Latest news with #smartHome
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm obsessed with ‘no wires' Ring doorbell that lets you easily find anything in seconds – & I didn't need to drill
Sean Keach, Head of Technology and Science Published: Invalid Date, SOMETIMES the best tech is just the stuff that's easiest to use. That's always been Apple's style – and Amazon has managed the same feat with its top-notch Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus. 11 It's not the catchiest name, but this is one of the best smart home gadgets on the market. Ring video doorbells hardly need an introduction. They sit next to your front door, waiting for motion and then filming it for your smartphone viewing pleasure. More of my neighbours have them than not. It sounds a bit 1984, but they let you dodge people selling solar panels – and there's a speaker for telling delivery drivers not to leave your package upside down in the rain. And naturally we all hope that they'll put off trespassers and even burglars from trying their luck too. But one thing has always turned me off Ring doorbells: drilling. Hate it. It's faff. What if you don't have a drill? What if you don't want to drill? It's a layer of annoyance I just don't need in my life. Enter: the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus. My hero. My £129.99 hero. I've been trying it out for weeks now, and I'm convinced it's one of the best products I've ever owned. Warning to criminals as new Ring doorbell AI feature makes it even easier to catch you STICK TO IT Normally a Ring doorbell connects to your house in two ways, neither of which I love. The first is through the wires that would connect a regular doorbell, giving it power. And the second is through screws, which turn into holes that you've drilled in your wall. They're both layers of friction that I don't love, which is why I do love the Battery Video Doorbell Plus. For a start, it doesn't need any wiring. It has a built-in battery that needs a recharge every four to eight months. I've been using mine for nearly two months, and the battery has dropped by about 30%. So that feels about right. This doorbell can be drilled to the wall, but I picked up Ring's sticky mount for £17 (buy here). It slaps straight onto the wall (though you do have to press it down for five minutes), and then you're sorted. Now if I ever want to remove my doorbell setup, I don't have to disconnect wires or fill any holes. I just yank it off the wall and away I go. Set up is easy. The doorbell connects to the Ring app on your phone and away you go. EASY VIEWING So what else does it do, besides attaching to my wall in a simple and effective way? At its most basic, you can get it to notify you when someone presses the doorbell or comes onto your property. Motion Zones make it easy to avoid detecting movement on the street – you can just draw on the app's video feed to block out areas you don't want monitored. And you can set up Privacy Zones to shut out your neighbouring properties too (or your own windows, if your front door is set back). Two-way audio lets you chat to visitors. And it the doorbell can even detect whether it's seeing a person – or an animal, or car. Automated replies work like an 'out of office' for your home, telling couriers that you're away and to leave the post at the door. And you can have different settings depending on whether you're at home or away using a 'geofencing' feature. It's got night vision. Even colour night vision. And Smart Video Search lets you type in phrases (like 'red car') to spot specific moments. You might even find crooks with a search like 'person in garden last night'. It'll find basically anything you're looking for in seconds. Very clever. The video quality is very sharp. It's officially 1536p HD. But a more useful description is: you can easily see details even at a distance, and it's effective even in poor lighting. 