When I reviewed the Razer Gamer Room, I was genuinely taken aback by just how adeptly Razer entered the smart home market.

The initial family of Razer Aether smart lights not only offered a great experience through Razer's own software, but also integrated seamlessly into the existing smart home ecosystems that people are already using.

Quality lighting, plenty of customizability, and easy setups all make the Razer Gamer Room very easy to recommend. Now there's a new product in town, and it (mostly) follows the same easy path to recommendation.

The Razer Aether Standing Light Bars are just as lovely as its siblings when it comes to bringing more colorful lighting into your home, but — like the rest of the Gamer Room — does feel a little expensive.

That cost stands out more when these light bars feel like the cheapest part of the Gamer Room by a substantial amount, and that's before considering if you even have the free outlets or ports to put the entire Gamer Room family on your desk.

This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Razer. Razer had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

Standing Light Bars: Pricing and specifications

• The Razer Aether Standing Light Bars retail for $99.99.
• They are sold as a pair, and are permanently attached via a single cable.

The Razer Aether Standing Light Bars are the sixth product (seventh if you count the extender) in the Razer Gamer Room family.

Like all of its siblings, the Standing Light Bars integrate with the Razer Gamer Room mobile app, Razer Synapse PC app, and Matter, Google Home, and Alexa smart home ecosystems.

The Razer Aether Standing Light Bars retail for $99.99 at Amazon, and are sold as a pair (not one at a time). Pricing-wise, this product is middle of the road for the Gamer Room.

If you wanted the full Razer Gamer Room setup, it would now cost around $570 for the Razer Aether Light Strip, Light Strip Extender, Light Bulb, Lamp Pro, Monitor Light Bar, and Standing Light Bars.

The Aether Standing Light Bars only come in black, with no white colorway available (this is similar to the Monitor Light Bar, while all other Gamer Room products only come in white).

In the box, you'll find the Razer Aether Standing Light Bars connected via the split, braided, nondetachable 3m USB Type-C cable. This product is covered by Razer's standard 1-year warranty.

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Standing Light Bars: The good

• The Standing Light Bars look great, with even and consistent RGB lights.
• The integration into Razer Gamer Room and other platforms is great.
• These lights should get better in the future as Razer Chroma does, too.

Just based on visual aesthetics, the Razer Aether Standing Light Bars look great. They're sleek, oblong cylinders with one side dominated by an uninterrupted strip of RGB LEDs.

Those RGB lights are of excellent quality, too. The Aether Standing Light Bars get quite bright if you're able to feed them enough juice, and the brightness and color temperature are perfectly balanced along the entire length.

You get a ton of customization options for those lights, as well. The Standing Light Bars support the full suite of colors, patterns, and features in Razer Chroma, including the advanced customization you get through Chroma studio.

Seeing as the Aether Standing Light Bars are a part of the Razer Immersive Ecosystem unveiled at CES 2025, it's no wonder. As Razer updates its Chroma engine with full spatial and contextual awareness, the Standing Light Bars and other Razer Chroma and Gamer Room products should become even better.

Existing integration is already excellent, as evidenced by the supremely simple setup process carried over from the rest of the Razer Gamer Room. Plug them in, open the Gamer Room mobile app, and pair! It worked quickly and effortlessly just like the rest of the Gamer Room, a far cry from my experiences with NanoLeaf.

Once you're connected, you'll be able to add the Aether Standing Light Bars to your Gamer Room within Razer Synapse, too, but you do need the mobile app for that initial setup (and the Gamer Room app is still the fastest, most convenient way to control your Aether products).

The Standing Light Bars are a pair, connected via a split, nondetachable, braided USB Type-C cable that gives you a fair amount of flexibility in placement between the two light bars, with the rest of the (combined) cable giving you a ton of length to connect to your power source.

It's tempting to connect that USB Type-C cable to one of your computer's ports, but it may be difficult to feed the Standing Light Bars the full 5V of power it requires to unlock max brightness. You can use an outlet, if you're able to source a USB Type-C power brick.

As for placement, the Aether Standing Light Bars are designed to either face you or face the wall. The former is more intense and vibrant, while the latter casts a pleasant wash of light behind your monitor in a similar way to some TV smart light strips.

All you must do is orient the light bars the way you want in the base, taking advantage of the bottom-mounted cables that are happy to head in either direction. Personally, I preferred the rear-facing solution for more subtlety, but both are great.

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Standing Light Bars: The bad

• A light, hollow design makes these not-cheap light bars feel cheap.
• They're also power-hungry, and require yet another port/outlet to power.

As much as Razer's Aether Standing Light Bars look amazing, they don't feel it. The use of matte black plastic is nothing new in this product category, but the Standing Light Bars feel cheap and hollow in the hand.

More importantly, they're simply too light, while the bases simultaneously lack grip. Any minute adjustment of my wired accessories results in unwanted shifts and even complete falls. These lights don't want to stay in the same place.

On top of that, the Standing Light Bars aren't immune from the problem all RGB ecosystems face — including Razer. Colors aren't calibrated between products, so the Standing Light Bars look slightly different from the rest of the Gamer Room; they're more muted, closer to the Light Bulb than the Light Strip.

If you want to take advantage of these lights' full brightness, you'll also need to feed them enough power. Your average USB 2.0 port doesn't provide full 5V charging, though; the Standing Light Bars will still work with reduced power, but with a handicap.

The power-hungry nature of these light bars also highlights that the Razer Gamer Room requires at least two outlets and two USB Type-C ports (or four outlets) for the complete setup, and that's without multiple lamps or other products.

If you've invested in other parts of the Razer Chroma ecosystem, the ports demand may be even higher. I'm starting to feel like we need some kind of "Razer Gamer Room Hub" to make all these cables easier to manage and these lights easier to feed.

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Standing Light Bars: Final thoughts

You should buy this if ...

✅You're already invested in the Razer Chroma or Gamer Room ecosystem

If you already own Razer Chroma products, then the Aether Standing Light Bars will seamlessly integrate into your existing setup, with the same software and customization support. It's the advantage of an ecosystem.

✅You just want some solid, bright RGB smart light bars

The Razer Aether Standing Light Bars don't have to be used behind or flanking your monitor — anywhere you might fancy compact, customizable RGB light bars that sync with your smart home is a good home for these.

You should not buy this if ...

❌You have limited outlets or ports to spare

I have about as many ports and outlets as someone could reasonably expect to have, and I'm still running out of ways to power the growing collection of accessories and smart lights. If you're already scrupulous about your limited ports or outlets, the Standing Light Bars will take one more (without adding any utility to your setup).

The Razer Gamer Room has continued to impress me, gracefully merging into the Razer Chroma ecosystem to immediately become a mature, reliable family of customizable lights for your smart home.

The Gamer Room app and Razer Synapse can battle for control sometimes, but these have truly been great products. The Razer Aether Standing Light Bars more-or-less match its siblings, at least when it comes to appearances, setup, and ease-of-use.

The actual hardware feels lacking, though, especially when you're once again paying $100 or more for some lights to add to your setup. They're good lights, but they don't feel like the same caliber of product as, say, the Razer Aether Lamp and Lamp Pro.

Don't expect your Gamer Room to be entirely cohesive, either, since most of the Aether products are white, while the Monitor Light Bar and Standing Light Bars are black. Why can't we have both options for every product? Probably something to do with volume of sales, but I still wish Razer had picked one color and stuck with it.

I don't want to end this review on a negative note, though. These are still fantastic smart light bars with a ton of options and excellent software support; if you want to add the Razer Aether Standing Light Bars to your home, you can for $99.99 at Amazon.

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I've not invested heavily in smart home products, both because of the cost involved and because of the notorious "micro-frustrations" associated with many so-called smart products with disconnects, hang-ups, and more.

So, color me surprised when Razer, a company wholly dedicated to the gaming community, made its smart home debut with a new lineup of lights powered by the Razer Chroma platform. Add a second coating of "surprise," actually, as the new Razer Gamer Room family of products has turned out to be a superb new offering in the smart lights market with great build quality, an easy setup process, and shockingly reliable and responsive controls.

Like all smart lights, the Razer Gamer Room is dedicated to those with disposable income to drop on the prettier things in life, and Razer has entirely replaced Nanoleaf as my go-to in the space with its Aether products. Razer has steadily won me over with its products over the last few years, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect the Gamer Room lineup to be rough, first-gen products with a wealth of minor issues and growing pains. Razer sure proved me wrong.

This review was made possible thanks to review samples provided by Razer. The company had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

Razer Game Room review: Pricing and specifications

Pricing highlights

• The Razer Gamer Room is anywhere from $29.99 to $129.99, depending on the product.
• There are six products in total, including the Razer Aether Light Strip, Light Strip Extender, Light Bulb, Lamp, Lamp Pro, and Monitor Light Bar.
• Razer's Aether products feel reasonably priced considering the quality, but they're absolutely on the more premium end of the smart home spectrum.

The Razer Gamer Room, at least in its first iteration, comprises six products under the Aether brand. All six products tie into the Razer Chroma ecosystem with the Gamer Room mobile app and Synapse desktop app, fully support the third-party Matter smart home platform, and are able to sync with each other. The Razer Gamer Room lineup includes:

• Razer Aether Light Strip. One of the more enticing smart light products for many people, the Aether Light Strip is identical in function to the swarm of other light strips on the market, but differs in its ecosystem tie-ins and hub design. The Razer Aether Light Strip is 2m in length and costs $129.99 at Razer, while the 1m extender light strip (of which you can connect eight to one hub) costs $29.99 at Razer each.
• Razer Aether Light Bulb. Another standard smart home product, the Aether Light Bulb costs $49.99 at Razer for one bulb, which is definitely on the pricier side of the spectrum when compared to competitors like Govee or Nanoleaf. This is an A19 bulb that supports E26 & E27 fixtures, and is rated for 25,000 hours of use with an 800 lm max brightness.
• Razer Aether Lamp. The Aether Lamp is one of the more unique members of the Aether family, meant to sit on your desk or shelf and cast omnidirectional lighting. The standard Razer Aether Lamp costs $79.99 at Razer and can display one color at a time, while the more premium Aether Lamp Pro costs $129.99 at Razer and features multi-zone lighting and integrated touch controls.
• Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar. Finally, there's the Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar, which is meant to balance on top of your monitor and cast white lighting in front to support your webcam and RGB lighting in back for aesthetic purposes. The Monitor Light Bar costs $129.99 at Razer.

All six of the products listed above are set up via the Razer Gamer Room mobile app, which is a necessary component. After setup, you can control every product with the Gamer Room mobile app or Razer Synapse. Razer sent me the Aether Light Strip, Light Strip Extender, Light Bulb, Aether Lamp Pro, and Monitor Light Bar to review, so I can't comment on the standard Aether Lamp.

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Razer Gamer Room review: The good

The pros highlights

• Smart home products tend to be most frustrating when first setting them up or relying on the app to work every time, and I haven't had any issues with the Razer Gamer Room.
• Aside from being reliable and responsive, all the Razer Gamer Room products were incredibly easy to initially set up.
• Of course, the lighting looks excellent, too, with each product boasting even and bright colors.

Ideally, you'll only have to set your smart lights up once, but that initial process can still set the mood for how annoying your smart lights will be every day. Plenty of negative reviews for these products highlight the inconsistencies and frustrations of installation and setup, but I experienced none of that with the Razer Gamer Room.

