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The best Alexa-compatible smart-home devices for Amazon Echo
By Rachel Cericola This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. Imagine walking into your home at night, arms overflowing with groceries. To turn your smart lights on, you'd need to put the bags down, pull out your phone, unlock it, open the app, find the control for the lights you want, and then tap the icon. With an Amazon Echo and Alexa, you simply say, "Alexa, turn on the kitchen lights." And it's not just lights; Alexa is capable of controlling everything from basic smart plugs to garage doors.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals you can still grab
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
The best Cyber Monday deals
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
The best computer and mobile accessories to give as gifts
Perhaps the person on your list is already quite happy with their laptop or mobile device (slash, you're not up to buying them a new one). There are plenty of accessories that make for affordable, and dare we say, practical gifts. Included in our holiday gift guide are two styles of keyboards, a high-end mouse, a battery pack, selfie and battery cases, a 400GB (!) microSDXC card, Bluetooth trackers and a wireless charging pad -- useful for, say, a new iPhone owner.
The best plug-in smart outlet
By Rachel Cericola This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After spending over 22 hours plugging in and unplugging lights and other small appliances and turning them on and off using various apps (and by barking orders at Siri and Alexa when we could), we found that the Belkin WeMo Mini is the best smart-switch outlet adapter for people who want to add smart control to their existing outlets. It packs most of the same features as our previous pick, the WeMo Insight, into a smaller size, and it's less expensive. It also plays nicely with both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets and integrates easily with popular smart-home protocols and devices. All you need to do is plug the Belkin WeMo Mini into an existing outlet and install the app to get started with home automation.
Belkin's iPhone dongle helps you listen while you charge
Last year's Belkin Rockstar dongle was a lifesaver for iPhone 7 owners who wanted to charge their device while doing just about anything else, but it had a problem: with two Lightning ports, you still had to add a second adapter to plug in your favorite pair of 3.5mm headphones. Thankfully, those days are over. Belkin has introduced a new version of the Rockstar with a 3.5mm jack in place of one of the Lightning connectors. This still won't change the clunkiness of your setup, but at least you won't have to explain why you carry two dongles with your iPhone 8.
Belkin and Mophie offer wireless charging pads for the new iPhones
Now that Apple is suddenly a fan of wireless phone charging, iPhone-oriented charging pads are coming out of the woodwork: Belkin and Mophie have announced their own peripherals, the Boost Up and Wireless Charging Base. Both use Qi to top up your iPhone 8 or iPhone X minus wires, supplying up to 7.5W whether or not you have a case on your handset. The differences really come down to personal preference. The Belkin device (on the left) is larger and has an LED indicator to let you know when charging starts, while the Mophie model is more compact.
The CIA has been rooting around in your WiFi router
A recent Wikileaks document dump revealed that the CIA has been hacking wireless routers. The documents suggest it has been going on for years and as many as 25 devices from 10 different manufacturers were targeted.
Use Google Home to control WeMo and Honeywell connected devices
Since Home arrived a few months ago, Google has been regularly adding new features to the compact speaker and its virtual assistant. Today, the company announced that the connected device can now be used to control smart home gadgets from Belkin's WeMo line and Honeywell. This adds more options for controlling lights, switches, thermostats and more with a simple "Ok Google" voice command.
WeMo's smart home upgrades include a dimmer switch
Belkin is continuing its quest to cover virtually every aspect of your smart home. Its WeMo brand is kicking off CES with two devices that promise to be handy even for those devices that don't have any intelligence of their own. The centerpiece is the WeMo Dimmer, a light switch that promises more than just extra control over your brightness levels. You can calibrate it to work with any light bulb type, for instance -- you'll get the best possible range of light levels without worrying about flickering or noise. There's also nighttime mode scheduling to avoid blinding yourself, long-presses to control other WeMo devices and an away mode to pretend you aren't on vacation.
A $40 dongle lets you use wired headphones and charge your iPhone 7
After Apple got rid of the headphone jack on its new iPhones yesterday you were probably thinking: How am I supposed to charge my phone and use wired headphones? Fear not dear reader, accessory maker Belkin has a solution. With its $40/£35 Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter (actual product name), the company provides a way for you to replenish that iPhone 7 or 7 Plus battery while still keeping the music going.
The best tech for students studying abroad
There's nothing quite as exciting or daunting as packing up your stuff and heading overseas for a semester. You'll have an opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture, a foreign language and a whole ocean of unique tech challenges. But don't worry, we're here to help you navigate those obstacles. In our guide you'll find top notch cameras to capture all those transformational memories, luggage that is basically impossible to lose, a backpack that hides a spare battery for charging your phone and, of course, some noise-cancelling headphones for those long flights filled with screaming children. But you'll also need a lightweight laptop with solid battery life (like the HP Spectre 13.3) and a phone with a couple of SIM slots for doing a little border hopping. Check out the gallery below for all our recommendations for students studying abroad. And make sure to check out our full back-to-school guide right here.
Nest's thermostat now talks to WeMo smart home switches
Want Nest's smart thermostat to do a lot more than change the temperature when you're out? Belkin is about to make your day. The gadget maker has introduced Works with Nest support to its WeMo switches and the WeMo Maker, giving you an easy way to toggle devices when you're home or away. You can switch on the lights when you get home, for example, or turn on a fan to cool down your home while you're out. The WeMo app has control over the Nest thermostat's target temperature, too, in case you'd rather not switch apps. All the integration support will be live the moment the latest WeMo app update arrives (no later than 3PM today, the 17th), so you don't have to wait long to automate more of your household.
