Latest news with #Zigbee
Android Authority
06-05-2025
- Android Authority
Amazon Echo smart speaker deals are getting hot!
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority The Amazon Echo and Echo Dot offers come from Amazon, and they are both 'limited time deals.' The Echo Pop discount is available from Woot!, which is also an Amazon-owned deals website. Also, this Woot! sale is available for six days or 'until sold out.' Discounts and availability vary depending on the specific colors. We will discuss each section below in more detail. Amazon Echo This Amazon Echo deal is only available for the Twilight Blue and Glacier White color versions. I happen to be a fan of the blue model, which I actually own. Regardless, the point is that the Charcoal iteration is the only one that costs the full $99.99 price point. If you choose to go with this one, you are in for a treat. We believe it to be Amazon's best smart speaker. There is technically a 'better one,' but the Echo Studio is too expensive for the benefits it offers. The Amazon Echo 4th Gen is the perfect balance between quality and price, and it's the one I personally chose for my home. The design is very similar to the Echo Dot, which you'll learn more about in the next section. It's that spherical shape that made Amazon Echo speakers so popular. This one is bigger at 5.7 x 5.7 x 5.2in, though. It's not really huge, though, so it won't stick out like a sore thumb anywhere, and it should be pretty easy to find a good home for it in a larger space, like a living room. Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority The difference in size will be worth it once you listen to it, though. It gets more space to fit a 3.0-inch neodymium woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters. All the smaller speakers have a single driver. This makes the sound much fuller and more dynamic. The bass is also much nicer. Of course, you're not getting this speaker just for a good look and audio quality. This is a smart speaker, and its highlight is that it is powered by Amazon Alexa. This means you can use voice commands to request music, random information, solve math problems, set reminders, schedule alarms, call people, control smart home devices, and much more. This one also gets all the cool extra features, such as a Zigbee hub, a temperature sensor, motion detection, and eero mesh Wi-Fi functionality. I like using motion detection to automate lights, so they turn on whenever I walk into a room. If you have a smart thermostat, you can automate the AC. The Zigbee hub can control all your smart home devices without crowding the Wi-Fi network. Amazon Echo Dot Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Alexa and voice controlled audio, for cheap. See price at Amazon Save $12.00 Limited Time Deal! If the full-sized Amazon Echo is a bit much for your needs, the Amazon Echo Dot is a nice alternative. It is $12 off, and you can pick whichever color you prefer. These include Charcoal, Deep Sea Blue, and Glacier White. The Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen keeps the same spherical design, but it is smaller at 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.5in. This makes it smaller, significantly more affordable, and still plenty featureful. It's a nice option for smaller rooms, such as a kitchen, a bedroom, a dorm, or a restroom. Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority The 1.73-inch speaker sounds good, but don't expect it to host any dance parties. That said, we found that the audio quality is really nice for the size. The Echo Dot still gets the light ring at the bottom, which is really nice for notifications and knowing when it is listening to you. It is obviously still Alexa-powered, so you get all the cool digital assistant features. The good news is that it still keeps most of the extra features. It has a temperature sensor, motion detection, and eero mesh Wi-Fi capabilities. It just skips the Zigbee hub. Arguably, though, that isn't a feature many may care much about. Amazon Echo Pop Amazon Echo Pop (Damaged Packaging) Amazon Echo Pop (Damaged Packaging) A cheap and tiny Alexa smart speaker. A great entry or extension to the Alexa smart home ecosystem. The Echo Pop has a sleek design with a front-firing speaker that sits nicely in an office or on a bedside table. See price at Woot! Save $15.00 Damaged Packaging! This deal is available from Woot!, and it is available for all colors except the Charcoal one. That said, it is this cheap because the packaging is damaged. I honestly think the discount is worth getting a beat-up box, as we usually just throw those out. The only downside is that you get a 90-day warranty instead of Amazon's full-year manufacturer warranty. That said, you can currently get the Amazon Echo Pop for $27.99 directly from Amazon, and that gets you all the perks of buying new. If you want a more basic smart speaker experience, the Amazon Echo Pop is the most affordable from the popular retailer. It's also small, adorable, and very functional. The Amazon Echo Pop measures only 3.9 x 3.3 x 3.6in. It has a 1.95-inch speaker and sounds pretty decent, but it is mainly made for less demanding audio purposes. It could be an excellent bedside smart speaker or work amazingly at an office desk. Amazon That said, this one doesn't get any extras, so there's no temperature sensor, motion detection, or Zigbee hub. Like the others, though, it does get eero mesh Wi-Fi support. Otherwise, it is just a minimized version of the other speakers. It supports Alexa, so you can take advantage of everything the digital assistant has to offer. These are some of the best Amazon Echo smart speaker deals we've seen in a while, so jump on them while you can! If you care more about sound quality and don't need Alexa functionality, here is a list of the best Bluetooth speakers.