Genuinely, setup was as easy as plugging the products into a power source, opening the Razer Gamer Room mobile app on my phone, and hitting "Add device." The app found each Aether product almost immediately and successfully connected to them on the first try, which frankly shocked me. Since then, I have never once had an issue with the Gamer Room app staying connected to my Aether devices, with all controls working basically the moment I open the app.

Yes, you do need this mobile app to set up the Razer Gamer Room, but PC users can also control all the Aether devices using the Razer Synapse PC software. You can choose to have Synapse take control of any Gamer Room devices whenever your PC is turned on (but the Gamer Room app can take back control whenever you want it to), allowing you to control everything from your PC, too. This worked fine with an Ethernet connection for me, although I sometimes had to turn my VPN off for a minute for Synapse to connect (the Gamer Room mobile app always worked through my VPN).

As far as the controls you have available to you, you'll find all the same RGB customizations and patterns as with other Razer Chroma devices. That means millions of colors and plenty of ways to find the perfect combination for your setup. The Razer Gamer Room app also lets you set routines that control all your Aether devices or change their presets on set schedules, which works well (Razer Synapse does not support this functionality, though).

There's also full Matter smart home integration to tie the Razer Gamer Room products into the rest of your ecosystem, and this works well, too. Razer has done an excellent job with this foundation, although I do hope Razer Synapse gets full parity with the Gamer Room app in the future.

All the new Razer Aether devices benefit from this seamless setup and reliable control, but how are they individually? I'll start with the Aether Light Strip, which replaces my Nanoleaf light strip from before. Light strips like this are a dime a dozen, but Razer's does offer one of the best lighting experiences I've seen, it's stupendously easy to extend with the simple add-on clips, and the hub that powers up to 10 meters of light strips and handles connectivity and controls boasts a sleek, unique design that I appreciate.

The Razer Aether Light Bulb is again entering a competitive market, but this is a good light bulb. It's significantly brighter than my old Nanoleaf with comparable guarantees for its lifetime (up to 25,000 hours) and also offers excellent full-spectrum lighting with the option to switch seamlessly between white tones and RGB lighting profiles.

The Aether Lamp Pro I was sent feels like the most "luxurious" product in the Aether lineup, in that it's an obvious showpiece. It's meant to sit on your desk or shelf and is a multi-zone RGB cylinder that frankly looks incredible. This lamp is mesmerizing to look at whether it's a solid color or rocking a quirky effect, with a clean design that is very well put together. I can't comment on the standard Aether Lamp, but it seems that product saves you a ton of cash in exchange for single-zone lighting and fewer onboard controls.

Finally, the Aether Monitor Light Bar is both the most useful product in the Razer Gamer Room and also the most out-of-place. This is less a smart home light product and more a simple addition to any setup that features a webcam for video conferencing or streaming. Yes, there's Chroma RGB lighting on the rear, but I honestly never really notice it. What I use every day, though, is the front-facing row of white and yellow LEDs that massively improve my office lighting and give my webcam a big boost in quality.

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Razer Gamer Room review: The bad

The cons highlights

• My biggest single issue with the Razer Gamer Room is that the adhesive for the Aether Light Strip is already failing.
• The product line as a whole is targeting the premium segment, too, but the initial Light Strib hub and Light Bulb feel the most expensive in comparison to competitors.

Every single Razer Aether product in the Gamer Room has pleasantly surprised me, especially the Monitor Light Bar (which I frankly didn't quite understand when it was first announced). It wasn't so much the physical hardware, which Razer has massively improved on over the last few years, but the fact that the underlying foundation of setting up and controlling the Aether family is already so great.

However, I do have two complaints. One, the adhesive on the Razer Aether Light Strip is simply not strong enough. The control hub puck that powers the entire light strip is supposed to be able to discretely attach to the underside of your desk, for example, but the adhesive there failed entirely after only a couple of weeks (and now it won't stick to any surface for any meaningful period of time). The Light Strip is also peeling slightly on both ends, although the actual light strip itself is still strongly adhering to the edge of my desk.

It's an unfortunate and easily rectified weakness, but Razer doesn't even include back-up adhesive pads in the box, so you'd have to source them yourself. This is especially frustrating because of how expensive the initial Aether Light Strip purchase is. Altogether, it'd cost $160 just to line the edge of my desk with these lights. The Aether Light Bulb also feels a little more expensive than it should, catapulting straight to the upper end of the market with no options to bundle and get multiple bulbs for less.

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Razer Gamer Room review: Final thoughts

You should buy this if ...

✅You want premium, easy-to-use smart lights for your home or office

It may be called "Gamer Room," but you don't have to be a gamer to love the Aether Light Strip, Light Bulb, or Lamp. These are simply good, reliable smart lights with an easy installation process, and you're getting a premium product (for a premium price).

✅You're already invested in the Razer Chroma ecosystem

If you are a gamer, there's a good chance you have some Razer accessories on your desk. If that's the case, these Aether products will tie into your existing setup seamlessly with Razer Synapse support in addition to the Razer Gamer Room mobile app.

You should not buy this if ...

❌You want the absolute best bang for your buck

If you're interested in dabbling in smart lights for your home or office but don't want to spend much, the Razer Gamer Room probably isn't your best bet. These products are priced in the upper range of the market, and there are plenty of more affordable alternatives from lesser-known companies to help you get started. Just be warned, the setup process and everyday use will likely be less smooth than what you'll get here.

There's something about smart home tech that simply makes it impossible to just "get it right." Even the best players in the space are still plagued with negative reviews from people who were frustrated by the installation process or encountered frequent issues when simply trying to use the products they paid for. Some have worse reputations than other, like Nanoleaf (known for making really great products controlled by a not-so-great app).

Razer obviously isn't going to entirely avoid this, and the Aether family doesn't magically revolutionize the entire smart lights industry overnight. That being said, this is one of the smoothest and most reliable smart light setups I have ever used or have experienced through the eyes of friends and family. It took mere minutes to get everything set up and connected, and since then each product has been immediately responsive and reliable whenever I wanted to make a change (with the exception of Razer Synapse sometimes being weird, as it tends to be).

The Razer Aether line may be on the more expensive side of smart lights and other smart home products, but you are getting some quality devices that do justify that price. I just wish the light strip clung to my desk more tightly than it does. At the very least, it's a fascinating direction for Razer to take, and the success with which the company achieved it is even more shocking. You can check out the Razer Gamer Room at Razer.com.

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I'm a big fan of Xbox Cloud Gaming, even if it rarely gets any time in the spotlight from Microsoft. If you have a fast enough downstream speed through your Internet service provider, somewhere around 20Mb/s or above, you can stream some of the latest Xbox releases without owning a console.

Now, if you don't own so much as a compatible controller, you can pick up Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K bundle for $74.99 and get an official joypad alongside a month's subscription to Game Pass Ultimate (required for Cloud Gaming).

I know it's worth it because I bought one myself, and I've been enjoying laid-back guilty pleasures like Train Sim World and Star Trucker from the comfort of my bed. October Prime Day is over, but the deal is still live, so don't miss out!

The total value of the Xbox Core Wireless Controller ($69.99 MSRP), Fire TV Stick 4K Max ($59.99 MSRP), and one month of Xbox Game Pass ($20/month) equals out to $139.98. As such, getting all three of these things for just $74.99 is an awesome bargain — that's basically $64.99 in savings, which is nearly half off.

Even when factored in the very best Prime Day discounts for Xbox Core Wireless Controllers ($43.93 best deal price for the black version) and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max ($34.99 best deal price), this bundle deal still saves you $23.93 in total. That's pretty sweet.

Of course, one of the best things about this deal is that you get to choose between seven different controller colors, some of which weren't currently selling at very good discounts for Prime Day. So depending on the color you choose, you could get more than $23.93 in savings even with the best Prime Day deals applied for that Xbox controller.

Color-wise, you get to choose from the beautiful see-through Sky Cipher Special Edition, Velocity Green, Pulse Red, Deep Pink, Electric Volt, Robot White, or Shock Blue Xbox controllers.

• Shop all October Amazon Prime Day deals

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

• 💾Seagate Xbox Expansion Card (1TB) | $129.99 at Best Buy (Save $70!)
• 📺Amazon Fire TV Stick | $24.99 at Amazon (Save $25!)
• 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) | $499.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
• 💻Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (Ryzen 5) | $329.99 at Best Buy (Save $250!)
• 💽AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU (8-core) | $164 at Amazon (Save $285!)
• 📺LG C4 OLED 4K TV (42-inches) | $899.99 at Best Buy (Save $500!)
• 💻Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (X Elite) | $799.99 at Best Buy (Save $550!)
• 💻Dell XPS 13 (X Elite) | $999.99 at Best Buy (Save $500!)
• 🎧Sony ANC Wireless Headphones | $228 at Walmart (Save $122!)
• 💻HP Envy 2-in-1 14 (Ryzen 7) | $649.99 at Best Buy (Save $400!)

Is Xbox Cloud Gaming actually good?

To keep your expectations grounded, I can tell you that no matter how fast my connection is or what upgrades Microsoft makes to its servers, Xbox Cloud Gaming will never be completely latency-free — but it's incredibly close. Things improved by an incredible amount around the time dedicated handhelds launched, like Logitech's G Cloud, and incremental upgrades to streaming technology have reduced input delay enough that most games are playable.

However, I won't pretend that playing Xbox games over my Fire TV Stick 4K is synonymous with booting up my Xbox Series S or Series X consoles. Trying to have a serious fight in Mortal Kombat 11 or a firefight in Fortnite feels too frustrating when one or two critical inputs are detected slightly too late. Still, surprisingly, races in Forza Horizon 5 feel fine. It's a game-by-game difference, but first-person shooters are pretty much out of the question for now, even on my speedy Wi-Fi 6 mesh setup.

If you want to dabble in slower-paced games like Core Keeper or Legend of Mana, then Xbox Cloud Gaming is beyond perfect. Just open the Xbox app on Amazon's Fire TV Stick OS, sign into your Microsoft account, activate your Game Pass Ultimate subscription, and start playing. Of course, there is a whole catalog of "normal" uses for a Fire TV Stick, like watching movies and shows, so you could always kick back with some episodes of the Emmy Award-winning Fallout TV show.

More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals

We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:

• Xbox controller deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Xbox SSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Gaming headset deals: Walmart | Dell | Target | Best Buy | Amazon
• MicroSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Gaming handheld deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Copilot+ AI laptop deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Monitor deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Mini PC deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg
• Gaming keyboard deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg
• Gaming mice deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell | Newegg

What you need to know

• Amazon's device division is deep in losses amounting to $25 billion between 2017 and 2021.
• Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is seemingly dropping the downstream impact metric implemented by former CEO Jeff Bezos and zeroing in on products with a clear profit-making path.
• Amazon is reportedly set to launch a new subscription service for Alexa and is already working on a refreshed version of the personal assistant with sophisticated capabilities.

Amazon's vision for its Echo smart home devices with the Alexa voice assistant is worlds apart from reality. As you may know, these devices are designed to transform a basic household into a smart home by leveraging Alexa's capabilities to automate lights, thermostats, security cameras, and more.

Like new-age AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot, users can leverage Alexa's smarts to ask questions, set reminders, play music, automate routine tasks, and more. While hundreds of millions of customers have Alexa-enabled devices, they are not using them for their intended purpose (via The Wall Street Journal).

Amazon launched the smart devices with the Alexa in 2014. In a perfect world, the company pictured users breaking the bank buying products on Amazon while using the devices. However, this didn't come to fruition as users were more inclined to use the free apps of smart gadgets to set alarms and check the weather.

According to internal documents, Amazon lost over $25 billion in its device business between 2017 and 2021. The losses cut across its Echo devices and other products, including Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, and video doorbells.

