Apple tries again with HomeKit with smart home division reorganization

Apple's poor performance in the smart home space has led the company to reorganize its smart home division, according to a report. The revitalized division is led by former Mozilla exec Andreas Gal, with new smart home devices possibly in the works.

Smart Home News         October 28, 2019

Bowflex’s fall sale saves you up to $450 on all kinds of home gym equipment

Summer might be over but it's never too early to prepare for next year's beach season. Bowflex just cut prices on several home gym setups, while offering discounts of up to $450 and free shipping on nearly a dozen products by using a special promo code. Don't wait: the sale ends October 14.

Health & Fitness         October 10, 2019

Poll: Majority of Americans support vape ban, doubt it helps people quit smoking

A majority of Americans support a federal flavored vape ban, and doubt e-cigarettes truly help people quit smoking cigarettes, according to new polling data from YouGov. Additionally, Americans consider vaping to be challenging to quit -- contradicting years of industry marketing.

Trash         October 8, 2019

Ban Juul, not vaping

Ask most vaping advocates, and they'll be honest with you: Teen e-cigarette use is an issue. But banning flavors isn't going to stop kids from vaping: You need to address the source, Ed Oswald argues. It is the pod systems that are the real problem, not vaping itself.

Opinion         October 7, 2019

Apple drops $220 discounts on a refurbished iPhone X with 1-year warranty

Apple's latest phones are awesome, don't get us wrong. But they're also expensive too, with the high-end phones starting at nearly $1,000. Why not consider a refurbished iPhone X instead? At only $679, you'll get a solid device that at one point was the best that Apple had to offer at a great price.

Trash         October 4, 2019

Samsung’s innovative Frame TVs remain at their lowest prices yet on Amazon

Samsung's innovative Frame TV adds a touch of class to your living room, turning your TV into a work of art, quite literally. Right now, you can save up to 31% off the retail price of these QLED 4K TVs thanks to a sale on Amazon, putting them at the lowest prices we've seen yet.

Deals         October 4, 2019

The best vape pens for weed

Vaping concentrates has become significantly more popular, especially among those that use cannabis for medicinal purposes. But don’t use just any vape pen: We found these five devices to be our favorites in 2019.

Products         October 4, 2019

Fix available for Lenovo Smart Displays stuck in boot loop after failed update

Since mid-August, Lenovo Smart Display owners have reported issues with an update that causes their devices to be stuck in a seemingly endless boot loop. A new update released October 2 fixes that issue and should be rolling out to connected Smart Displays this week.

News         October 2, 2019

CDC says THC cartridges are likely behind vaping deaths and illnesses

Counterfeit THC cartridges have long been suspected as the main culprit behind a rash of vaping-related lung illnesses and at least 12 deaths, but it wasn't until Friday that the CDC put the blame on THC products for the outbreak. At least 805 people have suffered lung damage due to e-cigarettes.

Emerging Tech         September 27, 2019

Ring considered allowing 911 calls to trigger recording on its smart doorbells

Ring worked on a project that would allow law enforcement to view video on its doorbells near the location of a 911 call, documents obtained by CNET show. While the company is no longer working on this project, as recently as August 2018 it was promoting the possible functionality to police departments.

Smart Home News         September 26, 2019

Get Alexa in your car for just $20 with this dual-port Anker USB car charger

Amazon has teased its Echo Auto device for a year now, but it remains invite-only. But there are other issues with the Echo Auto, most namely it only adds Alexa to your car and nothing else. That's why we like Anker's Roav Viva, a dual USB port, Alexa-enabled car charger much better.

Car Deals         September 24, 2019

Bose and Beats Solo3 wireless headphones get steep discounts at Amazon

Amazon discounts on the Beats Solo 3 wireless and Bose SoundLink headphones makes it easier to snag a pair of the best brand handphones in the market.  The ever-popular Beats Solo3 gets a steep half-off price cut on Amazon. There's no telling how long this deal will so take advantage while supplies last.

Deals         September 23, 2019

Save $105 on this awesome GoPro Hero 7 Black bundle on Amazon

An already outstanding bundle deal through Amazon which includes the GoPro Hero 7 Black, an additional rechargeable battery and 32GB microSD card gets even better. Save $105 over buying these separately, and spend those savings on some additional GoPro accessories for your next trip.

Deals         September 19, 2019

Every other U.S. state should follow California’s lead on gig economy laws

With California's gig economy legislation now the law in that state, it's time the rest of the country follows and protects gig economy workers. No regulation sets a bad precedent that other industries might follow, Digital Trends' Ed Oswald argues.

Car News         September 17, 2019

‘We’re screwed:’ Vaping industry panics after Trump ban on flavored e-cigarettes

The vape industry will spend the near future figuring out a path forward following Trump's surprise announcement Wednesday. Popular vape YouTuber and vape shop owner Jai Haze is one of those that isn't sure what that path might be just yet. He's even more worried about people returning to smoking.

Health & Fitness         September 12, 2019

Upcoming Philips Hue lights to add Bluetooth connectivity, filament bulb options

Philips Hue, now under the Signify banner, released a host of new and updated lights and smart home devices Thursday, adding Bluetooth connectivity for the first time. Also coming later this year are brand new filament bulbs and a new smart plug and smart button, the company says.

Smart Home News         September 5, 2019

The best smartwatch deals this week include Garmin, Fossil, and Kate Spade

Labor Day brought a wide array of sales on smartwatches, and those sales continue this week on a wide variety of smartwatches from Fossil, Garmin, and even Kate Spade. With current Amazon sales, you can save up to 41% off retail for a limited time.

