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Samsung is teaming up with Tesla and Hyundai to offer deeper smart home and EV controls
Samsung is partnering with Tesla and Hyundai to expand SmartThings into the areas of home energy and vehicle/home automation.
Samsung's new wall oven lets you livestream a video feed of what's cooking
Samsung is adding a wall oven and wall mount hood to its lineup of Bespoke appliances. The oven will let you livestream a feed of what you're cooking on social platforms.
Amazon will bring Matter smart home support to 17 Echo devices this year (updated)
Amazon has pledged to add Matter smart home support to 17 devices this year, with more coming in 2023.
Samsung and Google are working to streamline setting up Matter smart home devices
Today at its annual developer conference, Samsung announced a deeper partnership with Google to make it easier for consumers to set up smart home devices using the Matter protocol.
The Matter smart home standard is finally available
The Matter smart home standard has finally been released, and companies like Amazon, Apple and Google are adopting it.
Samsung's new Smart Monitor M8 is $100 off for the first time
Amazon and Samsung knocked $100 off Samsung's new Smart Monitor M8, so you can pick one up for as low as $600.
Samsung starts verifying Matter-compatible smart home devices
Samsung has started verifying some of the first smart home devices to support the new Matter standard.
Samsung's $700 Smart Monitor M8 is now available to pre-order
You can control smart home devices using the 32-inch 4K display.
Samsung's new M8 monitor has a built-in smart home hub
Samsung has unveiled a new monitor that can control your smart home, and also has a smaller curved gaming monitor.
Samsung will hold another Unpacked event on October 20th
Samsung is holding an Unpacked Part 2 event on October 20th, with a focus on 'self-expression.'
Samsung SmartThings update helps prevent unwanted tag-based tracking
Samsung has unveiled an update to its SmartThings platform that includes Bixby voice control and a clever new feature that can detect if someone is tracking your location.
Samsung tests more TV control features in its SmartThings Android app
SmartThings Labs brings experimental features to the app.
Watch Samsung's CES event in under 9 minutes
Want to know what Samsung unveiled at CES 2021? We've produced a video that shows everything you need to know in less than 9 minutes.
Samsung SmartThings can now control Google Nest devices
Starting in January, Google and Samsung plan to integrate their respective platforms more closely together.
Mercedes-Benz's voice assistant will soon support Samsung SmartThings
You'll be able to control your smart home gadgets while you're on the road.
Samsung’s latest Q-series soundbars include a $1,800 9.1.4 channel option
Samsung’s latest Q-series soundbars are its fanciest yet, with 9.1.4 channels.
The best cellular GPS tracker
By Nick Guy 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 cellular GPS trackers. While a Bluetooth tracker is useful for finding your keys or wallet at home, if you want to keep track of your kids or where you left the car, get a cellular GPS tracker. Small enough for you to stow them in a bag or pocket, these devices connect to a cell signal so you can locate them with an app—from nearly any distance. The Samsung SmartThings Tracker (AT&T) is our pick because its battery lasts for days, its tracking is accurate, and it doesn't require you to be a customer of a specific carrier. The Samsung SmartThings Tracker (AT&T) provides fast and accurate location reporting, and it supports live tracking and geofencing alerts so you can receive notifications quickly if it leaves a zone you designate. In our tests, its battery lasted four-plus days, and Samsung says it can go as long as 10 depending on usage. The crucial differentiator between the Samsung tracker and other models we considered is that it's not tied to a specific carrier: Although it relies on AT&T's cell network for service, anyone can use it without being tied to any sort of smartphone contract. Verizon's Smart Locator updates its location a little more rapidly than the Samsung SmartThings Tracker but otherwise has similar features, including geofencing and live tracking, and in our testing its battery lasted four or five days before needing to be recharged. But the downside is that in order to buy or use this tracker you need to also have a new or existing Verizon cell phone plan. Although Verizon is a great network and has a huge customer base, we can't recommend the Smart Locator for everyone since for many people it would require switching carriers. If you have a Verizon plan already, go for it.
Samsung’s SmartThings app will soon connect to your car too
Samsung wants to add cars to its smart home ecosystem. At CES, Samsung announced that it's teaming up with Smartcar to make its SmartThings app compatible with "most new cars" in the US. Through the app, users will be able to do things like locate and unlock their vehicle or check its mileage, fuel level and EV battery status.
How home assistants ruined us, an explanation
Our situation became clear when my friend ran through Trader Joe's screaming "ALEXA WHAT TIME IS IT?" This wasn't a cringey mockumentary comedy segment. It's the way we live now. I'm certain San Francisco's sea of terrified Postmates and Prime delivery runners parted for her, trampling an Instacart personal shopper already wallowing in the misfortune of crawling along the baked goods aisle, feeling blindly under tortillas for lost earbuds. Everyone wondering if they should yell at Google or Siri to call 911. Several cameras are trained on everyone, of course, to memorialize and broadcast these special moments forever.
The best smart home sensors for Alexa
By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy 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 home sensors for Alexa. Among Alexa's many tricks is that it also works as a smart-home hub. And adding smart sensors to an Echo Show or Echo Plus can turn either device into more than just an opponent for 20 Questions. Different sensors detect activity such as motion, a door or window opening, and temperature, and then tell other devices how to react. We recommend the Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor and Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor for their reliability and wide compatibility with other devices. The Samsung SmartThings Motion Sensor stands out among the few Alexa-compatible sensors because its long range lets it easily cover a large room (or even two), it can trigger in reaction to temperature as well as motion, and it's super easy to pair with an Echo Plus or Echo Show (no SmartThings hub needed), so you can run Alexa Routines based on motion or temperature changes in the room. It's a breeze to install, and thanks to a magnetic mount that's easy to adjust, it fits almost anywhere you need it. The sensor is also water resistant (although it's recommended only for indoor use). At a typical price of just $20, the tiny Samsung SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor (Zigbee) does a lot for very little. Its main purpose is to serve as a contact sensor, and you can easily stick one of these on any door, window, or drawer to detect when they open or close. But it also has temperature and vibration sensors inside, so it can alert you—or act as a trigger for other smart devices—if a room or area is too hot or too cold. That makes it the most versatile sensor we tested: You can just as easily keep tabs on the doors and windows of a rental property as on a precious liquor cabinet.