In an attempt to reverse the sinking smart device ship, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy will reportedly introduce a paid tier of Alexa sometime this month. However, engineers working on the project aren't confident about the move and don't believe it'll be enough to save Amazon's device business.

Interestingly, Amazon is still "well-positioned" and has established numerous profitable businesses under its devices department. According to an Amazon spokesman, “Hundreds of millions of Amazon devices are used by customers around the world, and to us, there is no greater measure of success.”

How Amazon remains afloat despite the massive losses

While millions of households have smart devices powered by Alexa, Amazon isn't necessarily racking up profits from this business. How does the division continue to run despite the reported losses?

During Jeff Bezos' era as CEO, Amazon picked up an obscure metric dubbed downstream impact. The metric assigns a financial value to a product based on the customer's spending pattern within Amazon's ecosystem after buying the product. This explains how the device division remained afloat despite the huge losses.

For instance, Amazon categorizes revenue from ads featured on Fire TV streaming devices as part of Fire TV's overall revenue. Another example is when customers buy smart-camera doorbells from Ring, they automatically get security subscriptions, too. In such an instance, Amazon thinks of the purchase and subscription as direct revenue. Amazon Music (with a $10 monthly subscription) also helped make Echo devices seem profitable. 

Echo smart devices and related products are reportedly sold at or below the manufacturing cost, making the downstream impact metric more important for Amazon's business model. Despite the struggling business, Amazon's device department grew to more than 15,000 staffers across its products.

Profitability and recovery from racing Google to the ground

“When launching products back then, we didn’t have to have a profit timeline for them,” said a former Amazon devices exec. “We had to get the system in people’s homes, and we’d win. Innovate, and then figure out how to make money later.”

Jeff Bezos' reign at Amazon was seemingly more focused on shipping high-tech products to consumers than making profits. This campaign included selling products at low price tags and even giving away some units for free as promotions to drive more sales. 

At the time, Google was also venturing into the smart home devices landscape with significantly low-priced alternatives. Google and Amazon were striving to get their devices in every household. “We were constantly checking their pricing." stated a former member of the Echo team. "There would be water cooler talk like ‘what are we trying to [do], race Google to the bottom?’” 

When Jassy assumed Bezos' responsibility as Amazon CEO, he did a profitability review of the company and disbanded products in development with no clear path for generating revenue. Jassy reportedly required team leaders to demonstrate the profitability path for various products without utilizing the downstream impact metric. 

As a result, many products and services were disbanded in the process, including Halo, Amazon’s fitness wearable, and its video-calling Amazon Glow gadget. Jassy's efforts to help Amazon recover from the massive losses include encouraging the team behind Echo devices to explore more ways to generate revenue from the device and in-built Alexa technology — hence the paid subscription tier for Alexa code-named "Banyan."

Amazon is reportedly working on an Alexa refresh — Remarkable Alexa. The product will feature new technology and more sophisticated capabilities. It will allow consumers to control their smart homes using their voices, rather than the conventional way that requires them to launch the app on their smartphones.

Interestingly, part of the development team isn't convinced that the new Alexa will be "a compelling enough product" worth paying for alongside the long list of service subscription fees users pay monthly, including Netflix, Copilot Pro, and more. 

Air conditioning is a rare luxury worth every penny in a UK heatwave. Americans will regularly scoff at our complaints of an uncomfortable 80°F to an unbearable 90°F but ask any tea-drinking Brit, and they'll gladly tell you how our houses are built to keep the heat in. So, I'll never regret spending £329.99 at Toolstation on a portable air conditioning unit (and £15.99 at Amazon for a window seal) that keeps my home office at a comfortable 17°C (that's 33.8°F,) and neither will you. US residents can still pick up similar units, like the $360.99 SPT Portable at Best Buy if you're without dedicated AC.

The essential extra that really SEALS the deal

These portable air conditioners need somewhere to redirect the hot air from your room, which usually involves a giant, thick ventilation tube hanging out of a nearby window. It's similar to how some older tumble dryers work in the UK, but you'll need a way to maintain your room's cool environment without most of it escaping.

I used my first portable AC, rated for 9,000 BTU, for a few days with a lingering sense of buyer's remorse because it barely cooled the room by a few degrees until I realized what was happening.

Buying a suitable window seal kit at Amazon for around £15.99 allowed me to keep the temperature low by keeping my office door closed and the outside heat at bay. These kits are far from anything fancy; you attach a shaped piece of cloth to your window frame with velcro strips and push the exhaust tubing through an elastic opening. It looks comical to anyone passing by, but I guarantee you won't care if people think you're hanging pillowcases on the window once you feel the cool breeze in your room.

I understand how silly (and eco-unfriendly) it might seem to try to cool a room full of electronics, which kick out a generous amount of heat on their own. However, I also don't have much choice. While I can sit in the darkest, quietest room in my home with a laptop, eventually, I'll need the software suite installed on my desktop PC, which quickly raises the temperature in my home office. These portable AC units aren't silent either; quite the contrary, but a good headset is enough to ignore the noise.

Nevertheless, I can tell you that if you've been mulling over the idea of buying a portable air conditioning unit for your toasty UK home, you will not regret it. I sit here like Mortal Kombat's own Sub Zero as I type this in the comfort of my chilled office, now akin to a walk-in supermarket fridge. Those in the USA might find this whole thing strange and overblown, but the more fragile of us in old Blighty melt at the first sign of sunshine — Brits, buy the air conditioner you wish you had bought last year and keep your office cool during a heatwave.

Earlier this year, I reviewed both Nanoleaf Lines and Nanoleaf Shapes, and found that I loved both of these smart lighting options. They are modular, so I was able to come up with a design I liked before sticking them to the wall above my gaming monitor and over my TV. Something I love is that they offer softer ambient lighting but still get plenty vibrant. Plus, I can control their effects and exact colors right from the Nanoleaf app. 

Right now, Nanoleaf is hosting a large sale for many of its smart lights and many major retailers are also getting in on the deals. My favorite Nanoleaf Lines are just $179.99 at Best Buy right now and the Nanoleaf Shapes are only $199.99 at Best Buy while these discounts last. 

Customizable lighting you'll love

One of the things I love most about Nanoleaf Lines and Nanoleaf Shapes is that they are modular, meaning that I was able to come up with a specific layout that looked good for the rooms I placed them in. I put the Lines above my gaming monitor in a triangular design that looks sleek and futuristic. The included command panel allows me to quickly turn the lights on with the press of a button. There's even a random button for quickly jumping to different color options and effects. 

Alternatively, I can open the Nanoleaf app and choose the exact colors and effects that I want the Lines to convey. If I happen to be jamming out to my music, I love turning on a reactive effect and watching the colors dance in rhythm to my favorite tracks. 

Since my gaming room already had the Nanoleaf Lines in them, I decided to put my nine Nanoleaf Shapes over my TV in my living room. I specifically have the Limited Edition Ultra Black Hexagons, which are completely black when turned off but convey lively colors when turned on. In that way, you can get a more varied range of effects from these black panels than you can from the white ones. 

I wanted my Nanoleaf Shapes to frame my OLED TV, so I came up with a design that complimented this idea. Once a layout was decided, I simply had to use the included Command Hook-like adhesive to apply each panel to the wall one at a time. It didn't take all that long and now I have fun wall lighting that can be turned on during parties or simply when I'm playing my favorite Xbox games. If I don't feel like whipping out my phone to change effects, I can press the random button on the lowest panel and it will choose a color theme and effect to instant display. 

Nanoleaf also has several other products on sale during this site-wide event, so be sure to check additional deals at the Nanoleaf website. If you aren't interested in applying lighting panels to your walls, then you should check out Nanoleaf Smart Bulbs, Nanoleaf Lightstrips, Outdoor String Lights, or the Umbra Smart Lamps. 

My time with Nanoleaf has helped me understand that this company does a fantastic job of producing reliable and quality smart lights that will look good in any room. There are other smart lighting brands out there, but many of them will not look this good, nor will they allow you to have as many customization options. At any rate, you'll be sure to find something from Nanoleaf that fits the vibe you're specifically looking for.

Smart lighting is all the rage these days, allowing people to easily add a colorful vibe and various effects to their homes that they can customize with the use of their phones. One of the biggest names in the smart lighting game is Govee and it so happens that the 32.8-foot Govee Outdoor LED Smart Strip Light that can be controlled via both Wi-fi and Bluetooth is currently at a major $30 off discount at Best Buy bringing the price down from $79.99 to just $49.99. 

Quickly add a colorful vibe to your home or yard

I personally have smart strip lights installed on top of my kitchen cabinets and I love the way they provide a calming vibe to the evening. This placement means that no harsh direct light is visible. I have my strip lights scheduled to turn on with a warm orange glow at 4 pm every day but when we have guests over, I use the app to change to more colorful hues and effects.

These specific Govee LED strip lights are designed for the outdoors with a IP65 water-resistant rating. As stated by Govee, this means that they can withstand a few light splashes from the pool or the misting of sprinklers without any damage. But you don't want to fully submerge them in water. This being the case, they're ideal for placing along the eaves of houses, under furniture, or below the lip of any structure that juts out (like under an outdoor fireplace) to protect them from storms and intense water splashes. Apply them next to a surface also allows them to bounce light around for a gentle ambiance effect. Plus, these strip lights have a music mode that allows them to sync with your favorite songs, which is perfect for parties or just chilling. 

Strip lights are incredibly easy to install. You simply clean off the surface you want to apply them to, peel off the adhesive, press the lights to the intended area, and then plug the adapter into power. Voila, you have light! Once you sync the light strip with your phone, you'll be able to adjust colors and patterns, set schedules, and do much more from within the Govee app.

Over the years, I've continued to see various Nanoleaf lighting products appear online and have often wondered whether these modular smart home panels delivered the customizable, colorful lighting experience they promised. The Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons specifically caught my eye as the perfect game room accents since they are capable of going from black to strong hues and everything in between. So, I installed some on my wall to see just what they are capable of.

But are these panels actually worth buying? I've spent several hours playing video games with these Nanoleaf panels installed behind my OLED TV just to find out if they make for one of the best gaming accessories. 

Disclaimer: This review was made possible thanks to a review unit provided by Nanoleaf. The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.

Nanoleaf Shapes: Price and availability

Nanoleaf Shapes are offered in either hexagons, triangles, or mini triangles, and all of them are rather expensive. This is partially due to their excellent color capabilities, customization options, and modular build. There are less expensive alternatives out there, but many look tacky or might not offer as many customization options. So whether or not Nanoleaf is worth the cost depends on what you value in your lighting.

For this review, I specifically set up the Limited Edition Nanoleaf Ultra Black Hexagons that come in a set of nine light panels. This package has an MSRP of $219.99. However, you can also find Nanoleaf Hexagon panels in smaller packs that don't cost as much. 

You can purchase Nanoleaf Shapes in the US at various retailers, including Best Buy (which currently has a $20 off sale) and the Nanoleaf website, which also ships internationally to most countries. Just note that certain options aren't available at all locations. Last I checked, Amazon did not have a listing for the Ultra Black Hexagons, though it did have Ultra Black Triangles in a 9-pack for $219.99. 

So, what exactly do you get in the box? I found nine Hexagon panels, nine mounting plates (already connected to the panels), 11 pieces of mounting tape (basically Command Hook tape), a power adapter with a long cable, a control panel, 10 Linkers (for connecting panels and providing power), and an instruction manual in the box.