Deals         September 4, 2019

Amazon cuts the Alexa-enabled Philips Hue Starter Pack to its lowest price ever

We love Philips Hue. While they're not cheap, some of us have first-generation bulbs — now some seven years old — and they are still working just as good as they did on day one. Now in their fourth generation, they're better than ever, and now cheaper than ever on Amazon.

Smart Home Deals         September 3, 2019

Ring says it isn’t using facial recognition, but it’s definitely working on it

Ring claims it isn’t interested in facial recognition technology (it is). But the smart home manufacturer seems to again be saying one thing and doing another. The latest example? A response by its PR team to criticism by the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.

Smart Home News         August 30, 2019

Bose QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones are on sale at Dell for Labor Day

Everyone's Labor Day sales are starting to ramp up, so we're expecting to see quite a few good deals pop up over the next week. One deal that caught our eye was a rare sale on Bose's well-reviewed QuietComfort 35 II wireless headphones, which is $50 cheaper right now at the Dell store.

Deals         August 28, 2019

Ignore the scaremongers. 5G won’t interfere with weather satellites. Here’s why

There are fears that 5G's use of mmWave -- the spectrum required for higher bandwidth -- will interfere with weather satellites, setting back weather forecasting by decades. But given no one has yet figured out how to make it work at scale, do we really have anything to fear?

Android         August 27, 2019

Dell’s Labor Day sale on this 50-inch Vizio 4K LED TV includes a $100 gift card

Taken at face value, Dell's deal on the Vizio V-Series 50-inch 4K television isn't all that great. At $299, it's the same price as every other online retailer — which is still a great deal on a larger screen television. But with a free $100 Dell gift card with your purchase, it's by far the best.

Audio / Video         August 27, 2019

The BBC is working on an Alexa rival that better understands British accents

The Queen's English is the British accent we know. But that's not how all British people speak. Some speak a far more accented English, so much so that virtual assistants may not be able to understand them. The BBC has a solution in the form of a new virtual assistant, and it's called Beeb.

Smart Home News         August 27, 2019

Robo C2 review

The Robo C2 is one of the most user-friendly 3D printers we’ve ever encountered, but its missing a crucial feature that it desperately needs.

Computing         August 23, 2019

Dr. Dabber Switch vaporizer review

Despite its high price tag, the Switch is a beast of a device in both size and performance. In our Switch vaporizer review, we put Dr. Dabber’s latest vaporizer, which is both concentrate and loose leaf compatible to the test. We weren’t disappointed.

Emerging Tech         August 23, 2019

AirSelfie 2 review

The creators of the Airselfie 2 tout it as a flying photographer that fits in your pocket and snaps selfies from the sky. Unfortunately it’s more like a HandiCam controlled by a swarm of intoxicated bumblebees

Photography         August 23, 2019

Yuneec Mantis Q review

Yuneec’s high-end drones are arguably the ones to beat in terms of flight control, design, and their photographic capabilities. But the company has struggled to make a low-end drone that makes sense, and the Mantis Q is no exception. It’s missing functionality that should be included in a drone at its price point.

Photography         August 23, 2019

Amazon’s outstanding deal on the 65-inch Samsung Q80 QLED TV saves you $800

If you're looking for a new primary television, we'd strongly recommend the Samsung QLED TVs. The Q80 is one of the higher-end models with an impressive feature set and outstanding picture quality, and the 65-inch model has just received a price cut below $2,000 on Amazon.

Deals         August 23, 2019

The Amazon Cloud Cam is on sale, but these alternatives are a third of the price

The Amazon Cloud Cam is back on sale at its Prime Day pricing and is one of the best security cameras out there in terms of picture quality and functionality. But we've found two alternatives that are much cheaper, and in some cases have even more functionality than the Cloud Cam.

Smart Home Deals         August 23, 2019

The best vaporizers for 2019

There's no need for you to combust your herbs anymore, and inhale those toxic carcinogens. After much testing, we're able to offer the best vaporizers that money can buy so you can vape confidently.

Products         August 22, 2019

YouTube to stop serving targeted ads to kids, but groups say it’s not enough

YouTube has agreed to stop serving target advertisements to children, Bloomberg reports. The company was the subject of an FTC investigation over the practice but has apparently settled. YouTube's critics say it's not enough, and vow to challenge the decision.

News         August 21, 2019

New Lenovo smart camera shows up in FCC filings, but its first remains to be seen

Lenovo may be preparing to release a smart camera to add to its growing smart home line of products, FCC filings indicate. The Chinese electronics maker applied for FCC certification for what looks to be a small circular Wi-Fi-connected camera about 2.5 inches in size with an included tilting mount.

Smart Home News         August 21, 2019

NASA confirms it’s heading to Europa in the 2020s to unlock its icy secrets

NASA is heading to Europa, Jupiter's icy (and potentially life-supporting) moon, in the next decade. The mission could be ready for launch as soon as 2023, the agency said in a statement, although it is currently committed to being launch-ready by 2025. The discoveries could be game-changing.

News         August 20, 2019

The GoPro Hero 7 Silver is at its cheapest price ever on Amazon

If the price tag of the GoPro Hero 7 Black gives you a bit of heartburn, but you still want a quality GoPro action camera, the Hero 7 Silver is a great alternative. You get many of the Black's features for a fraction of the price, and it's 24% off at Amazon right now.

News         August 19, 2019