7NEWS
30-04-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Best Alexa smart speaker massive price drop, 41 per cent off for a limited time
Amazon Australia's newest generation Echo smart speaker is here, and it's redefining the role of a home assistant. It features a blend of premium sound, smart home integration, and advanced voice control, all wrapped in a sleek, modern design. This latest iteration, part of the 4th generation lineup, is available now at a limited-time deal of $99.00, 41 per cent off its original price of $169. Equipped with high-fidelity sound technology, the device delivers clear highs, rich mids, and deep, immersive bass. Its adaptive sound adjusts automatically to suit the acoustics of any room, making it an ideal companion for music, podcasts, or audiobooks streamed from platforms like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and more. What makes it stand out? Beyond its impressive sound capabilities, the Echo functions as a powerful smart home hub. It supports seamless integration with Zigbee and Matter-compatible devices, allowing users to effortlessly manage lighting, thermostats, and security systems with simple voice commands via Alexa. The speaker can also be paired with other Echo devices for synchronised multi-room music or even connected to a Fire TV for a complete home theatre experience. Another incredible feature of the Echo (Newest gen) is its built-in eero capability, enabling the Echo to act as a Wi-Fi extender when paired with compatible eero devices - enhancing network coverage without the need for extra hardware. Alexa remains at the core of the Echo's functionality, whether it's setting alarms, checking the weather, answering questions, or managing your calendar, Alexa is ready to help hands-free. Communication is also streamlined, with features like voice calling to Alexa contacts, drop-in intercom, and house-wide announcements. Amazon Australia has prioritised user privacy with this model, incorporating multiple safeguards, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones for peace of mind. Shoppers have given the Echo a 4.6-star rating on Amazon Australia's website. 'I wish I could give the Echo (4th Gen) 10 stars for its outstanding sound quality, but since five is the limit, this amazing device will have to settle for a perfect score. From the moment I started using it, the Echo (4th Gen) has proven to be a game-changer in my home audio experience, delivering far beyond my expectations,' one impressed shopper wrote. 'Great sound and so easy to set up,' another shopper added.
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Forbes
Aqara Hub M100: Budget-Friendly Ticket To The Matter Smart Home Party
The new Aqara Hub M100 The Aqara Hub M100, first announced back at CES 2025 in January, is now available, offering a cheaper way than ever to get started with a Matter smart home. For less than $20, the M100 gives you an easy and affordable way into the Matter ecosystem, and can also be the starting point of your Aqara smart home journey. The Chinese smart home specialist has really made a name for itself in the past couple of years and is often the brand I often recommend people to turn to when they ask how to start out with home automation. The Hub M100, which is now officially available via Aqara's Amazon store and its own website, supports both Zigbee and Thread - 20 devices of each, simultaneously - and also works as a Matter controller, Thread border router, and a Matter bridge. That means you can use it to tie together your Aqara kit and it will also play nicely with third-party Matter and Thread gear, like Eve lights or smart locks from brands like Level. It's a budget-friendly gateway to smart home sanity, especially if you're just getting started or want to upgrade without spending M3-level money (Aqara's flagship hub, which costs $130). It plugs straight into a USB-A port can also be used to extend an existing Thread or (Aqara) Zigbee mesh network. And while it doesn't bring the higher-end features of the flagship M3 (no IR blasting or Edge computing smarts here), it does support Aqara's new Advanced Matter Bridging. That means automations you build inside the Aqara Home app - like starting a robot vacuum or reacting to facial recognition from a camera - can now trigger events in other Matter platforms, including HomeKit, Alexa, or Google Home. Aqara W100 sensor now available Also now available is the Aqara Climate Sensor W100 ($39.99, above), which brings a few more tricks to the table than your average temp sensor. With a 3.4-inch screen and three programmable buttons, it's not just for monitoring; it's for control. The display gives you at-a-glance temp and humidity readings, while the buttons can be set up to toggle scenes or control HVAC systems. Dual-protocol support (Thread and Zigbee) means you can choose between native Matter integration or deeper Aqara-specific features. So you could stick with Thread if you're building a Matter-based setup, or switch to Zigbee to unlock extras like remote thermostat control or viewing climate data on the W100 screen. Battery life is an impressive 28 months on a pair of CR2450 cell batteries. Aqara is also now bundling up its Camera Hub G3, along with a Door & Window Sensor, Motion Sensor P1, and a Vibration Sensor T1 to form the Camera Protect Kit Y100 starter kit.