Nanoleaf Shapes: What you'll like

There's a lot to like with the Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons. They look attractive while on or off, they're relatively easy to install, and they produce vibrant colors. I'll start by discussing the installation process and then go into their color abilities and customizable effects.

Installation made easy

The actual process of putting the Nanoleaf Shapes up on the wall isn't that hard, but I did get hit with a massive wave of indecision when trying to figure out what kind of pattern to create. 

Thankfully, Nanoleaf includes layout software in the app and on its website to help you see what different layouts would look like, so I didn't have to physically arrange the panels to find my preferred arrangement. This program even shows me where I should put the Linker connectors in order to supply power to all panels, which is handy.

The included mounting tape that comes with the Shapes is basically Nanoleaf's version of Command Hook tape. This means it can theoretically be removed without damaging your wall. Still, it won't be the easiest thing to get your fingers behind the panels so you can pull the tape down for damage-less removal, so I suggest picking a layout you'll be happy with for a long time.

Since a cabled connection powers the Nanoleaf Shapes, I decided I wanted to put these Hexagons on the wall in a way that would mostly hide the charging adapter cable that dangles down. I also planned a layout that would make it so I could reach the control panel, which also gets attached via a Linker. This is part of why I decided to put the colorful panels above my TV as an accent piece since the large screen would mostly hide the cable.

The controller itself allows me to turn the lights on and off, adjust brightness, toggle between static presets, change to reactive effects, or get a random Scene. It is a nice and fast alternative to whipping out my phone when I want to get the lights up and running quickly. 

Design-wise, the panels feel sturdy, and the Linkers can be pressed together or separated relatively easily with a bit of wiggling, so I was able to make adjustments before finalizing what would go up on my wall. 

Once I knew what shape I wanted to create, I followed the illustrated instructions in the manual to put the Linkers in their proper panel slots, and then I laid out the panels on a clean surface in the design I wanted them to be in on the wall. After that, I wiped my designated wall down with a soapy rag to remove any dusty and greasy residue.

Once it dried, I applied the included sticky mounting tape to the back of the first panel's mounting plate and then used a level to ensure I placed it in the correct orientation. It had to be pressed against the wall for 30 seconds to ensure it was secure. I was then able to install the rest of the panels based on this initial panel's placement.

It's worth noting that Shapes mounting plates rotate, which is helpful in case you put the panel on askew and it needs a slight rotation to fix, but it is also something to be wary of when putting additional panels on. If you aren't careful, you might accidentally rotate a panel and have a bit of a gap between two hexagons, so be sure to apply them carefully and at the right angles.

When everything was in place, I plugged the power adapter into the wall behind my TV. There was a lot of extra cord that I didn't need, so I grabbed one of the twisty ties that had secured the cables initially and used this to tidy up the excess length to keep everything organized.

Aside from awkwardly leaning over my TV to press these panels into position, the installation process was very quick and painless — though I did have to wipe fingerprint smudges off of the panels after doing this since they were everywhere.

Nanoleaf Shapes installation tips

During this process, I learned a lot of things I wish I had known before setting up my Nanoleaf Shapes. Here are some tips for when you do your own installation. 

• Use Nanoleaf's Layout Assistant to experiment with Shapes placement. 
• Plan your layout in such a way that you can reach the control panel and that you can reach a power outlet with the charging adapter. You might want to consider placing the connecting power adapter somewhere so that the cable won't be visible (like behind your TV). 
• Wipe down any surface that you plan on setting the Nanoleaf Shapes on so they don't get dirty. 
• Wash your hands before handling the Shapes so fingerprint smudges aren't as visible.
• If you do get fingerprint smudges on the panels, lightly dampen a washcloth with water and then gently clean the smudges. But don't get any of the connection points wet. 
• If you're trying to keep a specific angle or straightness, use a level when putting your panels up. 
• Panels can rotate, so make sure they are in the right position before connecting another panel to them. 
• Hold on to one or two of the twisty ties that are tied to the power cables, and use this to tidy up any excess cable length you don't want visible. 

Displaying everything from pure black to a vibrant rainbow

Before plugging the lights in for the first time, I was impressed by how sleek the Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons look on the wall. They work as a cool accent piece whether or not they are on. Then, when the panels receive power, they offer an equally impressive color range. If I get close and look at the Shapes, it's easy to see that the areas next to the hexagon corners tend to be a little lighter in color than the rest of the panels. However, after stepping back a few feet, the lights look colorful and constant in their hue, so while not perfect, they do provide great lighting during standard viewing.

Additionally, being able to go all the way from black to vibrantly saturated colors allows for a lot of depth and shades in between. This dynamic look is helped along by the many effects available for the panels. After I set it up, I was able to control Nanoleaf Shapes from my phone via an app, the included control panel, a smart assistant (Google Assistant, Alexa, Apple Home), or touch gestures. All of these options make it very easy to interact with in whatever way is most handy at any given moment. 

The Nanoleaf app (for Android) (for iPhone) is an even mixture of convenience and strange limitations. It definitely could use some polish to provide a more intuitive experience, but it works well overall and allows me to get the colors I want from my lights.

Within the app, I can select from a group of preset effects and color options as well as make my own. I had fun picking colors on a color wheel, grouping these colors together, and adding effects to create what's known as a Scene. Meanwhile, grouping multiple Scenes together can make a Playlist.

For instance, I put a bunch of pastel orange and yellow colors together with a wheel fade effect and titled this Scene 'Gentle Sunrise.' It's soothing and fits the chill vibe I want to wake up with in the early morning, so I scheduled it to turn on at 9 AM every day. It doesn't look like there is a way to rename a preset Scene after I've initially created it, though.

If you don't want to take time to make your own Scenes, there's also a handy Discover button within the app that takes you to a page where you can download Scenes and Playlists created by other Nanoleaf users for free. I found some really cool options this way.

I also love that the app allows me to choose from several audio-reactive effects. There is a microphone in the control panel, so when the mic detects sound, the panels respond accordingly when set to a reactive effect. To test this out, I played some of my favorite music, ranging from soft melodies to harder metal tracks, and it was always fun to see the Shapes respond with whatever effect I had selected. 

Another nice thing is that the app detected the panel layout I had set up, but it asked me to specify the exact orientation. That way, when I selected different effects, it would know how best to display them. For instance, knowing to pulse left and right when on a reactive audio bar.

Nanoleaf Shapes: What you won't like

Aside from the high price tag, which will make several people pause, the biggest problem I had with the Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons is that the app can be somewhat finicky. The initial pairing process between the Hexagons and my phone via a QR code didn't go smoothly.

Since there were no instructions for this in the included manual, I had to consult the official Nanoleaf page on how to pair Nanoleaf Shapes on Android. Even then, I eventually had to enter the pairing code manually before I got the lights to connect. It's also worth noting that pairing only works on a 2.4GHz network, so it might not work with your internet setup, depending on what you have.

Additionally, the app doesn't always lay things out in a clear way or doesn't offer all of the options it should. When I was setting up lighting schedules, I found it odd that I could choose a start time, but I did not see any end time options. What's more, the process for selecting a preset color scheme and effect during the schedule setting wasn't clear at all. It took me a long time to realize that instead of listing color options below the other schedule options, I had to long press on the Hexagons and then choose a preset within this new window. The app could definitely use an update that would make it more intuitive.

On a less negative note, you might have noticed that there is a lot of dust in all of the pictures I took. This wasn't me being messy. No, I was baffled by the amount of dust that covered the panels when I opened the box. In some places, it was layered on extremely thick to the point of almost being disgusting. It seems Nanoleaf is aware of this dusty packaging since a microfiber towel is included in the box. I ended up using this towel quite a lot, and thankfully, the dust was easily removed.

Nanoleaf Shapes: Competition

Outside of Shapes, Nanoleaf offers plenty of different lighting options for you to consider. One of the most beautiful alternatives is Nanoleaf Lines, which are also installed on a wall with mounting tape. They're designed to hover just off the wall to offer soft, ambient lighting to whatever room they're in. Like Nanoleaf Shapes, Nanoleaf Lines are controlled with a physical control panel, the app, or a smart assistant. A 9-pack sells for $199.99.

Looking at Nanoleaf alternatives, one of the biggest competitors in the space is Govee. As you can see from our Govee AI Gaming Sync Box Kit review, it offers gorgeous lighting to any office or game room without requiring wall installation. That's because the lighting comes from a box and two light bars that can be stood on your desk or TV stand. This colorful lighting option also has an MSRP of $199.99.  

Nanoleaf Shapes: Should you buy them?

You should buy this if...

• You want to spice up your game room, office, or entertainment area with colorful lighting.
• You'd like the ability to create custom panel patterns and lighting effects.
• You specifically want colorful lighting that looks tasteful and elegant. 

You should not buy this if...

• You don't want to spend a lot of money on colorful lights. 
• You'd prefer a different shape than hexagons. 
• You're not comfortable putting light panels on your wall. 

After installing the Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons on my wall, I have a new-found appreciation for Nanoleaf. These panels provide such vibrant lighting to my main gaming room and react in a fun way to the music or game sounds in my environment. Thanks to their modular design, I was able to set them up in the way I wanted and have also been able to customize the lighting to match the vibe I wanted for my room. 

While the app definitely could use some polish, and the panels are definitely expensive, they offer professional-looking lighting effects for those who are willing to pay for them.

Adding colorful lighting to any game room is a fun way to create ambiance. The thing is, many colorful lighting products can look tacky or don't offer enough control to let you customize them the way you want.

It's in these ways that Nanoleaf smart lighting shines above its competitors. I was intrigued when I saw Nanoleaf Lines since these are designed to bounce reflected light off a wall rather than shine directly into a room. 

But are they worth buying? I installed some above my monitor to see if they make for one of the best PC gaming accessories you can get. Let's dive in and discuss my experience.

Disclaimer: This review was made possible thanks to a review unit provided by Nanoleaf. The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.

Nanoleaf Lines: Price and availability

Nanoleaf is a big name when it comes to ambient modular lighting. This company's products are rather expensive, but they provide an elegant splash of color to your room that you can customize. A lot of other lighting brands don't look nearly this good and don't let you make as many adjustments. 

The Nanoleaf Lines Smarter Kit 9-pack that I specifically reviewed has a $199.99 price point. However, there are smaller packs available for less. You can purchase Nanoleaf Lines at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Nanoleaf website. What's more, Nanoleaf ships to most countries around the world. 

Nanoleaf Lines: What you'll like

My Nanoleaf Lines Smarter Kit came with nine light lines, nine mounting connectors (with mounting tape already on the back), eight connector caps, a controller cap, a processor and power connector, a power supply with a long cable, and an instruction manual. This gave me everything I needed to get the lights installed.

Unlike Nanoleaf's other panel lighting, which glows outward toward a room, Nanoleaf Lines are designed to hover an inch or so while facing a wall to spread soft, ambient lighting through a room. It's very effective and beautiful to look at. I have sensitive eyes and often get headaches when in brightly lit areas. So, I appreciate that the Nanoleaf Lines design allows color to permeate through my office without using direct, painful lighting.

Each Light Line can be pressed into a hexagonal mounting connector, which offers six connection points, so you can create any design you can think of. Honestly, determining what layout to finally go with was the most challenging part of my Nanoleaf Lines experience. So, I appreciated that a paper with several design options for nine lights was included in the box, as this gave me a reference point to start with.

I also relied on a helpful Layout Assistant in the Nanoleaf app (for Android) (for iPhone) that allows me to experiment with different patterns by dragging and dropping lines to different locations. I can even tell the program how many lines I'm working with, and then I can press a button that generates a new layout based on the specified number I gave. It's very helpful for those who often find themselves in the prison of indecision.

