Amazon now sells its own branded smart light switches, as first spotted by Dan Wroclawski (via Dave Zatz). The Amazon Basics-branded switches come in Single Pole, Single Pole Dimmer, 3-Way, and 3-Way Dimmer varients, starting at just $17.99 for the least expensive model and peaking at $20.99 for you fancy 3-way dimming folk. These are setup and configured directly within the Alexa app and connect directly via Wi-Fi, so there is no need for a hub. Read more ›
Amazon is currently offering a Smart Plug and/or Smart Bulb for $0.99 each. To get them at that great price, all you have to do is order through Alexa. The smart bulb is a Sengled Color Changing Bluetooth Bulb that normally sells for $14.99. Order it by saying “Alexa, order a Sengled Smart Bulb.” The smart plug is the WYZE WLPP1CFH-1 WiFi & Bluetooth Smart Plug that normally sells for $10.99. Order it by saying “Alexa, order a Wyze Plug.” You may purchase one of each item for $0.99 each. This offer ends Aug. 27th.
This deal is for select customers only. Sorry for not realizing that initially.
Kasa has put a large portion of its smart plugs, outlets, switches, light bulbs, light strips, and cameras on sale for Prime Day. A lot of these deals, like 4 Mini Smart Plugs for $22.99, are the cheapest they have ever been. There are countless smart whatever device manufacturers now and I’ve only tried a tiny number of them, but, with each new brand I try, I keep coming back to Kasa as my go-to recommendation for budget smart plugs. There aren’t too many bells and whistles, but I’ve found that Kasa stuff needs to be reset the least and so I stick with them for now. Here is a rundown of all the good Kasa smart stuff deals I could find. Read more ›
The Alexa app has been updated to include a new feature called the Energy Dashboard that attempts to estimate the power consumption of your smart home devices. The dashboard charts the power usage of smart lights, plugs, thermostats, and more over time so that you can see which smart devices use the most energy and whether your power usage is trending up or down. While Alexa’s new energy dashboard does seem to report power usage figures from smart devices that report their energy consumption, it also works with more basic smart devices by simply tracking how long each one is powered on during a given timeframe. Read more ›
Thanks to competitive pricing and a wide assortment of good products, TP-Link has quickly become one of the leading smart home device manufacturers. They’ve announced a series of new products at CES 2019, including smart doorbells, security cameras, and smart plugs, but the most interesting new device is a smart light switch with a built-in voice assistant that you talk to through its integrated speaker and microphones. Read more ›
One of the confusing and cumbersome aspects of using Amazon’s Alexa to control smart home devices is the need to sometimes say “Alexa, ask…” before issuing a command. Prefacing a command with “ask” or “tell” is necessary when a smart home device manufacturer provides capabilities that go beyond what Amazon supports in their regular set of Alexa smart home control commands. Amazon is now allowing developers to extend the capabilities of regular smart home Alexa skills with extra functionality so that they don’t need to resort to a custom skill that requires the user to say “ask” before issuing an advanced command. Read more ›
Get this Wemo Dimmer Switch Deal
The Wemo Dimmer Wi-Fi Light Switch has just gone on sale for $49.99. This matches the lowest price it has ever been and is $30 off the regular price of $79.99. This is the same price it was during Black Friday last year and around Prime Day this year, so it’s unlikely to drop any further for Black Friday this year. This smart light switch replaces any standard light switch to give you remote control of the lights connected to the switch through the app or through voice using Alexa. If you have a room full of lights that are controlled by a switch, like recessed lights in a ceiling, it makes much more financial sense to add a single smart light switch like this one, than to replace all the bulbs with smart bulbs. This Wemo switch offers a few handy features even if you don’t plan to control it through the app or Alexa, such as a setting that lets you control what dim level the lights turn on to at specific times so you’re not blinded by bright lights in the middle of the night. It has great reviews and is the best-selling smart dimmer light switch on Amazon and it does not require any sort of external hub to work.
Amazon is currently having a sale on dozens of Alexa-compatible smart home devices that are 20% off using promo code SMARTHOME20. Included are Kasa/TP-Link plugs, switches, cameras, and bulbs. There are also Sengled bulbs, both with and without hubs. Several Arlo Pro cameras and security lights are included, as are several camera products from Ring. Continue on for the full list of products on sale. Read more ›
Amazon has started a new large promotion on several Alexa compatible smart home devices. Most devices are 20% off with the promo code SMARTHOME20, but two special sales are easily the best deals of the bunch. If you use promo code SMART10 at checkout, you can buy either the TP-Link Smart Plug Mini or the LIFX White Smart Bulb for $10. You are limited to one purchase at a discount, so you cannot buy each for $10. The TP-Link plug is among the most popular Alexa compatible smart plugs. The lowest price it has ever been in the past was $19.99, so this is a fantastic deal. The lowest price the LIFX bulb has been is $21.49, so it too is a great deal at $10. Both of these smart home gadgets do not require any kind of hub. Simply plug/screw them in, set them up on your WiFi network, and you’ll be able to control them through Alexa or through their smartphone apps. Offer is only good for “owners of Echo Family and 3rd party Alexa-enabled devices.”
The Wemo Dimmer Wi-Fi Light Switch has just gone on sale for $49.99. This smart switch has a retail price of $79.99 but normally sells for $64.99. This sale price matches the lowest price that the switch has ever been, which occurred during this past Black Friday. This smart light switch replaces any standard light switch to give you remote control of the lights connected to the switch through the app or through voice using Alexa. If you have a room full of lights, like recessed lights, it makes much more sense to add a smart light switch than to replace numerous bulbs with smart bulbs. This Wemo switch offers a few hand features even if you don’t plan to control it through the app or Alexa, such as a setting that lets you control what dim level the lights turn on to at specific times so you’re not blinded by brightness in the middle of the night.
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