Smart Tech Today (Audio)

The upcoming universal language for smart home devices, Matter, has revealed a TV spec that will theoretically allow for universal media casting. The Opal C1 webcam aims to be a DSLR camera packed into a webcam frame. Intel thinks it's going to be awhile before the Metaverse really kicks off due to technological constraints it feels its chips can help surpass.

• Matter could bring universal casting that actually works
• Smart ...

Amazon's Alexa voice assistant is happy to announce package updates, but that's a bit of an issue around the holidays. Meta (Facebook) has opened up Horizon Worlds to adults in the U.S. and Canada. DARPA is funding research from a company that makes a device to charge a swarm of drones.

• Sonos plans to improve its mixed environmental track record
• How to keep Alexa from ruining your Christmas surprises
• Kobo's Elipsa and Sa...

Google is rumored to be working on its first smartwatch that will reportedly debut in 2022. Some of Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices will be able to listen for the sound of running water or appliances beeping in order to alert you or trigger a routine. 7-Eleven partners with Nuro for autonomous vehicle deliveries.

• New Google Maps Features Will Help You Navigate the Holiday Shopping Shitshow
• Healthcare providers in Google Sear...

Amazon has begun to roll out a new, smarter "Conversation Mode" to Echo Show 10 devices that helps Alexa take visual and audio cues from nearby users. The company has also introduced four new smart switches that work with Alexa. Instagram has a new bug-reporting feature called "Rage Shake" that lets you shake your phone to report a bug.

• Amazon starts rolling out Alexa's Conversation Mode on Echo Show 10
• Some Echo speakers c...

Google releases an update for its Nest Hub that adds more sleep tracking metrics, Flo Ion reviews the new Lenovo Smart Clock, and Ikea makes some sound-dampening curtains to block out noise from your roommates and pets.

• Google's Nest Hub gets more sleep tracking features
• Author Clock' Tells Time Using Book Quotes That Mention the Time of Day
• Stack Overflow's Copy / Paste Keyboard Is No Joke
• I Love This Smart Alarm Clock
...

Facebook's AI research team is improving upon technologies that let robots "feel," GM's Cruise embarks on its first completely driverless ride in San Francisco, and GE releases a "Turkey Mode" software update for its smart cooking appliances.

• Microsoft's Mesh for Teams brings mixed reality to work
• Facebook is enabling a new generation of touchy-feely robots
• Miso Robotics made its Flippy kitchen robot faster and even more...

Delving into the Facebook Connect event and the announcement of Facebook's new name, detailing Wyze's new smart home products, and more.

• Facebook just revealed its new name: Meta
• Meta (Facebook) is retiring the Oculus brand
• Facebook says it doesn't want to own the metaverse, just jumpstart it
• Facebook teases 'Project Cambria' high-end VR / AR headset
• Active Pack accessories prepare your Oculus Quest 2 for sweaty VR workou...

Dan Moren's New Smart Home Setup, Wyze Video Doorbell Pro, and More

• Wyze's new Video Doorbell Pro costs $65 and promises six months of battery life
• Google Is Getting Everyone Ready for the Future of Smart Home Gadgets
• Ikea's Bluetooth speaker with Spotify Tap is also a lamp
• Apple's HomePod Mini gets three new color options
• Roku Is Losing YouTube As War With Google Rages On
• You Can Now Buy a Couch Stuffed With Surround So...

• Apple Watch Series 7 Review: Bigger Screen, Same Short Battery Life
• Apple Studying Potential of AirPods as Health Devic
• Apple extends repair program for crackling AirPods Pro buds for one more year
• Dude, where's my car? AirTag responsible for tracking down stolen Subaru
• Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin finally gets AirPlay 2 in 4th-gen
• TP-Link HomeKit smart plug finally on sale, some two years late
• Google Photos widg...

Smart Dog Tags, Xbox Accessibility, eero Pro Upgrades

• Exclusive: Amazon Adds New Speech Setting To Alexa App To Help Stutterers Finish Commands, Queries
• Why the Amazon Echo Show should be standard in every nursing home
• How to Set up a Smartphone for Elderly Loved Ones
• Amazon has two video doorbell companies - Blink and Ring. Why?
• I Stopped Using My Cellphone As An Alarm Clock -- Here's Why You Should Too
• Withings' la...