11 It has a broad field of view, so you shouldn't miss a thing. You can always mount it with a slight tilt too, if needed for awkward porch/garden layouts. The other accessory that I snapped up to improve my Ring experience was a Chime. It's basically a speaker for your doorbell, if you want something more traditional than just phone notifications. You plug it into the mains, and leave it there. They cost between £20 and £30 (buy here), and they're decent – but by no means necessary. A-DOOR IT The doorbell's main benefit is peace of mind. Your house has all of your stuff. Your precious belongings. Your front door is the gateway to that treasure trove. Knowing who is at your door – no matter where you are in the world – in some ways feels priceless. It resolves the issue of not being able to contact delivery drivers while you're away, or the fear that suspicious antics are going on while you're on holiday. And I think it gives your neighbourhood a more general feeling of safety. It's neighbourhood watch in the literal sense. And maybe it's not technically a feature, but I love seeing surprise clips of my wife pulling funny faces at the camera for me to watch later. It turns a boring part of our lives – opening and closing the door – into a fun scrapbook of easily-missed memories. It's also had some tangible perks. I couldn't for the life of me find my cap the other day. It was only be reviewing Ring footage that I could see I'd left home with it earlier in the week – and came back without it. I never did find that cap. But I knew I'd lost it in a place I'd never get it back. So it gave me the peace of mind to buy a new cap, rather than going through the cupboards and drawers again for the sixteenth time. CASHING ON The main downside is that some of the best perks are locked behind a subscription. The £129.99 fee for the doorbell only gets you the gadget itself, plus basic benefits like notifications for a doorbell press. If you pay £4.99 a month, you get 180 days of Video Event History and package alerts. Then there's Standard, which is £7.99 a month and adds in doorbell calling, extended live views, cover for all of your devices, and all of the Basic perks too. There's a Premium plan for £15.99 a month that wraps in 24/7 recording, continuous live view, and Smart Video Search. The one you pick comes down to your own needs, but you can probably get by with Basic. Anything less and I think you're missing out, personally. RING IT UP? This is a brilliant device. It's not the cheapest Ring doorbell (or even video doorbell generally), but it's easy to use, very effective, and has no-nonsense set up. Now I've got it, I can't imagine not having one. And I suppose that's one of the best endorsements a gadget can get. The Sun says: Easily worth the £130 fee – but you'll need the monthly subscription to get the best value from it. A genuinely life-improving gadget that I'd struggle to give up. 4.5/5 All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase. 11
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
Secure Your Home and Save $131 With This Ring Alarm 14-Piece Kit Deal
If you want to keep your home as safe as possible, a good home security system is hard to beat -- and it gets double points if it's smart. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a DIY home security system, and Ring's products are some of our favorites. Right now, Amazon is offering the Ring Alarm 14-piece kit with a sizeable 40% discount, slashing the price to just $199 for a limited time. That's $131 less than the usual retail price. You don't need to enter any discount codes or clip any coupons to enjoy this deal, but you do need to be an Amazon Prime member, so make sure to keep that in mind. This 14-piece kit includes a base station, two keypads for easy control, eight contact sensors to secure all doors and windows, two motion detectors to cover key areas, and a range extender to ensure your entire home is protected. Setting up the system is fairly straightforward, and you can control it using the Ring phone app. The alarm will send notifications to your device every time it suspects unusual activity. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. You also have the option to choose from three modes based on your needs: Disarmed, Home and Away. The Disarmed mode turns off all sensors, the Home mode disarms interior sensors, and the Away mode activates all sensors for full protection when you're out. Note that some of these features are only available with the Ring Protect Pro subscription. And in case you are considering upgrading your entire home security system, the Ring battery doorbell is a great option for a video doorbell. Why this deal matters Ring makes some of the most popular smart home cameras and doorbells, so it makes sense that it would be a good option for a security system. This 14-piece kit comes with everything you need to get up and running, and now is your chance to bag one at a great price, too. Just keep in mind that this deal is unlikely to stick around for long.
