Smart Home

Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has announced the Lyra Voice device, or 3-in-1 Smart Voice Router. The gadget combines an AC2200 tri-band mesh Wi-Fi router with two 8 W stereo speakers and includes Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant. The device even features network security provided by Trend Micro, and it has an MSRP of US$219.99.

The 0.48 percent stake acquisition comes less than a month after Xiaomi and the world's third-largest LCD TV manufacturer, TCL, entered a strategic partnership that involves joint efforts in many fields. The agreement focuses on the development of various hardware parts and the integration of TCL devices into Xiaomi's ecosystem of IoT and smart home devices.

Samsung has announced a new partnership between it and Apple. The frenemies have collaborated to bring a new iTunes app to Samsung’s new 2019 TV range in over 100 markets globally.

In an interview with The Verge, Amazon’s SVP of devices and services, David Limp, has revealed how many devices have been sold that have Alexa built into them. Apparently, over 100 million speakers, smartphones, gadgets and other pieces of hardware have been sold around the world featuring Amazon’s virtual assistant.

Right now, the only way to benefit from OLED displays as a gamer is to buy a TV that has at least a 55-inch diagonal. This could prove to be quite the investment, and gamers have been looking forward to OLED monitors in the 20/30-inch range for several years now. 2019 might just be the year for such monitors, as Sony and Panasonic recently showcased 21.6-inch FHD and 4K OLEDs plus a 27-inch display for smart home applications.

Samsung has already announced the Galaxy Home smart speaker, and it appears the South Korean tech giant could already be working on another device in the new series. The Galaxy Home is expected to be a premium-level device, but in a market saturated with budget-accessible speakers, it seems Samsung has taken note and is preparing a “mini” version of its upcoming smart speaker.

Amazon has revealed in a press release that the company has had a record-breaking holiday season, with products such as the updated Echo Dot and the Fire TV Stick 4K helping drive sales. The press release also described how Alexa has been utilized hundreds of millions of times during the festive period. The major American tech giants have finally had a reprieve at the stock market, making gains as consumer spending turns positive.

Some AT&T customers may start seeing a “5G E” label appearing on their Android smartphones soon. It might initially seem to some that the telecommunications company is already offering 5G network connection to its subscribers, but the truth is the label stands for “5G Evolution”, which is still classed as 4G technology.

Xiaomi is now said to be developing a new smart speaker soon. The main difference between this one and the OEM's existing line-up of such products is that this one will have both AI and a touchscreen. This rumor is derived from a new registration with Bluetooth SIG for a Xiaomi product with all the specifications necessary for the two attributes.

The first noticeable result of the new strategic partnership that involves Xiaomi and IKEA will come forward next month when IKEA's line of smart lighting products will be connected to the IoT platform of the Chinese company. Obviously, more IKEA smart home products should get the Xiaomi treatment in 2019.

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.