Amazon's latest surveillance devices, Google Stadia, CarPlay display

• YouTube Music Is Finally Here for Wear OS 2 Watches
• Sonos says Google is blocking it from offering more than one voice assistant at once
• Nest Doorbell will get six new year-round ringtone choices
• Stadia offering free Chromecast Ultra and controller w/ $60 game purchase
• Google Stadia Now Lets You Use Your Phone As a Controller
• Google is launching a ...

Google TV's Android remote, Fitbit snore detection, Home Assistant Amber Hub

• Google improves Spanish support on Nest Hub in the US
• Google Meet declares war on that sunny window behind you that's making you underexposed
• Google Maps can adjust Android Auto UI for right-hand drive
• Google TV mercifully launches mobile remote for Android users
• Fitbit Is Rolling Out a Snore and Noise Detection Feature
• Google iOS 15 updat...

Lutron Caséta, Kobo Libra H20, Homebridge on Synology

• Logitech built Bolt to make wireless mice and keyboards work better
• Apple announces new Apple Watch Series 7
• How to reset your Apple Watch fitness calibration for more accurate Workout and Activity data
• A Short History of Every Time Apple CEO Tim Cook Praised Augmented Reality
• Apple's updated leather MagSafe wallet supports Find My location tracking
• Nintendo fin...

Ray-Ban Stories, Amazon's new TVs, Roomba's poo update

• Facebook's Ray-Ban Stories make the case for smart glasses
• Amazon is officially making its own smart TVs
• Luna's Couch feature enables co-op play even if your friends aren't subscribers
• Flic Twist is Coming
• Fi Series 2 smart collar review: Peace of mind for an active dog and its busy human
• Hiro revamps home insurance for smart homeowners
• New iRobot Roomba j7+ ca...

Alexa's adaptive volume, Philips Hue's Spotify sync, HOOBS 4

• Amazon's new 'adaptive volume' will make Alexa speak louder when it's noisy
• Amazon taps its SocialBot challenge to boost conversational AI
• Amazon may soon stream live performances to Echo speakers
• Philips Hue partners with Spotify to turn all your lights into a music visualizer
• Philips Hue Wants to Put a Smart Light in Every Room in Your House
• Home Depot releas...

AirTags screen protectors, Fitbit Luxe, Donda Stem player

• This is what Apple's AirPods look like on the inside
• The AudioStick is the easiest way to connect AirPods to your Switch
• Netflix Now Offers Spatial Audio Support for iPhone and iPad
• Someone's inexplicably gone and made AirTags 'screen protectors'
• Leviton's second-generation Decora Dimmer review: Wi-Fi connected HomeKit switches
• Why the app store model won't ...

Galaxy Watch 4, Alexa's downfall, Matter's 2022 delay

• New Smart Home Standard Matter Is Delayed Until 2022
• Building A Standard That Really "Matters" - Connectivity Standards Alliance
• Galaxy Watch 4: Samsung's alone in making WearOS 3 smartwatches for now
• Google Nest Hub might have its very own app launcher
• Amazon, Alexa, and the Downfall of a Popular Name
• Audio-Technica's updated M50x wireless headphones have multi...

Automated lightsabers, A-L-E-X-A, soil sensors, SmartThings

• Oculus storage is going to double for the same price
• Google Assistant Family Bell coming to phones, get checklist
• Google adding Air Quality (AQI) info to Nest Hub in the US
• Google Tasks redesign adds tabs for quick list switching
• Google Maps will help you avoid crowded mass transit in way more cities
• HomePod market share in the US still lags in comparison to Ama...

Aqara sensors, SwitchBot Curtain, Nanoleaf, Meross, and more

• Drunk-driving provision could fuel demand for driver monitoring technology
• Argo AI can now offer public rides in its autonomous vehicles in California
• Yelp adds tools that let businesses share their COVID policies related to vaccines
• Amazon's Halo band can share your heart rate with other apps and workout equipment
• Peloton is updating its treadmills to agai...