CNET
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
The 83 funniest things to ask Alexa — CNET
As the weather starts warming, the days last longer, too. If you have kids, you'll already be making plans for ways to entertain them while school is out, but there are only so many things that you can do. Going out can get expensive, and you can only spray them with a water gun for so long before it starts to get old. That's where technology can help, and no, this doesn't have to involve a screen, just an Amazon Echo device. Out of all the digital assistants out there, Alexa is likely the one that you're most familiar with, with a recent CNET survey showing that 27% of US adults use it. After all, Alexa has been around for a long time, and a lot of people use it as a central hub for all their smart home gadgets. It's easy to use, with simple instructions including "Alexa, turn on the lights" and "Alexa, set a timer for five minutes." Amazon's digital assistant can even turn on your TV, play your favorite music, or check your home security cameras. And now that summer's here, it's time for Alexa to add some fun to your daily routine. There's plenty Alexa can do to keep you and your family entertained, especially if you have kids, young or old. Alexa can tell jokes, read a story to lull the little ones to sleep, or just offer up some random trivia. And Alexa can reference pop culture like Star Wars, play fun games and, yes, even fart to keep the kids giggling. What we're covering here is a more lighthearted side of Alexa. But it's just one of many ways to use Amazon's digital assistant. This Reddit discussion, for instance, mentions using an Echo device and some smart switches to help an elderly woman keep her verbal skills sharp when she doesn't have anyone to talk with. Back to those bored kids, though... Here's a list of 83 Alexa commands, involving questions, jokes, trivia and more, that'll help keep them occupied -- even on a long, long summer day. Watch this: Amazon Astro Review: An Echo of the Future 21:28 Funny Alexa jokes Alexa will tell you a joke if you simply ask. Just say, "Alexa, tell me a joke." You can ask more specific questions for a good laugh, too. Alexa, can you tell me a "yo mama" joke? Alexa, what happens if you step on a Lego? Alexa, do aliens exist? Alexa, I've got 99 problems. Alexa, how was your day? Alexa, how high can you count? Alexa, what is the value of pi? Alexa, what do you think about Cortana? Alexa, is your refrigerator running? Alexa, why is six afraid of seven? Alexa, do you have any pets? Alexa, do you believe in ghosts? Alexa, are you blue? Alexa, I like big butts. Alexa, why did the chicken cross the road? Alexa, how much do you weigh? Alexa, can you give me some money? Alexa, do you know Siri? Alexa, how old are you? Alexa, testing 1, 2, 3. Alexa, what do you want to be when you grow up? Alexa, are we in the Matrix? Alexa, where is Chuck Norris? Alexa, do you like pizza? Alexa, are you married? Alexa, can you sing in autotune? Alexa, do you love me? Alexa, give me a kiss. Alexa, make me a sandwich. Alexa, what do you want to be when you grow up? Alexa, what's your favorite color? Alexa, will you marry me? Alexa, can you tell me a Star Wars joke? Alexa, can you talk like Yoda? Alexa, can you rap? Movie and TV questions for Alexa Alexa has a vast knowledge of nearly everything, which includes some of the best movies and TV shows of all time. Try a few of these classic lines with Alexa for a fun response. Alexa, my name is Inigo Montoya. Alexa, I want the truth. Alexa, surely you can't be serious? Alexa, party on, Wayne. Alexa, show me the money. Alexa, what's the first (or second) rule of Fight Club? Alexa, surely you can't be serious. Alexa, more cowbell. Alexa, who you gonna call? Alexa, you talkin' to me? Alexa, who's on first? Alexa, I am your father. Alexa, these aren't the droids you're looking for. Alexa, what is your quest? Alexa, may the force be with you. Alexa, do want to build a snowman? Alexa, do you know the muffin man? Alexa, winter is coming. Alexa, beam me up. Alexa, party time! Alexa, supercalifragilisticexpialodocious. Alexa, I'll be back. Alexa, inconceivable. Alexa, do you know Hal? Alexa, I've fallen and can't get up. Alexa, E.T. phone home. Alexa, who lives in a pineapple under the sea? Alexa, who shot Mr. Burns? Alexa, who loves ya baby? Alexa, your mother was a hamster. Alexa, who shot first? Alexa, who is the best lord? Alexa, give me an Alan Partridge TV pitch. Alexa, live long and prosper. Watch this: Echo Show 15 review: The biggest Alexa smart display ever is designed for your wall 07:10 Funny trivia with Alexa Alexa's not only chock full of jokes, but it also knows tons of trivia. Here are some questions to ask. Alexa, can you give me a random fact? Alexa, can you tell me a movie fact? Alexa, what are some interesting history facts? Alexa, what are some interesting sports facts? Alexa, what are some facts about the US government? Watch this: Kids try to