Alexa retreated home for Amazon’s 2020 hardware event

During Amazon’s annual hardware event in 2019, Alexa was making a break for it, hitching rides on our glasses, in our ears, and even our fingers, always with us wherever we were. This year, however, Alexa lost her wanderlust and decided to stay put.Alexa did make a splash during this year’s virtual event with the new, eye-popping Echo Show 10 and its...

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Xiaomi Mi TV Stick review: The wrong Android TV dongle at the wrong time

With a $50 list price, the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick aims to be a relatively cheap Android TV streaming dongle for 1080p televisions. Like other Android TV devices, it offers Google Assistant voice controls, Chromecast support, and a slick menu for recommending things to watch.But all that is undermined by the Mi TV Stick’s performance, which ranges from just...

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C by GE Smart Plug review: A simple Wi-Fi plug in the widening C by GE ecosystem

The C by GE On/Off Smart Plug is exactly as unassuming as its name suggests. The plug, a single-socket, three-prong model fits snugly into one half of a duplex outlet, leaving the other half free for another use (including another smart plug). You can use it to turn a connected load on and off—including small appliances such as a fan or space heater—but...

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Amazon’s Alexa Guard Plus strengthens the Echo family’s home security capabilities

Amazon is expanding the capabilities of its Alexa Guard feature, making its line of Echo smart speakers and displays more capable home security systems. The $4.99-per-month/$49-per-year Alexa Guard Plus service sits in between an entirely self-monitored security system and a professionally monitored one. Some third-party vendors—including Abode—are...

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Eero to ship a pair of Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers later this year

Eero is bringing its mesh-networking technology to the Wi-Fi 6 era with two new products: the dual-band Eero 6 ($129 to $279) and the tri-band Eero Pro 6 ($229 to $599). Prices are based on the number of nodes in each kit, which in turn determines the square footage the mesh network can cover.The nodes in the Eero Pro 6 kit have dual ethernet ports,...

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Ouch! Xbox Series X expansion SSDs will cost $220, Seagate says

If you’re buying a new Microsoft Xbox Series X or Series S console, remember to tuck away another $220 for external storage. That’s the price Seagate will charge for its Storage Expansion Card, a likely necessary add-on for optimal performance.Why? While the current Xbox One X can load and play games using a conventional USB drive as storage, the next-gen...

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Group calling, Netflix, new privacy features, and more are coming to Alexa

Besides a trio of redesigned Echo speakers and the new, self-rotating Echo Show, Amazon unleashed a slew of new and upcoming Alexa features, including group video calls, a way to check in on elderly relatives, and—finally—Netflix.Group video calling The Alexa-enabled Echo Show is already slated to get Zoom group video calling later this year, but Amazon...

18h

Amazon’s Echo Show 10 features a motorized display

The all new Echo Show 10 might be the biggest news to come out of the firehose of Amazon’s Devices & Services event today. The new smart display features a 10-inch touchscreen that rotates around its base so that it’s always within your line of sight. Amazon says it’s adding Netflix support, too, so you won’t miss a second of Stranger Things while...

18h

Amazon's new Fire TV Sticks get faster and cheaper

Amazon is updating its $40 Fire TV Stick streaming player for the first time since 2016, giving it a much faster processor and HDR video support. The company is also launching a cheaper option called the Fire TV Stick Lite, which will sell for $30.To go along with the new hardware, Amazon’s overhauling its Fire TV software, with fewer confusing submenus,...

18h

Amazon rockets into cloud gaming with Amazon Luna

Among the titans of the internet, Amazon was possibly the last major consumer power that didn’t have a cloud gaming service. That changed today, with the introduction of the Amazon Luna cloud gaming service in early access.Amazon will charge $5.99 per month for Luna during the early-access period, and $49.99 for the associated Luna Controller. Amazon...

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