Korea Herald
30-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Samsung unveils new Bespoke AI lineup
Touchscreen displays and smarter Bixby offer strengthen AI experience for users Samsung Electronics on Sunday introduced its latest lineup of 2025 Bespoke AI home appliances, boasting advanced artificial intelligence technology and larger screens to support more personalized user experiences. Hosting a press unveiling event on Friday, Samsung said it has expanded the number of home appliances and devices that incorporate the company's AI features, and that more have screens for enhanced connectivity experiences. 'Beyond hardware innovation, Samsung aims to provide an AI home experience that understands, cares for and solves problems for users through device connectivity and AI technology,' Moon Jong-seung, vice president and head of development at Samsung's Digital Appliances Division said in the presentation. Samsung introduced the AI home application solutions focused on three key principles: easy to use, care, and saving (time and energy). At the center of the experience is the AI Home touchscreen interface, built directly into the appliances. According to Moon, the screens allow users to monitor and control all SmartThings connected devices remotely. It supports Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Matter Thread protocols, eliminating the need for a separate hub to control other Internet of Things devices such as lights and switches, the vice president said. The tech giant also introduced an upgraded version of its voice assistant, Bixby, which can distinguish family members by voice through the new Voice ID technology. Among the new features is Home Monitoring, which alerts users if expected household activities, such as opening the fridge, are not detected. If suspicious activity is sensed in an empty home, users can remotely check the interior via the robot vacuum, upon the monitoring alert. While some product prices may increase to accommodate the advanced AI features and improved performance, Moon explained the company is working to reduce overall costs by standardizing and sharing components across its appliance lineup. The 2025 Bespoke AI Hybrid refrigerator now features a 9-inch display, which features a Daily Board dashboard offering an overview of users' schedules, local weather and meal recommendations. Its upgraded AI Vision Inside 2.0 recognizes up to 37 types of fresh food — up from 33 — and notifies users when items are nearing expiration. The Bespoke AI Combo washer-dryer now also features Korea's largest laundry capacity of 25 kilograms for washing and 18 kg for drying. A quick course now completes both washing and drying in just 79 minutes — 20 minutes faster than the previous model — the company said. The new Bespoke AI Jet stick vacuum is made with 400 watts of suction power, which is the highest in its class, and runs longer with 100 minutes on a single battery. Its upgraded AI Mode 2.0 enables the vacuum to detect floor types and spatial features like corners and walls to automatically adjust suction power. The tech giant also unveiled the upgraded robot vacuum, Bespoke AI Steam, which features Samsung's patented motor technology to more than double the suction power. The new product detects both liquid and space types and comes with an automatic water supply and drainage for user convenience. "Since the launch of our robot vacuum cleaner AI Steam last year, the market share has risen quickly from zero to 30 percent," Lim Sung-taek, vice president in charge of domestic sales, said. "Our goal this year is to become No. 1 (in robot vacuums). What really sets it apart is not only top-tier cleaning performance, but the enhanced security features as well." From this year, Knox Matrix will be applied to all of Samsung's Wi-Fi-enabled products, Samsung said. Knox Vault, which stores sensitive data such as passwords in a separate security chip, is also being applied for the first time to screen-equipped appliances and robot vacuums. The company is also implementing Post-Quantum Cryptography to protect from possible future cybersecurity threats.
