Google Assistant is coming to a number of screens, but not in the way that many of us may have thought. While we long anticipated Google to answer the challenge presented by Amazon’s Echo Show and its touchscreen smart speaker and home hub, we didn’t think the company would rely on hardware from third parties. But that’s precisely what Google did at CES with devices like the new JBL Link View, an 8-inch touchscreen that has Google Assistant built-in to answer all your pressing questions and control all your household appliances. As of this week, the JBL Link View has been made available for pre-order — now, you’ll have the opportunity to shell out $250 in order to receive a new Google Assistant-powered smart screen on Monday, September 3.
The JBL Link View also features a 5-megapixel camera and two front-firing 10W stereo speakers, as well as a rear-facing passive radiator that promises “rich, deep bass.” The oval face certainly looks different from the Echo Show’s more angular aesthetic, and JBL says that it’s used premium materials throughout the smart display to make cleaning easier. The smart display also includes Google Cast support for multiroom audio, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and IPX4 splash-proof protection so you can take the display to the pool.
Like all other Assistant-enabled smart speakers, the JBL Link can receive and respond to Assistant commands in order to control connected devices, add events to calendars, search the web, stream music, or anything else that Google’s smart helper can now do. And of course, with the added benefit of a screen, you’ll also be able to use the Link to make video calls, watch videos, or visualize information like a map.
All in all, the JBL smart display seems quite similar to the Lenovo Smart Display, which also debuted at CES 2018. Both are intended to be competitors to the Amazon Echo Show, which currently retails for $230 on Amazon, while the Google Home goes for $129 at Walmart. The JBL Link View, however, will likely try to differentiate itself based on its sound quality, which could be a major sell for customers looking not only for a smart home hub, but a good speaker too. We’ll just have to see how interested the general populace is in this newest smart speaker over the course of the next couple days.
Updated on August 2: The JBL Link View has been made available for pre-order this week.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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