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The best smart outdoor lighting for backyards, pathways and more
By Rachel Cericola This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to smart outdoor lighting for backyards, pathways, and more. Outdoor lighting isn't a splurge—it can save you from tripping on a dark pathway (again) or having to fumble for the right key. It enhances home security, and it can even light up a party. Smart outdoor lighting takes it to another level by adding automation, remote control, and other convenience features. We spent a month testing outdoor-rated smart bulbs, sconces, path lights, and spotlights, and found the best options for every outdoor scenario. The only smart outdoor bulb we tested with a built-in motion sensor, the floodlight-style Sengled Smart PAR38 LED Bulb can light up a driveway or backyard when you need it and not when you don't. It requires a Zigbee hub, but it also works directly with an Amazon Echo Plus. The motion sensor is especially useful if you want an outdoor bulb for security purposes, and you can adjust its settings so that it doesn't trigger too frequently or at the wrong time. The Ring Pathlight offers a near-instant option for providing helpful and elegant lighting to areas that may be tricky to navigate in the dark such as walkways or patios. It's powered by four D batteries, so you have no wires to deal with, and you can directly control it using an app or set it to turn on and off automatically through a built-in motion sensor. Because this model relies on non-rechargeable batteries, it's meant to light up for short periods of time—less than 15 minutes—so it may not be the best choice for anyone who needs constant lighting. The Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Calla Bollard is the best-looking smart outdoor light we tested—it's a perfect addition to any party. It has a slick design with a color-changing, dimmable LED at the top that can match outdoor decor or your mood. It does require a hub, such as the Hue Bridge, the Amazon Echo Plus, or the SmartThings Hub. It also requires a power supply (included in the base kit), which can accommodate up to five fixtures.
The best Alexa-compatible smart-home devices for Amazon Echo
By Rachel Cericola This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to Alexa-compatible smart-home devices for Amazon Echo. Imagine walking into your home at night, arms overflowing with groceries. Even if you've installed smart lights, 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—might as well just stick with a plain old wired switch. But with an 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. All three smart-speaker platforms (Alexa, Google Assistant, and to a lesser degree, Siri) can control a variety of smart-home devices and add an extra level of convenience to your smart-home system. We think Amazon's Alexa has a slight edge over the others because it works with more devices, and the wider family of Amazon Echo products makes it easier to fit them everyplace in your home. However, if you already have a Google Home speaker, the differences aren't large enough for you to need to switch platforms. We have guides for the best devices to use with Google Assistant and Siri/HomeKit. The Amazon Echo (or Echo Dot) offers a convenient interface for your smart home and provides functionality that an app on your phone can't. If you already have some Alexa-compatible devices or one of the three major smart-home hubs (SmartThings, Wink, or Insteon), adding an Echo can make accessing those devices more interesting and convenient. Taking advantage of its near-instantaneous response time and reliable voice-recognition processing is significantly faster than pulling out your phone and opening an app just to turn the lights on or off. Some products, such as Philips Hue lights and Nest thermostats, have native Alexa support, while others require you to enable a third-party skill. We tested plenty of both varieties to come up with the best-performing and most reliable recommendations, which we're continually testing to ensure that each new firmware and app update meets our high standards. Over the past several years, Wirecutter's editors and writers have tested just about every smart-home device of consequence. As more people end up buying smart speakers and platform support gets more and more important, we wanted to provide one place where you could access all of our picks that are compatible with the devices you already own, across all of our smart-home recommendations. Because these devices receive regular updates with additional compatibility and new features, we are continually testing and reevaluating our picks in our own homes to confirm that they still meet our recommendation standards. We'll update this guide as we learn new information, but be sure to read the full reviews if you'd like more details and test notes. If you don't yet have an Alexa-enabled device, or you want to learn more about what Alexa is and what you can do with these things, check out our full guide to Alexa and Amazon's Echo line of smart speakers.