stump Alexa 01:58 Entertain the kids with Alexa If your kids always seem to say they're bored, let Alexa entertain them for hours with these fun questions. Alexa, can you entertain me? Alexa, can you meow? Alexa, moo like a cow. Alexa, can you bark? Alexa, can we play an animal game? Alexa, can you tell me a story? Alexa, who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Alexa, do you like green eggs and ham? Alexa, can you read me a Kindle book? (It will read you the last book you downloaded to your account.) For more things you can do with your smart speaker, here's how to play music from any streaming service on your Amazon Echo, five unexpected uses for your Amazon Echo and six unusual Alexa skills you can try with your Amazon Echo today. Alexa FAQ
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Smart Home Devices Reach 45% of US Internet Households
The smart home market is maturing, with 45% of US households owning core devices. As the customer base diversifies, business leaders must evolve strategies for success. Our research, surveying 100+ IoT executives, explores market growth, business models, customer retention, AI integration, and more. Dublin, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Smart Home: Integration, Automation, and Control" report has been added to offering. The smart home market is maturing, with 45% of US internet households owning at least one core smart home device. The customer base is shifting to a more mass-market profile, new competitors continue to enter the market, and category leaders continue to push the envelope of innovation and value to keep their competitive edge. As the market matures, business leaders must adapt their product strategy, business models, and marketing messages for success. This research surveys more than 100 executives across the connected home and consumer IoT landscape to better understand their view of the market, changing business strategies, key metrics for success, and top challenges facing the market. Key questions addressed: Where is the growth in the smart home market today? What business models are most common, and which are most profitable? What are the best ways to acquire and retain customers? How is product marketing and merchandising changing as the market matures? How are solution providers incorporating AI? What will be the defining forces shaping the competitive landscape in the next three years? What are companies' outlook on industry standards efforts, including Matter? What are the greatest challenges facing consumer IoT businesses in the short and medium term, and what are the best strategies to tackle those challenges? Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Business Expectation for 2025 vs. 2024 vs. 2023 Drivers of Positive 2025 Outlook Reasons for Challenged Outlook Connected Home Business KPIs % of Units Connected to Internet Engagement Frequency for an "Active" Customer Smart Product Benchmarks % of Businesses with Strategic Industry Partners How are industry partnerships most beneficial to your business? Top 10 Most Impactful Marketing Channels Drivers for User Engagement with Connected Devices Matter Standard Adoption % Using AI Internally % Using Consumer-Facing AI IoT Market Evolution Business Profile and Offerings Company Product Profile Business Models Employed Type of Connected Consumer Product Offered Types of Business Customers Served Revenue Models & Channels Revenue Models Employed for Connected Consumer Products and Services Business Model Most Impacting Profitability Services Offered in Connected Home Services Paid Service Subscription Adoption Paid Service Subscription Retain for 12 Months Price of Basic-Tier Smart Products Compared to Traditional Products Products Bundle with Smart Products Sales Channels of Connected Consumer Solution Return Rate of Smart Home Products Compared to Traditional Products Most Impactful Marketing Channel Business Strategic Partnership "In a few words tell us how industry partnerships are most beneficial to your business." Important Factors Influencing Vendor Selection Evaluating the User Experience Metrics Indicative of Successful Connected Consumer Products Engagement Frequency for an "Active" Customer Drivers for User Engagement with Connected Devices Average Percentage of Smart Product Units Connected to the Internet Effective Methods to Ensure Product Connecting Online Services Offered to Help Device Set-up and Installation Data Strategies & AI Products & Services Guided from User Generated Data Willingness to Pay Money for Insights Derived from User Data AI Usage in Organization AI Usage in Consumer Product and Service Business Strategy to Computing and Storage Technology Interoperability & Ecosystems Home Automation Standards, X10 to Matter Home Automation Standards Supported Challenges to Smart Home Interoperability Matter Standard Product Adoption "What factors do you believe will be most critical to Matter's success in the smart home ecosystem?" Attitudes Towards Tech Giants Business Outlook: 2025 and Beyond Business Expectation for 2025 vs. 2024 vs. 2023 Drivers of Positive 2025 Outlook Reasons for Challenged Outlook Business Challenges in the Future Goals for Connected Product Business in 2025 "What competitive advantages do you see as most critical for success in the smart home market?" Connected Home Market Growth Outlook: 2025-2028 For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Brainy Ring doorbell settings you MUST change before ever leaving home – including trick to make gadget a ‘robot butler'
