We’re definitely beta testing this technology”: is Alexa+ really bad, or are our expectations for free services too high?

Alexa+ just rolled out for Prime customers for free, but not everyone is thrilled by the change. Others argue you really should be, here’s why

I’ve tested 30 smart locks, and these are the best
I’ve tested 30 smart locks, and these are the best

A smart lock is an easy solution to some common problems. Locked yourself out? Need to let a friend in to water the plants? Your latchkey kid lost their key? Hands are full, and it’s raining cats and dogs? A smart lock solves all of these problems and more. One of the best smart home […]

The Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat drops to $249.99, a strong deal for a 2-in-1

Most people end up buying a fan for summer and a heater for winter, then spend the rest of the year stepping around whichever one is currently in the way. The Shark TurboBlade Cool + Heat is a cleaner solution: one bladeless tower that’s built for year…

You can now build smarter Google Home routines without extra work

Google Home has added new starters, conditions, and actions that let your automations respond to real activity like media playback and appliance status, making routines more flexible and far more useful than simple schedules.
The post You can now build…

Amazon is pushing Alexa+ upgrades on Prime members – and users aren’t happy about it

If you’re an Amazon Prime member in the US, you might find you’re getting an automatic upgrade to Alexa+.

The best robot vacuums we’ve tested for 2026
The best robot vacuums we’ve tested for 2026

Robot vacuums are impressive devices that will clean your floors well and — thanks to bigger batteries and better robot brains — rarely get tired of doing their job. Over the last few years, these floor-sweeping bots have gone from utilitarian devices to full-fledged home robots that vacuum and mop your home, clean themselves, and […]

Anker goes big with new whole home backup system
Anker goes big with new whole home backup system

Homeowners in search of grid independence have another option today with the launch of Anker’s Solix E10 big-ass battery system. It joins companies like Tesla and EcoFlow in offering whole-home backup solutions in the US market meant to counter blackouts and reduce monthly energy bills, or even eliminate them completely. The base $4,299 E10 system […]

You can now pre-order Anker’s Solix E10 smart hybrid home backup system

Anker has opened pre-orders for its latest smart hybrid home backup system, the Solix E10.
The post You can now pre-order Anker’s Solix E10 smart hybrid home backup system appeared first on Digital Trends.

Amazon has started automatically upgrading Prime members to Alexa Plus
Amazon has started automatically upgrading Prime members to Alexa Plus

Over the past couple of weeks, users on the r/alexa subreddit have reported getting automatically upgraded to Alexa Plus as a perk for their Prime memberships. The update doesn’t appear to be opt-in, but there’s an option to roll it back. Screenshots of a message from Amazon sent to users state that, “After your device […]