October 1 in Houston, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Indianapolis. Current customers will get it for US$50 a month and non-customers will have to pay US$70. The service comes with a few freebies, including a Chromecast Ultra or Apple TV 4K.

The new Samsung SmartThings Tracker GPS tracking device connects through an LTE-M network to allows its users to track the objects, animals, or even kids that it gets attached to. The first carrier to bring it to the US is AT&T, who will add it to its portfolio on September 14. Verizon will join AT&T at a later time.

San Jose-based NetSpeed Systems, a company which provides SoC design tools and interconnect fabric IP, has just joined Intel. NetSpeed's team is now part of Intel’s Silicon Engineering Group, but those who would like to know all the details will be disappointed to find out that the terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

devolo's new home networking solution, Magic, is a form of mesh WiFi that also uses Powerline technology. It does so using next-generation G.hn chips and new, AC-adapter mesh points. devolo claims that this combination can drastically increase domestic WiFi speeds.

Harman Kardon have a track record of smart speaker (powered by Alexa or Cortana) sales by now. The company's newest one is to be debuted at IFA 2018. This device, the Citation 500, has some things in common with the Google Home speakers, including the ability to run Google Assistant.

The new Exynos i S111 is Samsung's latest narrowband solution for IoT applications that includes a modem, processor, memory, and Global Navigation Satellite System on the same chip. The Exynos i S111 comes as the successor of Samsung's first IoT solution, namely the Exynos i T200, which arrived last year.

Apple has filed a patent that may contribute to the voice assistant Siri's functionality in the future. It may impart the ability to recognize different voices and attribute them to corresponding users on new versions of the software. This could give the assistant software a much-needed boost in its relevant marketplaces.

The event that provided the Galaxy Note 9 with its debut also introduced the Galaxy Watch, Samsung's new smartwatch. This device, like the latest Note, uses Bixby as a virtual assistant. The new Galaxy Home smart speaker also runs Bixby.

The upcoming OS 12 update for the Apple HomePod is slated to bring a slew of new features to the smart speaker including the ability to make and receive calls when paired with an iPhone and set multiple timers. With the upcoming MacOS Mojave update, the HomePod can also be controlled directly from the Mac.

The XPC SH370R6 supports Coffee Lake CPUs up to i7-8700K with max 95 W TDP, plus there's enough room for up to 64 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM, 4 SATA bays and even a PCIe 3.0 16x slot for discrete GPUs. While it is not the most compact barebone out there, the new XPC SH370R6 can easily replace the usual desktop PCs or even more cumbersome workstations.

Google is currently offering its Pixel 2 XL models at US$100 off their regular price. The sale also includes other products in its hardware lineup and runs until July 17 while stocks last.

After a brief pre-ordering period, Amazon's Fire TV Cube can be acquired for a price of US$119.99 (the player alone) or US199.98 (Fire TV and Cloud Cam package). Later this year, this device should get support for sleep timers, Alexa Calling/Messaging, multi-room music, Bluetooth connections to mobile phones, and more.

Join us as we share our thoughts during Apple's WWDC 2018 developer conference.

It has been reported that an Amazon Echo device recorded and then sent out a husband and wife’s private conversation without their permission. The Alexa-enabled smart speaker sent the audio file to a random contact who just happened to be an employee of the husband, who then warned them about the surreptitious recording.

The Relay secure smartphone for kids by Republic Wireless is so secure that it does not feature a display. This accessory can be considered a basic phone with tracking capabilities for kids, as it features nationwide 4G LTE connectivity, as well as WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated GPS, NFC contact sharing, and even a smart assistant.

Promising to bring a "new attitude" to Europe, Xiaomi is ready to enter the French market. The Chinese brand will open its first Mi Store in Paris on May 22, but more are expected to follow in other French cities over the coming months. Two days later, Xiaomi will also enter the Italian market.

The ZBOX CI329 Nano from ZOTAC is powered by Intel's Celeron N4110 CPU that integrates a UHD Graphics 600 GPU, which allows it to handle 4K resolutions and H.264/265 decoding. Thanks to the low 6.5 W TDP CPU, the mini PC does not need active cooling and comes with the signature honeycomb passive cooling design.

A new quarterly research report has been released that shows Amazon and Google currently leading the pack in terms of global smart speaker shipments and market share. However, although Amazon has shipped twice as many units in Q1 2018 than in Q1 2017, the Seattle-based retailer has seen a notable dip in overall market share.

Already available in smartphones, TVs, air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, the Samsung Bixby virtual assistant will also be added to the company's robot cleaners and ovens by the end of this year. Samsung remains committed to the promise of bringing AI to all its home appliances by 2020.

HTC's latest revenue figures show the company falling deeper into a pit of bad sales numbers. Revenue for April spelled a 55% year-on-year decline, which is impressive considering how bad 2017 already was for the company—sales-wise.

A press release from a strategy consulting firm has stated that voice-based shopping will enjoy incredible growth over the next four years, hitting a total of more than US$40 billion in sales across the US and UK by 2022. The market forecast, issued by OC&C, highlights how the increasing adoption of smart speakers in millions of homes will help drive growth.

Thanks to the recent introduction of six new voice choices, Google Assistant now features a total of eight such options — four female and four male voices. Even more, Sundar Pichai has confirmed at Google I/O that John Legend's voice will also reach the company's virtual assistant by the end of the year.

A Swiss technology company has started rolling out smart banknotes called Tangem Notes that offer a physical presence for cryptocurrencies. The "banknotes," which are actually plastic cards, have been launched for sale in a large store in Singapore and there are plans for a wider rollout throughout 2018 and 2019. Currently available Tangem banknotes are valued at 0.01 BTC and 0.05 BTC.

The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal forced Facebook to delay the launch of its first smart speakers, which are now scheduled to arrive in October, loaded with the Facebook M artificial intelligence software solution. These smart home accessories were initially scheduled to arrive in July.

Amazon, Intel, and Microsoft have all published quarterly financial reports showing better than expected results. Microsoft revealed revenue of US$26.8 billion while fellow tech giant Intel managed revenue of US$16.1 billion for the quarter. However, Amazon trumped both of the other companies thanks to recorded sales of US$51.0 billion.

The question “What is Fire TV Cube?” has been posted on a splash page on the Amazon website. Amazon Fire TV is a digital media player and microconsole created by the Seattle-based online shopping giant. Rumors of a cube-shaped device appeared before Amazon released the third-generation “pendant-style” Fire TV, and now it seems the Fire TV Cube is soon going to be a reality.