Tag: Amazon Alexa

Smart Home News: Google Home now supports Spotify Free music streaming

Smart Home News: “Hey Google, wake me up to some jazz in 30 minutes”

Okay Google, wake me up in 30 minutes to some funky jazz. And there you go. You can now use ask Google Home to wake you to music. The long awaited feature is now here, confirmed by an email from Google with examples on how to add a little excitement...
Apple HomePod

Amazon soars, Alphabet & Apple falter – Are earnings an indication of Alexa’s momentum?

"Alexa, take a victory lap." Amazon stock (NASDAQ: AMZN) soared today in after-hours trading thanks to Q4 results that blew away expectations. Short of it: $60B revenue; $2.1B operating income. For a company as big as Amazon -- it's hard to fathom. Meanwhile, Google's parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) missed its...
Sonos 8.3 - Navigation and Display Improvements

Sonos app gets dark Now Playing screen, improved menus

You've got to hand it to the Sonos team. Despite the crush of competition for whole home audio from heavyweights such as Amazon (Echo), Google (Google Home), and others like Bose, Samsung (speakers plus SmartThings hub) and Heos (by AVR maker Denon) the Santa Barbara speaker company continues to innovate...
Amazon Alexa now playing music interface (Web)

Smart Home Audio: Amazon should create dedicated Alexa music app for its Echo speakers

With its recent addition of "Everywhere" mode, Amazon is pushing hard into the whole home audio market. Traditionally that's been the domains of the likes of custom installers, and, more recently, Sonos. In the Alexa app or in its companion browser interface, you can select songs, stations, playlists from various...
Lutron P-PKG1W-WH Caseta Wireless Dimmer Switch Review - Comparison Insteon

Smart Home Dimmer Switch Buying Guide: Which is best?

Stark Insider's buying guide for smart home dimmer switches. If you're on the hunt for dimmer switches for your current or planned smart home, there's a beguiling selection -- a quick check on Amazon reveals hundreds of products. What to buy? You may be tempted to grab a $35 Leviton Decora...
Smart Home News: Google Home now supports Spotify Free music streaming

Smart Home News: Spotify Free accounts now works on Google Home

Good news. Today, free Spotify accounts are now supported by the Google Home hub. That means even if you don't pay for a Spotify subscription you can still enjoy one of the best music streaming platforms, even if it will be with some restrictions. As you might expect, supported voice-activated commands...
Samsung SmartThings Hub - list of compatible devices
Insteon Dimmer and Keypad Tips Review

Smart Home: Top 10 tips for getting started with Insteon

Already own or considering buying a smart home hub? Clinton Stark shares 10 tips for the Insteon Hub that might help you get the most out of your existing Insteon system or help you understand the hub market and some of the options on the market today. It's the year of...