RING doorbell owners need to check at least six settings before heading off on their summer hols. The Amazon -owned gadget giant told The Sun the exact tweaks to make – and one turns your doorbell into a "robot butler" that speaks to guests for you. 8 8 Video doorbells are great for seeing who's at the door. But they can do so much more, including serving up peace of mind when you're away for a week in Spain – or popping down to Cornwall for the weekend. A Ring spokesperson told The Sun that the gadget could "help you keep an eye on your home" while you're away – and shared six settings worth changing. RING DOORBELL SETTING #1 – MOTION ZONES The first recommendation is setting up Motion Zones. You can find them in the Motion Settings part of your Ring app. And they let you physically draw on your camera's view to highlight exactly where you want the motion sensors to pick up movement. So you can have your Ring doorbell detecting only on your driveway – but not the road. That way, you won't get alerts for passing cars or people, but just notifications for someone actually turning up in your front garden. A Ring spokesperson told us that this is one of the easiest ways to "reduce unwanted alerts". RING DOORBELL SETTING #2 – BETTER ALERTS Next up, make sure that you've got Rich Notifications turned on. Warning to criminals as new Ring doorbell AI feature makes it even easier to catch you You can find that in the Notification Settings section of your Ring app. It's meant to show you a glimpse of what's going on at your door. That way you don't even need to open the Ring app to see who's there. "These snapshot images appear with your alerts, giving you a quick preview of what triggered the notification," the Ring spokesperson told The Sun. 8 8 "Perfect for checking in without needing to open the app every time." RING DOORBELL SETTING #3 – QUICK REPLIES One of the best Ring video doorbell tricks is Quick Replies. This effectively turns your doorbell into a kind of robot butler that answers the door for you. You'll be able to access it in the Smart Responses part of your Ring app. 8 Ring said: "Don't want to answer your door while you're lounging poolside? "Choose from preset messages like 'We can't answer the door right now, but if you'd like to leave a message, you can do it now.' "It's like an out-of-office message for your front door." That way you don't have to pick up your phone to do a two-way chat with the person at your door. Let the Ring robot handle it for you. RING DOORBELL SETTING #4 – GEOFENCING Geofencing is a way to have your Ring doorbell change its own settings based on where you are. It'll work using your phone's location settings. That way, the Ring doorbell will know when you're at home – or when you're away. "Before you leave, configure a Geofence under 'Location Settings'," the Ring spokesperson told The Sun. 8 "This feature can remind you to set your Ring Mode to 'Away' as you head out, so your system is ready to monitor while you're gone. "When you return, it can automatically snooze alerts as you arrive home - no need to fumble with settings at the door." RING DOORBELL SETTING #5 – PRIVACY ZONES Fifth on the list is privacy zones, which is meant to stop your camera from picking up things you don't want it to see. This is handy if you have people minding your home for you – and you can see through your own windows, if your front door is set back. 8 You can set up a privacy zone to block out your own window so it can't see inside. Of course, this is also handy even when you're at home. But it's also generally useful to avoid accidentally spying on your neighbours. "If your doorbell's view includes neighbouring homes or other areas you'd rather not record, head to 'Privacy Settings' and set up Privacy Zones," Ring told us. "These areas will be blacked out in Live View and recordings, giving you peace of mind and respecting your neighbours' privacy while you're away." RING DOORBELL SETTING #6 – SNAPSHOT CAPTURE Lastly, consider turning on a feature called Snapshot Capture. You'll be able to find that in the Device Settings section of your Ring app. It'll take photos at set intervals throughout the day. 8 And they'll be added to your event timeline. That way, you can see what has happened (and importantly, if anything has changed) in between motion events. Then you'll be able to see what's going on even when specific moments of motion haven't been recorded.