Overall, the Nanoleaf Line installation process was straightforward. I connected the lines and mounting connectors together in such a way that the controller cap was at the lowest point so as to make it easy to reach the controls. Since the power cable also extends from the controller cap, I chose to put it just behind my computer monitor to hide the unsightly cable a little better.

Next, I prepped the wall by wiping it down with a soapy rag and then waited for everything to dry. I love that the Lines' mounting connectors come with mounting tape already applied to them, as this means that I didn't have to spend time applying tape myself. When all was ready, I peeled off the backs of the mounting tape, picked up the entire preassembled layout, pushed it against the wall, and pressed each mounting connector there for 30 seconds until everything stuck.

I recommend using a level while applying your shape to its surface if you want a meticulous application. For instance, I started my installation by pressing on the two center points of my layout only to find that the outer mounting connectors were sagging under the weight of everything, so a level helped me maintain the geometric precision I was going for.

There were some issues getting the Nanoleaf app installed, which I'll talk about later, but once I got the Lines paired to my phone, I was able to get some fantastic colors to show up in my office. There are several preset Scenes (color patterns saved for specific effects) to choose from in the app, and I can create new ones, too. This includes choosing specific colors from a color wheel and determining if I want to have the lights simply glow, throb, or have a reactive audio effect. I can even determine how fast dynamic effects are. Additionally, the Discover tab within the Nanoleaf app houses Scenes and Playlists created by other Nanoleaf users, so I can download these to the app whenever I find something I like.

Since the Nanoleaf Lines have a microphone, they can react to music and sounds. I tend to listen to my favorite artists while playing PC games, so it was fun seeing the responding effects light up above me as I played. Of course, I can make adjustments to the lighting to be less distracting if needed, and I just have to reach up and interact with the controller cap to do it.

Altogether, the Nanoleaf Lines controller cap has a power button, brightness up and down buttons, preset up and down buttons, a randomizer button, and a music effects button. These controls are easy to interact with and always respond quickly to my input, so I don't have to whip out my phone to make adjustments unless I want to.

Nanoleaf Lines: What you won't like

My biggest hope for Nanoleaf is that it will update its app in the near future to make it more intuitive to interact with. The lights themselves are awesome, and so are the effects you can choose from, but the app interface and settings need some refinement.

My biggest frustration with the Nanoleaf Lines was getting them to pair with my Android phone. Be aware that they do not work on a 5GHz network and can only be used on a 2.4GHz one. A QR code for pairing is located on the cable with the processor. However, despite scanning the QR code multiple times, I never got it to work, even after consulting the official webpage for how to pair Nanoleaf Shapes on Android. 

After several failed attempts, I finally attempted to manually type in the code (located on the processor), but the app failed to respond to my request several times. Eventually, everything connected and functioned as it should. I'm not sure if this was just an issue with my phone or a standard problem, but it's also something I experienced when setting up Nanoleaf Shapes.

Another thing to be aware of is that the Nanoleaf app is a bit clunky and doesn't always offer the options I expect. Nor does it always have a layout that would make the most sense. As an example, I found it odd that I could set schedules for the Nanoleaf Lines in the app, but this only allows me to choose a starting time and not an end time. Meanwhile, certain options like the Layout Assistant are tucked away in parts of the app that are harder to find and might be easy to miss. 

Nanoleaf Lines: Competition

Before considering other brands, you might want to take a look at the other products Nanoleaf has on offer. I personally did our Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons review, and I found these modular panels provided excellent color. They even look cool as an accent piece when turned off. Just like Nanoleaf Lines, Nanoleaf Shapes are very expensive, with this 9-pack at $119.99 MSRP.

Govee is often considered Nanoleaf's biggest competitor, so I'll also direct you toward our Govee AI Gaming Sync Box Kit review. If you're not so keen on installing anything on your wall, this makes for a great alternative. It comes with a Sync box as well as two light stands, so you can get plenty of color on your walls without having to mount anything to them. However, it's also rather costly, with a $199.99 price point.

Nanoleaf Lines: Should you buy them?

You should buy this if...

• You're looking for a product that provides soft yet powerful ambient lighting.
• You like the idea of assembling your lights in a unique pattern and customizing lighting effects. 
• You want lighting that looks professional and sleek.

You should not buy this if...

• You're looking for a less expensive lighting option for your gaming room or office. 
• You prefer the look of Nanoleaf's other lighting products. 
• You want colorful lighting, but you don't want to apply anything to your wall. 

There's no getting around the fact that Nanoleaf Lines are expensive, but their gorgeous ambient lighting looks so good that the price is worth it. Colors come through extremely well, and being able to customize light patterns as well as audio-reactive effects makes for a sleek accent in any gaming room. 

I wish the app had a more intuitive interface and paired a bit more easily. However, it does provide plenty of customization options to help me get the lights doing just what I want them to. You get what you pay for, and in this instance, that nets you professional-looking lighting that can make any room glow with soft ambient light. 

What you need to know

• The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs from Jan. 9 through Jan. 12 in Las Vegas and is a place where many tech companies announce new products and services. 
• At the event, Nanoleaf revealed its latest smart lighting experiences starting with the new Orchestrator software that helps lighting respond to sound in real time with advanced beat detection. 
• Nanoleaf also announced its first-ever outdoor lighting options that are also Matter-compatible. 
• The most interesting announcement in my opinion is Nanoleaf Skylight — brand new ceiling light modules that you can customize to provide the perfect ambiance and brightness levels to any room they're installed in. 

Today during the first day of CES 2024, the smart light company, Nanoleaf, revealed new ways to experience its smart lighting offerings, but one of these has caught my attention far more than the others. So what all was announced? First off, there's the new Nanoleaf Orchestrator software which works better than the current Nanoleaf Rhythm software to detect sounds and match pulsing colors to the beat and rhythm. Then there are three new Essentials Matter color-changing smart lights (some for indoor and some for outdoor use) to help you get the exact look you want from various areas of your home. 

Lastly, (and in my opinion most importantly) there's the new Nanoleaf Skylight, modular ceiling lighting that can help each room get the exact vibe you're looking for. You can learn more about each of these Nanoleaf reveals below and learn why exactly I'm so excited about Skylight. 

Skylight modular ceiling lights provide the lighting effects I've been waiting for

Up until now, Nanoleaf has mostly focused on modular wall lighting, lighting strips, and light bulbs. But now, the company has revealed something completely new that I am actually really stoked about. Nanoleaf Skylight is a flush-mounted square modular lighting kit that attaches to your ceiling rather than your wall so you can add color and brightness to a room from a more natural angle. 

What's more, the lighting is soft and you can set preset effects from your phone such as "Sun Shower" which makes a room warmly lit (and is ideal for waking up), or "Gentle Rain" which provides a calming purple-blue lighting effect. You can even put these effects on a schedule so that they automatically go from one effect to another at various times. 

Now, Nanoleaf's wall lighting is all well and good for use in my office or video game room. But there's no denying that it casts a harsher, angled shadow on people in the room unless you have enough lights to go on all of the walls and light things from all sides, but that's expensive. This is why I'm very interested in this new ceiling lighting, which will do a better job of lighting the full room with a more natural lighting angle that shines down from above.

As with most smart home lighting, Skylight isn't cheap, though, The initial Skylight Smarter Kit is a whopping $249.99 and comes with three modular lights which you can arrange in whatever way you see fit. One of these lights needs to be hardwired and then the rest just need to be connected to that initial light to work. Of course, if you purchase additional expansion packs (1PK for $69.99), you can extend the lighting effects further throughout a room with the possibility of up to 101 module lights connected in total. That many modules will cost you a pretty penny, but it will also make for a pretty effect.

Obviously, I'm not going to be grabbing 101 of these babies (cause I'm not made of money), but I am very interested in installing some over my bed and over my kitchen table. You see, I'm prone to headaches when in the presence of harsh lighting, which can be frustrating during game nights or dinner parties with friends where I want to have plenty of light for my guests to feel comfortable.

As such, I've already installed dimmable lighting throughout my home to deal with this issue. However, I'm sure the soft lighting and pleasant effects of Nanoleaf Skylight will be gentler on my sensitive eyes and more convenient to use from my phone than what I've currently got set up. Plus, the idea of setting the lights in my bedroom to change colors gradually and help me wake up in the mornings sounds far more effective than using a small sunrise clock that I might turn away from in the night.

If you're interested, Nanoleaf Skylight is already available for preorder and the first shipments are expected to go out in late January 2024.

Nanoleaf Orchestrator software is the smarter way to create real-time lighting responses

Another major CES announcement from Nanoleaf this year is Orchestrator, the company's new music reaction software that takes things a step smarter than the current Nanoleaf Rhythm software. 

As Nanoleaf said in a press release, "Unlike existing music visualizers today which merely pick up on any audio or sound within a space, Orchestrator connects directly with your computer’s sound source and isolates the response to your device for the most accurate real-time audio visual experience." The press release goes on to explain that, "The result is dynamic light shows perfectly synchronized and designed for each of your personal playlists and favorite songs."

Orchestrator is planned to release sometime in Spring 2024 and will work with the Nanoleaf Desktop App while being "compatible with any streaming platform or audio player." That way, you should be able to get it to work with whatever music service or program that you prefer. 

Nanoleaf finally releases its first outdoor lighting products and expands Matter-compatible light line

The last thing Nanoleaf announced at CES this year is its addition of three new Matter-compatible lights. Nanoleaf's compatible Matter products include everything from light bulbs and recessed downlights to lighting strips that can be customized right from your phone with over 16 million colors and various effects. But now, the company is continuing to expand its Essentials Matter compatible line with the addition of three new products — Indoor lighting strips, outdoor string lights, and permanent outdoor multicolor lights.

It's also worth noting that these are the first outdoor lighting products that Nanoleaf has ever produced. That way you can get your patio, apartment balcony, or gazebo area lit up just the way you like. 

As the Nanoleaf website explains, Matter is a program that unifies your system so that "all of your devices can finally play nice" together. In other words, you can get the beautiful lighting you want throughout your home even if the lighting you're using wasn't initially intended to work with other lighting.

As such, these latest Nanoleaf Essential Matter lighting options sync with other Nanoleaf Matter lighting products and can be controlled with the Nanoleaf App using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The new Nanoleaf Essentials Matter devices are expected to release sometime in Spring 2024.

CES 2024 runs from Jan. 7 through Jan. 12 this year and we at Windows Central will be here to cover additional announcements going forward so check back to get the latest news. 

A little while ago, Nanoleaf offered to set me up with some of its products for testing. The offer came while I was (and still kind of am) swamped in a mountain of products for review, so it has taken me longer than I wanted to finally get around to putting my thoughts on paper. If you've read any of my reviews, though, you've seen Nanoleaf in action. A few lights have made my office more personalized, my TV more interesting to look at, and my photography lighting more effective.

Nanoleaf isn't perfect, but the experience has been just consistent and pleasant enough that I can recommend these products to anyone looking to give their home a literal glow-up, as long as you're willing to pay the rather high price. If that's not enough information for you to make a decision, though, read on.

Disclaimer: This editorial was made possible by review units provided by Nanoleaf. The company did not see the contents of this article before publishing.

Time consuming setup, but simple to understand

Smart lights are something that can appeal to anyone looking to spruce up their home, so the setup process for those lights needs to be straightforward, reliable, and long-lasting. Nanoleaf only truly nails one of those facets, but it has made improvements in other areas. Setup can be time-consuming and even frustrating, but the overall process was easy-to-understand (and pairing was pretty smooth).