Associated Press
10-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Synaptics Launches Ultra-Low-Power Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/802.15.4 Triple Combo SoC Family for Embedded Edge AI IoT
NUREMBERG, Germany, March 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synaptics® Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA) has extended its award-winning Veros ™ Triple Combo connectivity portfolio with the SYN461x family of ultra-low-power (ULP) Wi-Fi® 2.4/5/6 GHz, Bluetooth® 6.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee®/Thread®) systems on chip (SoCs). Designed for the embedded Edge AI Internet of Things (IoT), the SYN461x is optimized for power, system integration, size, and rapid time to market while delivering Veros' characteristic outstanding rate-over-range performance and seamless interoperability. The versatile Matter-compliant SoCs offer advanced Bluetooth features, such as Channel Sounding and LE Audio—including Auracast™. The SYN461x specifically targets consumer and industrial applications and is tailored for devices such as wearables, smart watches, audio speakers and headsets, home appliances, security cameras, asset trackers, and factory automation. At EW2025? Join us in Booth #4A-259 to learn about our advances in wireless connectivity, Edge AI, and automotive display technologies. Email [email protected] for an appointment. Launched in 2024, Veros Seamless Intelligent Connectivity encapsulates decades of field-hardened technology and IoT connectivity expertise. It encompasses Synaptics' entire wireless portfolio of proven solutions characterized by performance, interoperability, coexistence, power efficiency, and bill of materials integration. Veros features built-in support for Synaptics Astra ™, the AI-Native compute platform for the IoT. 'The SYN461x family is a breakthrough addition to our Veros portfolio,' said Vineet Ganju, VP of Wireless Product Marketing at Synaptics. 'The SoCs are our first in a series designed from the ground up for ULP embedded Edge AI IoT applications. We believe their low-power architecture, software support, and low-density packaging extend our broad-market reach and position us to share in a ~$3.2 billion1 market opportunity. 'The degree of versatility required to meet the unique connectivity needs of the diaspora of diverse low-power IoT applications demands a high degree of domain expertise,' said Phil Solis, Research Director at IDC. 'Ultra-low-power and highly flexible solutions such as the SYN461x make a solid case for discrete, targeted, wireless SoCs in markets where more options are needed.' Technical highlights The SYN461x family extends Synaptics' Triple Combo series into ULP, highly optimized IoT applications where it delivers reliable connectivity of up to 50 Mbps while extending battery life and maximizing range. Features include: Up to tri-band 1×1 Wi-Fi support across 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz with power-optimized architecture Low-power Bluetooth/BLE—with Channel Sounding for precise distance measurement IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee) with Matter support for seamless interoperability across popular low-power networks Integrated Tx/Rx switch, LNAs, and PAs that reduce area BOM and system cost while simplifying design by only requiring a direct antenna connection Low-pin-count WLBGA package option for low-cost, plated-through-hole (PTH) PCBs (25% reduction in typical board cost) An integrated processor that offloads the host application processor to help minimize system power consumption Secure Boot to help ensure system integrity Availability The SYN461x family is available now. For more information: Get images Download product brief Contact your local sales representative About Synaptics Incorporated Synaptics (Nasdaq: SYNA) is driving innovation in AI at the Edge, bringing AI closer to end users and transforming how we engage with intelligent connected devices, whether at home, at work, or on the move. As a go-to partner for forward-thinking product innovators, Synaptics powers the future with its cutting-edge Synaptics Astra™ AI-Native embedded compute, Veros™ wireless connectivity, and multimodal sensing solutions. We're making the digital experience smarter, faster, more intuitive, secure, and seamless. From touch, display, and biometrics to AI-driven wireless connectivity, video, vision, audio, speech, and security processing, Synaptics is the force behind the next generation of technology enhancing how we live, work, and play. Follow Synaptics on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, or visit Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements related to the company's current expectations and projections related to the anticipated performance and benefits of the Veros ™ Triple Combo connectivity portfolio products and technology, including the SYN461x. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include the company's ability to successfully offer these product solutions to new markets, including the Wi-Fi and BT connectivity broad market; the company's expectations regarding technology and strategic investments and the anticipated timing or benefits thereof; and other risks as identified in the 'Risk Factors,' 'Management' Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations' and 'Business' sections of the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; and other risks as identified from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission reports. For any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and the company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except as required by law. For further information, please contact: Media Contact Patrick Mannion Synaptics
