Sonos speakers have been getting generally smarter over the years, but since the company’s main focus is music, not helping you add items to your shopping list, they don’t really compete with smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa-powered speakers or Google Home. That is still the case, but Sonos speakers can now integrate a whole lot better thanks to integration with IFTTT (If This Then That), which Sonos recently announced.
This new IFTTT integration is part of the “Works with Sonos” partnership program, which premiered earlier this year, adding integration with Onkyo, Integra, Pioneer, and Pioneer Elite receivers. Last month, Sonos opened the program up to third-party developers, and IFTTT was quick to jump in, taking advantage of the Sonos Sound Platform, the new API Sonos integrated last week. The integration is still in beta, but brings some fun and useful new functionality when it comes to integration your Sonos speakers into your smart home.
The new IFTTT actions include some handy ways to start and stop playback, like starting up your Songs system when you get home or stopping it when you leave home. You can also use IFTTT to pause audio playback when you answer the phone, handy for when you need to take an important call and don’t want to sound like you’re out partying. Similarly, you use IFTTT to automatically lower the volume of your music when someone rings the door if you’re using a Ring or SkyBell doorbell.
Other actions include stopping music playback when your Uber arrives at your house, giving the neighbors a break while also giving you a cue that your ride has arrived. Some could even help you protect yourself and your family, like stopping all music if your Nest Protect smoke alarm detects an emergency.
These are just the predefined actions. You can also create your own IFTTT recipes, though since you’re limited to IFTTT actions, you can’t control your smart home devices with your Sonos system, just the other way around. If you can’t wait to get started, check out the default recipes to get an idea for what can be done, and take a look at our favorite IFTTT recipes for even more ideas.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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