For reference, here are the four products Nanoleaf sent to me to test. Out of the four, the Light Bulbs and Lightstrips are easiest to recommend, and they're also the most affordable entryway into the world of smart lighting.

• Nanoleaf Essentials Matter A19 Smart LED Light Bulb | $19.99 at Best Buy (1-pack) | $49.99 at Best Buy (3-pack)
• Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart LED Lightstrip | $49.99 at Best Buy (80-inches) | $89.99 at Best Buy (200-inches) | $19.99 at Best Buy (40-inch Extension)
• Nanoleaf Lines 90-degrees Smart Kit | $99.99 at Best Buy (4-pack) | $69.99 at Best Buy (3-pack Extension)
• Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror + Lightstrip Kit | $99.99 at Best Buy (Up to 65-inches) | $119.99 at Best Buy (Up to 85-inches)

The light bulb is the easiest to install, as expected. Simply screw it into your average light fixture, scan the accompanying QR code to set it up in the app via Bluetooth, and you're good to go! This is an RGB LED smart light, so you have a ton of different options for control in the app. I find that the bulb does usually take a few seconds to connect after opening the app, though, despite being powered all the time. It's a minor frustration, but one to note nonetheless.

The lightstrip was also easy to install, using a ton of adhesive to stick to your surface of choice and controlled via a simple white hub that plugs into an outlet. Pairing follows the same formula: scan QR code, connect via Bluetooth. Fortunately, I never experienced any of the initial connection frustrations with the lightstrip that I did the light bulb. I'm concerned about how strong this adhesive is, though, with the lightstrip already peeling at either end and the hub having fallen once. It's a similar complaint I have with the 4D lightstrip, which feels barely adhered to the back of my TV.

Speaking of the 4D Screen Mirror kit, both it and the lines kit are connected via Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth. Nanoleaf has massively improved its connectivity issues of the past with its "Thread" technology that links Wi-Fi connected products together, but both the Lines and the 4D Screen Mirror kit were the most frustrating to set up. It took me multiple attempts to get the Wi-Fi connection to work, with the setup process requiring you to disconnect and reconnect to your home network and directly to the products themselves. Once connected, though, the Lines have been rock solid. The 4D kit... not so much.

Connection issues (mostly) in the past, but it's still not perfect

The Screen Mirror kit for my TV works most of the time, but it's definitely the most finicky and compromised Nanoleaf product I tested — Unfortunate, since it looks amazing when it does function as intended. The initial setup saw the camera failing to connect for multiple attempts, and the first day saw me recalibrating the camera multiple times. After that, though, things stabilized a lot. However, I still have intermittent issues with this product, specifically. Sometimes I'll open the app, and it'll fail to properly connect (an app restart normally resolves this).

Sometimes, the lights will simply stop responding to my TV entirely, usually after sitting on one screen (like the Xbox Dashboard) for an extended period of time. In those cases, using the app to switch the lights from "4D" to "3D" modes and then back to "4D" typically fixes it. Another issue was how it would simply get colors wrong, regardless of calibration, which is likely related to how awkward it is to position the camera juuuuust right to actually be able to see the TV. If you have any other lights in the room, too, the camera might pick those up and affect the lights.

The majority of my issues were squarely with the 4D Screen Mirror kit, but there are other, more minor flaws in Nanoleaf's ecosystem. The cloud sync to connect your devices to a new phone simply did not work for me, for example (fortunately, re-pairing each device to my new phone was incredibly easy and took very little time). The light bulb, as mentioned before, often takes a few seconds before it'll connect and respond. I wish there was a more definitive way to sync my Lines and Lightstrip together, too, to ensure they're always displaying the same color even in scenes.

For the most part, though, these issues are either small or infrequent. 99% of the time, my office looks great and is easy to control when I need to (the TV... probably closer to 75% of the time). The smart light bulb, especially, has been an excellent addition to my setup, aiding me in providing proper lighting for my photos. I'm super pleased with how my office looks now, and I could absolutely see myself expanding in the future... But I'd always have to be conscious of that price tag.

A great (but expensive) way to light up your home

It may seem like I have a lot of complaints, but I do love my Nanoleaf products. It's unfortunate that we still seemingly can't expect seamless perfection from smart home products, even from one of the largest smart home ecosystems in the world, but Nanoleaf is investing in continually improving these issues. Each of my products regularly received firmware updates, for one, and the Thread network does aim to massively increase the reliability and consistency of multiple Nanoleaf products being used in tangent.

When it comes to ecosystems, Nanoleaf is still the top dog. Integration with Matter and with various voice assistants, a huge assortment of different lighting products, and a top-notch companion app make Nanoleaf a no-brainer for larger smart home setups. However, Nanoleaf doesn't come cheap, and those prices may especially sting when you're considering products that are more-or-less just cosmetic (and still aren't entirely perfect).

Govee is often considered Nanoleaf's biggest competitor, and both provides more product options and regularly undercuts Nanoleaf's prices. Nanoleaf differentiates itself with more features and better smart home integration, but those looking to just add a few lights to a non-smart home may be better off with Govee. Nanoleaf comes out on top in overall quality, but costs quickly pile up if you want the full setup. I suggest starting small with smart light bulbs or lightstrips (both of which worked great for me), and waiting for Nanoleaf's frequent sales and bundle opportunities. I'd also suggest maybe avoiding the 4D Screen Mirror kit until Nanoleaf releases a few more firmware updates for it, because it's genuinely the only product here I didn't totally love.

Nanoleaf is here to stay in my home. Despite the minor issues I've experienced (especially with the TV lightstrip), these lights look so good and offer so much control that they're easily forgiven. Costs are my only real concern with Nanoleaf's ecosystem, but beyond that, this is still one of the best ways to give your home a glow-up.

There are quite a few great options for smart lights nowadays, but one of the most cohesive and intuitive ecosystems still belongs to Nanoleaf. A pioneer of the market, Nanoleaf has a vast assortment of diverse smart light products to make your home more personal, and a lot of it is being discounted for Black Friday 2023.

I've actually been using Nanoleaf products for some time now (expect my full thoughts here on Windows Central in the near future), and I heartily recommend them to anyone looking for a household glow-up. Nanoleaf lights look great and are highly customizable, and everything past the initial setup has been smooth sailing for me. A ton of products are on sale for a limited time, but I've picked out just the very best deals for you.

• More Nanoleaf deals: Up to 55% off smart lights at Nanoleaf
• Amazon: Even more savings on great Nanoleaf products

Endless ways to make this light your own

I actually use Nanoleaf products myself! Right now, I have a lightstrip, some lines, and a smart bulb in my office. The products have worked great for me, and have added a ton of color and life to my previously drab workspace (it's also spruced up the many images I take for reviews here at Windows Central). I'm also about to get a 4D Screen Mirror kit to take my setup to the next level! You can expect my full thoughts on all of these products soon, but I can give you my recommendation now.

Nanoleaf is a fantastic way to add more light and personality to your home. Setup is straightforward, and the Nanoleaf mobile app makes it incredibly easy to customize all your various lights with one of countless themed scenes (or you can veer off the beaten path and create your own custom scenes with over 16 million different colors). Organize your lights by room, and access them all from one convenient place. Many of Nanoleaf's products also support Matter, integrating them into one of the most popular and powerful smart home ecosystems in the world.

In the past, Nanoleaf products have had a reputation for constantly losing connection. I'm happy to report I haven't experienced any of those issues. Sometimes my smart bulb can take a few seconds to connect to my phone when first opening the app, but it always does so and then works reliably and quickly. The only issue I've had with my Nanoleaf setup is when I bought a new phone — the cloud restore broke all of my settings and failed to sync my Nanoleaf products. I simply reconnected my Nanoleaf lights to my new phone, ignoring the cloud restore feature, and everything went swimmingly.

If you're looking for a way to inject some color into your home or office space, Nanoleaf is an excellent way to go. Right now, you can save a ton on Nanoleaf products, too, so this is the time to do it. Don't wait too long, Nanoleaf's Black Friday deals aren't going to last.

You can grab two segmented LED strip lights from Govee for just $34.99 at Amazon thanks to the $15 off on-page coupon. These lights never drop this low naturally, so you've got to look for the coupons. Otherwise you'll only ever find them going for around $50 with a few sales as low as $43.

Govee has a lot of different configurations and models, and you can save in other ways. For example, if you don't need smart functionality and want a light strip that's a little smaller you can grab this LED strip light that's on sale for $17 from a street price around $26 thanks to both a direct discount and the $3 off on-page coupon.

We have reviewed Govee strip lights in the past, and they do not disappoint. You get a lot of capability, including some very customizable lighting, at a very good budget price. Many of these light strips include advanced features like Bluetooth compatibility and even some smart features.

This particular option on sale today is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. That means you can turn the lights on and off with just your voice, adjust the brightness, or even switch colors. You can also use an app on your smartphone for even more advanced options like dynamic light effects, Music Mode, and even a weekly schedule.

These LED strip lights come in two 16.4-foot segments that cannot be cut. They have built-in IC chips that let you display multiple colors at once, and the segments are large enough that you can transform the lighting in any room in your house. 

You won't have a problem installing these either. They have an easy-to-use adhesive and support clips that make the strips easy to attach just about anywhere. They also come with a wireless remote controller. 

With the New Year fast approaching, healthy lifestyle resolutions are getting formed. One of more well-intentioned resolutions people often make that often fall to the wayside as the year progresses is to keep their homes clean and offices tidy. With 2023 on the horizon, you can enlist the help of a robot vacuum to help with tidying your office, and these smart home assistants can help vacuum and even mop the floors around your desk. We've rounded up some of the best deals on robot vacuums for Cyber Monday, and the best part is that some of these models start at around $100. 

Affordable robot vacuums

Starting at $99

A better affordable upgrade

Vacuums with self-emptying docks

Purchasing a vacuum model with a dock brings many benefits to help you continue to keep your floors clean without too much hands-on intervention. The robot vac can return to its dock to recharge after its done with its cleaning duties, for starters, and it can also empty the content of its collection into the dock if you choose a model with a self-emptying dock.

Save $200

For offices with pets

Sweeping and mopping

For offices with hard floors, getting a combo wet-dry robot vac is a great solution. These vacuums not only suck up dirt, but it will also have a water tank attached to help mop and sanitize your floors as well, making them an even more versatile companion than traditional standalone robot vacuums or robot mops. 

Bagless HEPA Clean

Ultrasonic clean

Self-refilling and self-emptying dock

Accessorize the rest of your office or game room!

In addition to keeping things clean, organized, and tidy, be sure to have some fun in your space. Whether you're in a home office or your game room, adding comfortable and ergonomic seating will help improve posture and reduce backaches, while adding some mood lighting can help create a warm ambience in your space. And all these gaming room accessories are also on sale for Cyber Monday!

Welcome to our epic NAS HDD Black Friday deals round-up! Network-attached storage is all the rage these days, and whether you're new to building NAS servers or want to boost an existing one, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are usually the best times to dive right in. 

We have mountains of deals to choose from here, from Western Digital Red through to Seagate and Toshiba, with software and features that resist vibrations from rattling server cages lined with other HDDs while also being designed for non-stop use. Our team of experts perused over the best NAS HDDs to help bring you this list, which features savings both big and small for all budgets, all shapes, and all sizes. 