Linksys will let you use open router code under new FCC rules
While the FCC's imminent rules for wireless device interference are supposed to allow hackable WiFi routers, not every router maker sees it that way. TP-Link, for instance, is blocking open source firmware out of fear that you'll run afoul of the regulations when they kick in on June 2nd. However, you won't have to worry about that with Linksys' fan-friendly networking gear. The Belkin-owned brand promises Ars Technica that its modifiable routers will allow open source firmware while obeying the FCC's rules -- you can tinker without fear of messing with nearby radar systems.
The best iPhone and iPad accessories
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. A huge ecosystem of accessories surrounds the iPad and iPhone, with options to handle pretty much any need. At The Wirecutter, we spend dozens of hours (at least) on each of our reviews to find the best gear for all parts of your life. Here are some of our favorites for your iOS devices. This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter/The Sweethome. To see the current recommendations, please go here.
Nest Cam review: a slightly better Dropcam
Keeping an eye on your family, pets, neighbors and maybe a thief or two is the pitch for the Nest Cam. The evolution of the Dropcam Pro WiFi camera isn't much more than a modest hardware upgrade with the Nest name now attached. And while the $199 device shoots higher-quality images and features a better stand, unlike the other two products in Nest's lineup, it doesn't work with anything else you might have in your connected home. Still, it's a great way to keep tabs on your abode while you're away.
Amazon Echo controls Belkin WeMo and Philips Hue with your voice
Amazon's voice-controlled speaker just became a lot more useful. In an email to Echo owners, the online retailer revealed some Philips Hue and Belkin WeMo gadgets can now be paired with the audio device. This means that the unit's ability to accept your spoken commands extends to home automation tech -- in addition to its music duties. Once the whole lot is connected to your home WiFi, a simple "discover my appliances" will automatically pair them. From there, dimming the lights, turning on the coffee pot and more is a matter of uttering the proper phrase. For now, supported products include Philips Hue A19, Lux, BR30, Bloom, and LightStrip as well as Belkin WeMo Switch, Insight Switch and Light Switch. If the added features convinced you to splurge for one, you'll have to wait in line. You can request an invite to order the $200 speaker, but it'll take several weeks to hit your inbox.
Belkin's WeMo home sensors track everything and the kitchen sink
Do you want to know every little nuance of what's going on in your home? You'll want to give Belkin's new WeMo home sensors a look, then. The surprisingly wide range of household trackers includes a door-and-window sensor, a keychain tracker, a motion detector and a water efficiency monitor -- there's even an alarm sensor that listens for sounds from other sensors, like smoke detectors. All of the devices will alert you if something's amiss, whether you're worried about intruders or tend to run the kitchen faucet for too long. And like the rest of Belkin's highly modular WeMo hardware, they'll frequently work in tandem with other gadgets on the platform. They can turn on the lights when you step into a room, or ramp up the air conditioning only when your window is closed. Most of the sensors will arrive in the second half of 2015, with pricing coming later. The water sensor is still in field testing, however, so it won't be ready to analyze your plumbing until the tail end of the year.
Belkin WeMo home automation line expands with family of new sensors
Belkin's iOS-friendly WeMo home automation line took another big step forward today with the announcement at CES in Las Vegas of a new line of sensors. For those who want to create a subscription-free security system, the new devices are just what the doctor ordered. The sensors are battery-powered with a one-year battery life, perfect for easy installation by anyone. Pricing at this time is undetermined, and Belkin says that the new products will arrive in the second half of 2015. First up is the WeMo Door and Window Sensor, which is a magnetic contact switch used to determine if a door is opened or closed. This is perfect for making sure that doors and windows are closed when leaving the house, or for setting up rules to automate other processes when a door or window is opened or closed. Need to find out if a specific window or door is open or closed? Just use the free WeMo app to find out. Next is the WeMo Keychain Sensor, a keychain fob that tells the system when someone arrives at or leaves a home. A button on the sensor can be set up to control any other WeMo device when pressed - perfect if you've set up a WeMo Maker Switch to open your garage door. The WeMo Alarm Sensor is designed to listen for other battery-powered alarms - smoke or fire sensors, CO monitors, water leak detectors - and then notify you via the app, notifications, or text alerts when those devices are beeping. With the proper alarms, the sensor, and the WeMo app, homeowners can contact emergency responders or neighbors immediately in case of fires or leaks. A popular device for home security system is a room motion sensor using infrared heat signatures to detect human movement in a room. The WeMo Room Motion Sensor is immune to pets, designed to reduce the possibility of false alarms, and can be set to work with other WeMo devices when motion is detected. Finally, the WeMo Water with Echo Technology is quite intriguing. The device is attached to one point on a home plumbing system and senses and analyzes the pressure change vibrations caused by turning on a faucet or flushing a toilet. WeMo water is designed to calculate home water consumption, duration and cost, and can alert users to leaks in a plumbing system. WeMo Water is current undergoing field trials and will be on display at the 2015 Internation CES. As always, TUAW will be reviewing the new devices when they become available as part of our continuing - and growing - coverage of connected devices in the Apple ecosystem.
Linksys unveils networked storage and its fastest WiFi router yet
You knew that Linksys wouldn't sit idly by while competitors like ASUS and Netgear rolled out extra-fast WiFi routers -- sure enough, the Belkin-owned networking giant is coming to CES 2015 with some speedy wireless of its own. The company's EA8500 promises brisk, interruption-free 802.11ac at 1.73 Gbps thanks to both multi-user antennas (which keeps the speed up when the network is crowded) and a relatively quick 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. It's also loaded with frills, such as four Gigabit Ethernet jacks as well as ports to share your eSATA and USB 3.0 storage. The EA8500 will be expensive at $280 when it ships in the spring, but it'll be accompanied by the $180 WRT1200AC if you're willing to settle for "just" 1.3 Gbps while maintaining similar features and hackable firmware.