Philips Hue now supports iOS 12's Siri Shortcuts
With the launch of iOS 12, iPhone owners were introduced to Siri's new Shortcuts feature that makes suggestions based on a user's routines. Numerous third-party apps — such as Pandora, Evernote and even Google News — already offer such integration, but one of the most eagerly anticipated platforms, Philips Hue, has been missing. Now, that wait is over — Philips Hue users with the latest version of the app received Shortcuts support today.
The best smart LED light bulbs
By Grant Clauser This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. 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. We considered more than 20 smart-light-bulb systems and then spent eight weeks testing 10 contenders, confounding a family of four by constantly changing how their lights worked. After all that, we determined that the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 is the best all-around smart LED bulb. Hue lets you change your lighting color easily and does everything other smart light bulbs do, and it's also part of a larger product and app ecosystem, allowing for more flexibility and creativity than any other smart bulb we tested. Plus, it's compatible with the widest variety of smart-home systems, including Apple's HomeKit, Samsung's SmartThings hub, Amazon's Alexa, and Google Home. It's not the cheapest bulb we tested, but its reliable performance and wide compatibility make it a solid choice for any smart-home enthusiast or newbie.
Philips Hue Sync coordinates your smart lights with your computer
Earlier this year, Signify announced new integrations for its Philips Hue bulbs that included a Hue Sync app to automatically coordinate your lights with whatever you're doing on your computer. Now, the free Philips Hue Sync app is available for both Mac and PC.
Philips introduces its first outdoor Hue lights (updated)
Philips Hue is a popular smart home lighting system, so it was only a matter of time before the company extended to the outdoors. Today, Philips announced its new outdoor range, which extends the light bulb system's smart features from within the home to its exterior.
Razer's fantastical concept projects inform its future
Razer's Project Linda laptop dock might be grounded in reality, but that doesn't mean the company is out of wild ideas for the future. It's just that for this CES, Razer wanted to merge its lightweight Blade Stealth laptop with its recently released smartphone and see how people would react. "We still have the flexibility to do some of the more far-out stuff that everyone loves to see," Marketing Director Kevin Sather reassured. He was talking about Project Christine, the subscription-based modular PC system from 2014. Or last year's laptop with three displays, Project Valerie. While neither of those have come out -- same goes for the showstopping Project Ariana projector -- Razer doesn't see them as a waste. In fact, they're informing the company's future.
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 Black Friday deals 2017 (updated)
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.
Philips retroactively adds extra HomeKit support to Hue
Philips has added HomeKit support to a number of existing Hue accessories, expanding their capabilities and making them easier to configure. With the latest software update Hue tap, dimmer switch and motion sensor will all be compatible with Apple' Home app. Tap and dimmer switch can now be configured with HomeKit scenes and can be used to control other accessories (not just Hue lights), while motion sensor will now appear in the Home app as a sensor that can activate both HomeKit scenes and other automations. As well as retroactively adding HomeKit features, the latest update for iOS also brings scheduled automatic updates to accessories, plus the option to reset them to their default state.
Amazon's Echo Plus packs in a smart home hub
Turns out that Amazon had more than one new Echo to show off today. The Echo Plus serves as an easy-to-setup smart home hub to take on Google's Home speaker and Apple's AirPod. Out of the box, smart bulbs will automatically go into discovery mode while you install them. Alexa will automatically name the devices, too, so the first one you set up will be called "first light." That won't be confusing for PlayStation fans at all. You won't have to install any apps or skills on the device, either, and there are already over 100 devices available for the Plus including lights, bulbs and locks.
Nest takes on home defense with its Secure alarm system
Nest wants to manage every aspect of your home's security -- not just its thermostats and cameras. The company has announced a slew of products designed to keep an eye on your home while you're away, under the Nest Secure banner. That includes a Google-Home-looking Guard control system, Detect sensors (placed in rooms, near windows and doors) and a Tag keychain that arms and disarms the security hub. The starter bundle will cost $499, with extra Detect sensors running $59. Need an additional Tag for your roommates or kids? Those will set you back $25 each. A bundle with the Nest Cam Outdoor (this is different from the latest Nest Cam IQ Outdoor) will be available at Best Buy as well as Nest's website for $598.