Best Black Friday NAS HDD storage deals

There's a large varitey of storage options to choose from here, whether you want to stay budget conscious or get really extreme with a set-up for large, deep storage amounts for RAW video files and beyond. Our team that produces our best NAS guides tends to prefer the Seagate IronWolf Pro and WD Red series options. Their "Pro" HDDs tend to be a little more expensive, but they come with peace-of-mind reliability features as well as a boosted warranty. If you're serious about NAS storage solutions, this may clinch the deal for you this Black Friday, through Cyber Monday. 

What you need to know

• Amazon will deliver a software update in the coming months that will allow Eero routers to use an Internet connection from the mobile hotspot on your phone as a backup.
• Eero Internet Backup will be useful when your main ISP fails. You'll be able to tap into your mobile carrier's data network when the DSL, cable, or fiber service goes down.
• The service will be available to existing Eero routers, so a hardware upgrade won't be necessary.
• The downside is that the service will only be available through Eero's optional subscription service, so you'll have to pay to utilize Eero Internet Backup. 
• Amazon is also expanding its hardware lineup with new Eero devices made for SMBs and A/V use. 

As part of its fall devices showcase, Amazon introduced a notable update to its Eero mesh networking router series that will enhance the Internet experience for users. Through a software update, Eero mesh wireless devices will gain the ability to connect to your smartphone's mobile hotspot to ensure that you don't lose Internet connectivity when your cable, DSL, or fiber service goes down through a feature called Eero Internet Backup.

"Internet outages are frustrating when they happen, and are even more disruptive as we continue to work, learn, watch, and play games from home," the company wrote in a blog post describing the new feature. "That’s why we’re introducing Eero Internet Backup, which lets you wirelessly connect your Eero network to a backup internet source, like a mobile phone hotspot."

With Eero Internet Backup, you can configure the mesh network to connect to any one of up to eight nearby mobile hotspots or Wi-Fi networks as a backup to your main home network. If your ISP signal goes down, Eero will tap your mobile phone's hotspot, for example, and keep you connected to your favorite video streams, downloads, and work.

While existing Eero owners, like those using the Eero Pro, won't have to upgrade their hardware to take advantage of Eero Internet Backup, the biggest downside with this latest update is the feature will be paywalled.

Though Eero devices are ready to be used out of the box, Amazon offers a suite of additional features, including access to password managers, VPNs, and anti-virus tools, through an optional subscription plan that extends that adds additional features to the router. Eero Internet Backup will only be available to those subscribing to Eero Plus.

"Eero Internet Backup will be available in the coming months to all Eero Plus subscribers and select ISP customers," Amazon stated. "With Eero Plus, we’re simplifying our subscriptions for our retail customers and moving to only offering Eero Plus, formerly known as Eero Secure+. Eero Plus includes all the same features our customers know and love from Eero Secure+, like advanced parental controls, network insights, and Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS), as well as access to three top-rated security apps: Malwarebytes, 1Password, and Encrypt.me. It also adds the benefits of Eero Internet Backup, to deliver a comprehensive wifi solution. Learn more about the rebrand to eero Plus."

While the feature definitely extends the usefulness of Eero during an ISP service disruption, it doesn't go as far as what rival Netgear has done with some of its Orbi mesh router models. In addition to being able to connect to traditional ISP networks, like fiber or cable service, a few of the Orbi models come with 4G LTE or 5G radios that allow them to tap mobile cellular data networks as well, like a traditional mobile hotspot. Eero's hardware to date do not come with the built in cellular modems and instead will rely on a nearby smartphone to handle the heavy mobile data lifting. 

During the same media event, Amazon also announced new Eero devices that are aimed more towards small businesses. The new Eero mesh router and gateway both support power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities. The new Eero PoE 6 is a Wi-Fi mesh router that can be wall or ceiling mounted, while the new Gateway supports 2 x 10 gigabit ethernet and 8 x 2.5 PoE-enabled gigabit ethernet interfaces. 

“At Eero, we started with a vision of bringing simple, reliable, and fast Wi-Fi to customers across the globe, and now our wifi solutions are in millions of homes around the world,” said Nick Weaver, co-founder and CEO of Eero. “As we look for ways to continue to solve challenges for new types of customers, we’re thrilled to expand our offerings to professional installers and small businesses with these new PoE products and services.”

Amazon stated that the Eero PoE 6 can cover up to 2,000 square feet of space and allow more than 100 devices to connect. The mesh router retails for $299, while the Eero PoE Gateway will sell for $649.

What you need to know

• Kindle Scribe will be the first Amazon Kindle e-reader that delivers a digital pen experience.
• You'll be able to take notes, make to-do lists, draw, annotate books, sign PDFs, and more with the battery-free digital pen.
• Kindle Scribe will come with an ecosystem of accessories, including covers, choice of basic or premium pens, and stands. 
• It ships with a 10.2-inch e-ink display that lasts for weeks, not hours or days, according to Amazon, with a resolution of 300 PPI.

Amazon is ready to take on traditional tablets, like Microsoft's Surface Pro 8 and Apple's iPad Pro, with its latest e-reader: Kindle Scribe. As its name implies, Kindle Scribe ships with a digital pen that allows you to take notes, draw, doodle, sign PDFs, and more. 

Unlike the Surface Pro 8 or the iPad Pro, Kindle Scribe is not about apps, as Amazon is looking to expand its e-reading experience with digital note-taking. 

“Kindle Scribe is the best Kindle we’ve ever built, creating a reading and writing experience that feels like real paper,” Kevin Keith, vice president of Amazon Devices, said in a prepared statement. “It's inspired by the Kindle customers who have added billions of notes and highlights to books over the years, and it’s also ideal for reviewing and marking up documents, managing your to-do list, or doodling over a big idea. Plus, it offers all the Kindle benefits customers know and love—millions of books on demand, adjustable fonts, premium reading features, and weeks and weeks of battery life—with the benefit of a beautiful, large display.”

This makes Kindle Scribe not only a challenger to the Surface Pro and the iPad Pro for note-taking and document signing, but the latest member of Amazon's Kindle family will also take on dedicated e-ink tablets, like the Remarkable slate. 

The Scribe uses a 10.2-inch e-ink display, which Amazon claims continues to maintain its weeks-long class-leading battery life for digital displays, with a resolution of 300 pixels-per-inch. The display is front-lit and is glare-free for eye comfort during long reading sessions. The front light can auto-adjust based on the environment around you.

To take notes, Amazon will offer two pen experiences, and shoppers can choose a premium or basic pen option. The pens can attach to the Kindle Scribe via magnets, and there is no need to worry about recharging the pens. Documents can be uploaded to the Scribe via the Send-to-Kindle experience, and Amazon promises a future update that will allow you to sync Microsoft Word documents to Kindle Scribe seamlessly.

Amazon will offer various templates that will allow you to create to-do lists, tracking tasks, and take notes in a notebook with lined or unlined pages.

Kindle Scribe is available for pre-order today starting at $339, and it will be available in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage capacities. Amazon will also offer a host of accessories, including covers, for the Kindle Scribe.

In addition to Scribe, Amazon also announced updates to its Echo line of smart speakers and the company launched a new contact-less bedside sleep tracker called Halo Rise that uses advanced machine learning to analyze your sleep patterns.

Improve your smart home with even more smart lights thanks to this 3-pack of Philips Hue A19 multi-color smart bulbs on sale for just $67.99 at Amazon. You get to that price thanks to a direct discount down to $80 and a 15% off on-page coupon you can clip for some bonus savings. The 3-pack normally goes for around $120 and was selling higher than $130 in April, so you're benefitting from some huge savings here. 

These Philips Hue bulbs are really simple to use because thanks to Bluetooth you can easily add them to the Philips Hue app on your phone, connect them to an existing group of lights you might already have, or even use them with a Zigbee hub. Easily control your new lights with just the press of a button or a simple voice command. Add up to 10 Bluetooth bulbs this way or get the Philips Hue hub to control up to 50 lights at once.

The lights have a full range of RGB customization. You can choose from millions of colors and shades. Just the White ambiance offers up to 50,000 shades of light from warm white to cool daylight. You can set up routines so the lights shift between colors based on steps you set up in advance. You can even create timers or other triggers that change the colors for you. You could say "Alexa, it's movie night" and your lights will darken to set the mood. 

These are also very durable bulbs that are rated to last up to 22 years or through 25,000 lifetime hours based on average use. 

Best Buy's latest series of daily deals includes the Govee Dreamview TV light bars on sale for $104.99. The Dreamview from Govee normally sells for around $150 including similar versions found on Amazon. This is one of the best prices we've seen, but this is part of Best Buy's Deals of the Day so the drop is temporary. Grab it soon and either get free shipping or just go pick it up at a local Best Buy and have it within a couple hours.

We have reviewed a similar system, the Govee Dreamview T1 Pro. Daniel Rubino gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 and said, "I was impressed with the Govee DreamView system. It is easy to set up and affordable, and it has a robust ecosystem that I am now very likely to buy into."

The Dreamview TV includes TV backlighting and two smart light bars that can create atmospheric lighting that responds to and syncs with whatever you are watching. Basically this lighting is going to elevate your home theater, creating a better experience while binge watching movies or playing video games. 

In addition to the lights themselves, this system includes a 1080p Colorsense camera and a control box. The camera helps the lights react to the environment. 

Beyond the way the lights work automatically, you can also control them individually thanks to embedded independent control chips. Sync your new light bars with your smart home and you can control the lights with your voice using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. You can also use the Govee Home app on your smartphone for even more customization.

We go pretty hard on Prime Day around here, so we know that Amazon's big sales event can get pretty chaotic. Even if you do save some money and find some tech you love, it's pretty easy to not see something really good just because you're already looking at so much. So it's especially when those same items that dropped in price during Prime Day choose to drop back down afterwards. That's what is happening in this deal.

You can get the Amazon Echo 4th-generation smart speaker on sale for $59.99 today at Amazon. The only other times it has dropped this low are during Prime Day and during last year's Black Friday sales. So it's pretty unique to see it going on sale just because. The smart speaker normally sells for around $100, and even when it does go on sale usually only goes as low as $80 on a regular day. Today is your chance to make up for a missed opportunity.

You might be more familiar with the Echo Dot than the Echo at this point, but the latter should not be dismissed because it has a lot going for it. For one thing, it is a very powerful speaker that is capable of adding detailed sound to any environment. It can even adapt its audio to the room its in. Plus, the Echo supports lossless HD audio, which means you get an amazing listening experience that's even more supported by programs like Amazon Music HD. 

Of course it is a smart home hub and has Amazon Alexa built right in. You can use this to control your entire home. Check your locks, monitor your sensors, turn your lights on and off, and all of that good stuff. It even works with Zigbee devices and Ring solar lights. Set up routines with your Echo so it can do smart things like turn on the lights as you walk in the room or start up your coffee machine when you get to the kitchen.

The Echo can also sync with your other Echo devices to create a multi-room audio setup. You can use it to answer phone calls without using your hands. Plus, it has a lot of built-in privacy controls including a button to turn off the mic when you don't want Alexa listening in.

I'm not looking to spend my rent money on a new computer or go broke for a new TV, but I am looking for Prime Day deals on the accessories and items that are practical to me. I'm talking about items I know I'm going to replace eventually anyway, items I just need more of, or even those inexpensive gadgets I know could last me for years if I just go for them while they're discounted.

A lot of these deals are going to be familiar purchases. Most of them are going to be items you can put to immediate use, and they will be things you use quite frequently. The fact that nothing on the list is more than $55 is just icing on the technology cake. We can even start with a couple of freebies you can start using before you're done reading the list (but, you know, come back and finish).