Take HomeKit devices for a spin at a handful of Apple Stores
As a mark of just how serious Apple is about its smart home initiatives, the company has built HomeKit into 46 of its brick and mortar stores. That means if you stop into the Union Square location in San Francisco or the World Trade Center and Williamsburg stores in New York you'll be able to give the IoT suite a test run, TechCrunch writes. Some 28 other stores throughout the country will have the demos up and running. If you don't have one of the fancy stores, you'll have to settle for non-interactive literature and the like. Ugh.
Alexa can finally set specific smart bulb colors
Alexa has been able to control Philips Hue, TP-Link and other smart lights for a while, but control was limited to on/off and dimming, not color -- a bummer, since the bulbs also emit up to 16 million hues. However, Amazon has now added the ability to change colors to Philips, TP-Link Kasa and LiFi Labs LIFX bulbs, giving you full voice control of your lighting at last.
IKEA launches its own low-cost smart lighting range
For many people, their first foray into the world of home automation begins with lighting. There's a good reason for this: smart bulbs easily fit into existing furnishings and can be operated using just a smartphone, which (mostly) everybody now owns. Philips, with its Hue range, is perhaps the most well known smart bulb maker, but that could soon change thanks to a new entrant: IKEA. That's right, the world's biggest furniture chain is today debuting its own smart lighting range in the UK. As you'd expect, the prices are a lot easier on the wallet.
Vivaldi's web browser can control your Hue lights
Standing up and walking over to a light switch is so passé, apparently. To stand out from the competition, Vivaldi has added Hue light controls to its upstart desktop browser. With the latest version, 1.5, you can now link your smart bulbs under the "Theme" settings page. Select which lights Vivaldi should control and you'll then get an intriguing light show -- specifically, the bulbs will illuminate automatically depending on the "color of the web." A gimmick? Absolutely, however Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner has hinted at broader and possibly more useful functionality in the future.
Hackers hijack Philips Hue lights with a drone
Surprise! The Internet of Things is a security nightmare. Anyone who was online a few weeks ago can attest to that. The massive internet blackout was caused by connected devices, and new research from white-hat hackers expounds upon those types of vulnerabilities. The target? Philips Hue smart lightbulbs. While they've been hacked in the past, Philips was quick to point out that it happening in a real-world situation would be pretty difficult. Digital intruders would need to already be on your home network with a computer of their own -- the company claimed that directly attacking the lightbulbs wasn't exactly feasible. But this new attack doesn't require that sort of access.
Philips Hue motion sensor turns lights on for you
So you have your home all decked out with some sweet smart lights that you can control with your phone. Big deal. True convenience is when your lights turn on exactly when you need them to, without you even lifting a finger. And Philips' new motion sensor can help you achieve that. The $40 device will be available in October, and after my brief preview of the Philips Hue motion sensor, I can't wait till I can get one.
GE banks on LEDs, ditches compact fluorescent bulbs in the US
If you're the sort of person who gets worked up about what goes in your light fixtures, listen up. Starting today, GE is phasing out production of compact fluorescent light bulbs — yeah, those curly ones — in the US in favor of more efficient LED light bulbs. Don't expect those other bulbs to just disappear all at once, though. GE North American lighting GM Daraius Patell said the company plans to end production by the end of the year, but CFLs probably won't be downright scarce until the end of 2017.
Syfy Labs fires up its 3D printers, lights and VR at CES
Syfy has always been willing to experiment with tech that promotes its shows -- Hue lights, the Defiance game/show tie-in -- and now it's launched the Syfy Labs "think tank" to crank out even more oddities. Here at CES, the network has a booth featuring some of its initial projects, like 3D printers from MakerBot cranking out figurines. If you have one of the devices at home, you can download the plans yourself and create the same models -- all without going through a CES 2016 security checkpoint.