For me, a good deal always starts with the product. Price is great, and on days like today a lower price is even better, but the cost doesn't mean much to me if the product is a dud. 

The best bang for your buck

Obviously given that Prime Day is hosted by Amazon, there are a lot of smart home options. Most of them start with the word Echo, sure, but there are plenty of other fantastic deals out there. For example, the 4th-generation August smart lock has dropped to $149.99 for the day. It has never gone below $170 before and more regularly goes for around $220, so this deal has some huge value. 

You have several smart lock options for Prime Day

I bought the 3rd-generation August lock a couple of Prime Days ago. While I've owned several Echo Dots, the smart lock was my first move into a more niche smart home product. Instead of a general smart speaker that can answer all of my questions, this is a device meant to do one thing and do it well. But at the same time, I'd always asked myself if it was worth it. I mean, I already have a lock. It does locking pretty darn good. What's it got to be smart for?

Turns out those smart functions really change the game in a lot of ways. I set my lock to automatically lock itself after it has been unlocked for a few minutes. I'm a fairly forgetful guy, so that's definitely peace of mind for me. Plus, if I'm ever not sure I don't have to go all the way down to the door to check. I can just ask "Alexa, is the front door locked?" We can't be prepared for everything, but it's nice knowing every exit is closed up for the night without having to do a home tour.

I also love the wireless connectivity. Just this morning I came home with a whole bunch of coffee and not enough hands for my keys, so I pulled out my phone and unlocked my smart lock from the app. I still needed to do a little parkour to open the door itself, but eliminating the traditional Fumble of the Keys from my routine certainly made things a little better.

There are a lot of other little things that make a smart lock really nice to have. I can grant guest access to my sister-in-law so she can come visit with little hassle. I set it up to unlock automatically when my wife comes home from work and lock behind her, and she loves that. Plus I get notification anytime the lock is used, so when my curious 3-year-old who just loves to sneak away whenever he can finds his way to the front door, he's never getting outside unsupervised.

A great less expensive option

• See all the Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

We've been following a lot of Prime Day deals, and you can keep track of all the best ones with our Prime Day live blog that continues throughout the day.

Govee offers a massive range from simple reels of LED strips for subtle placement behind bookshelves and screens to flexible multi-colored ropes acting as more obvious art pieces proudly mounted in the center of living rooms. The latter, Govee's RGBIC rope lights, are enjoying up to a 41% discount at Amazon during today's Prime Day sale and sold me on the prospect of tasteful RGB wall art.

Until fairly recently, my home office sported drab, magnolia-colored walls, a landlord's favorite. So once I could decorate, Govee's customizable LED lighting quickly augmented my space, turning me into an RGB-loving gaming stereotype, and I love it.

• See all the Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Save up to 41% on Govee RGB lighting

Buying a property with my partner allowed us to start from scratch with a brand new space for the both of us, all laid out with plenty of room for our hobbies and home working. Just before this move, Govee was about to release the LED Neon Rope Lights and offered me an early look for a review.

Suitably impressed with the flexibility and customization options, the rope lights come packaged with a choice of adhesive pads and screw mounts for a more permanent wall-mounted look.

Since re-decorating, I've been able to try out the sticky pads and come up with some ideas for a rainbow-colored animated shape to show off in the background of my office, now doubling up as a gaming space.

Huge reels of LEDs are on offer, like the Govee 32.8ft RGBIC strip light, also 41% off, so I've jumped on these Prime Day savings to order more, my plans expanding to run a hidden glow around the shelving and bookcases. Everything syncs up with the companion Govee app, so soon enough, I'll have this room transformed into an unassuming workspace by day and a gamer's neon paradise by night.

Stay tuned to Windows Central as we're keeping up with the best savings with our live Prime Day Deals roundup, including even more brilliant savings on Govee RGB lighting.

Govee offers a massive variety of RGB lighting kits, from flexible reels of LEDs you can position around shelves to incredible multi-colored wall panels. There's plenty for neon-loving gamers looking to personalize their space, like the Govee Glide Hexa light panels, now only $130 at Amazon, down 35% from MSRP during Amazon Prime Day.

We've rounded up some of the best Govee sets on offer during the two-day sale event, including kits we've taken a closer look at for reviews.

• See all the Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Save up to 35% on Govee LED lights

Stay tuned to Windows Central for the next few days as we're keeping up with the best savings with our live Prime Day Deals roundup.

Every iteration of the 2nd-generation Ring Alarm system is on sale right now! You can get the 5-piece system for $119.99, the 8-piece system for $149.99, or even the 14-piece kit for just $199.99. That's a savings of $80, $100, and $130 respectively compared to their regular prices. These are lows we only see during huge sales events like Black Friday or Prime Day. And, hey, look at that... Prime Day is right around the corner. That's probably not a coincidence.

You will need your Amazon Prime membership to even see the savings here, but if you aren't a member you can sign up for a 30-day free trial and still benefit from deals like this. That 30-day free trial not only gives you all the benefits of Prime, but it will also get you ready for the Prime Day sales event that's happening here in mid-July. You should get ready because we're already getting ready with roundups that include things like the best Prime Day laptop deals.

If you go with the 5-piece kit you will get the Ring Alarm base station, a keypad, a contact sensor, a motion detector, and a range extender. The 8-piece kit adds three more contact sensors, which are useful if you have several potential entrances you want to monitor. The 14-piece kit includes an extra keypad, four more contact sensors on top of the four from the 8-piece kit, and a second motion detector. If you have a larger home, and especially if you tend to exit from different sides of the house for whatever reason and want to make use of that keypad, then you should consider the larger kit. 

However, the nice thing about Ring Alarm is that it's super easy to setup and lets you build the system yourself, however you want to. So you can start small now, decide you need to expand the system later, and then add onto it. Once it is all set up, all the sensors and contacts can communicate with the base station, which then communicates with your smartphone or even your smart home for great control over the whole thing. 

Use the free Ring app on your phone if you want to monitor your security system even while you're away from home. You can also pair the system with Amazon Alexa and get voice control. Adjust the smart alerts you get, arm or disarm the system, and more with just your voice.

The Govee 16.4-foot RGBIC LED light strip has dropped to a low of $25.89 on Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon that takes $3 off the price. It is actually already discounted without the on-page coupon because it sells for around $34 normally. So the extra few bucks off in addition to the direct discount brings it down to the lowest price we've seen. That's a lot of value for a light strip we really like that includes smart home functions. 

We reviewed a version of the Govee light strip that doesn't include the smart home functionality of the one on sale today, and you can read about that right here. Even without those extra features, the light strip garnered some praise and 4 stars out of 5 from Jez Corden. He said the light strip is "a great beginner option for adding some color and pizzaz to any home dwelling. You could slap these behind a desk for extra ambiance while working, you could stick them up behind a TV like I have, or put them in the background while streaming to your fans on Twitch."

In the case of the one on sale today, you actually can do a lot more with it. The built-in Wi-Fi and its compatibility with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant means you can add this strip to your smart home. You can set it up to be controlled by your voice or through an app on your smartphone. With the mic built into the strip, you can have it sync to music, too.

The light strip is easy to install, too, since it has adhesive and five support clips. You won't need any extra tools to attach it wherever you want. 

Father's Day is this week, Friday June 19. Have you gotten a gift for dad yet? Or are you a dad and want to get a gift for yourself? Might as well take advantage of your special day and save some money! As a dad myself, saving money sometimes IS the special gift. Amazon's Father's Day sale includes a ton of smart home devices all down to low prices, which makes this the perfect time to smarten up your home. The 4th-generation Amazon Echo Dot, for example, has dropped to $27.99 today. That's $22 off its regular price and a match for the lowest it has ever been.

Want to see what else is on sale? Check out the full landing page for Amazon's sale. You'll find deals on the Fire TV Stick media streaming player, the Fire TV Cube, Echo smart displays, and more. Pick your favorite because they are all discounted.

We actually like the Echo Dot has a media remote for the Xbox. It's so easy to use with Amazon Alexa's Xbox skill. Control y our console with your voice, which includes functions like turning it on and off or loading up your favorite games or just turning the volume down. There is something really convenient about being able to pause a game or continue playing a movie without lifting a controller.

The 4th-gen Echo Dot is also much more powerful than the 3rd-gen and other versions. The new design gives it the sort of volume that lets it fill a room with music if you want it to. Plus it can hear you from much farther away so you don't even have to get off the couch to get Alexa to tell you the weather. Plus, Amazon is always adding new functionality like the ability to change the voice or even play games.

Don't forget if the Echo Dot doesn't suit your needs, there are a lot of ways to save in the ongoing sale from Amazon. Happy Father's Day!

Amazon is taking out the guesswork and confusion of starting your smart home with this awesome bundle deal with its Echo Dot. Being able to pick up one of the best smart speakers available today while also getting a handy smart light is a great way to get your smart home built rolling. It's even sweeter when that smart light is free with your smart speaker purchase — right?

Our friends at Android Central found that the new Amazon Echo Dot with Clock was one of the most helpful smart speakers they've come across. Aside from the voice assistant, Alexa, the built-in LED clock on the front makes the most basic functions like finding the out time easy. While this smart speaker doesn't have a full-fledged display, it's LED clock is still super-helpful.

Alexa is great for all sorts of tasks, from getting help with those random questions throughout the day to playing your favorite songs. Alexa is great at helping to keep you on task with reminders as well as keeping a shopping list for you. If you want to push Alexa to the next level, then add some smart devices to your home.

This bundle pairs up one of the best smart lights with one of the best smart home deals to get you going without any fuss. This Sengled smart light is packed with the ability to schedule lighting, the full range of colors, and of course, voice controls with your new Echo Dot smart speaker. Amazon is making it easier than ever to add its wonderful digital voice assistant to your home while making lighting your home just as easy by tossing in a smart light along with its smart speaker.

Thinking a little more about protecting your stuff? Invest in the SimpliSafe home security system on sale for $129.99 at Best Buy. This is one of Best Buy's deals of the day, so the price is temporary. However, it is one of the lowest prices we've ever seen for this system, which normally sells for around $200 or more. This version on sale is the 5-piece SimplISafe. The last time we saw this security system on sale, the 8-piece system was also discounted. That's not the case today, which says the deal is a lot more limited. Grab it while you can.

The 5-piece set comes with the SimpliSafe base station, the central command of your entire system. It also has a keypad, four entry sensors, and a motion sensor. If you decide to spring a little extra for the 8-piece kit, you'll get an extra motion sensor, two more entry sensors, and a key fob. You can always start small and expand later. That's the fun part of a modular system like this. It's easy to install and setup so you can always do more later as needed.

You get plenty of smart features with this system. For example, it can be controlled from your phone. Just ddownload the mobile app and you can even add guests or customers that can control the system when they need to. Link the system to your Amazon Alexa smart home and you can check the status of the system with a voice command. You can even arm it from anywhere.

The sensors are engineered to detect heat signatures, and they can tell the difference between humans and animals so you won't get any false alerts when your dog gets the zoomies while you're out. You can also sign up for 24/7 professional monitoring that can alert the police when your system does detect an intruder.

Other features include a compact design for the sensors so they won't stand out in your home, power failure protection so that SimpliSafe will keep on keeping you safe for up to 24 hours after a power outage, and more.

Smart light strips are the new hotness, with game streamers and popularizing pretty Christmas lights for your home, only all-year round. There are tons of options on the market, as white label manufacturers line up and share their tech with various brands across the world. Finding smart lights that are actually good and provide a decent experience can be a bit tough, but one brand has cut through the clutter and emerged as an undisputed frontrunner in the space.

Say hi to Govee, a smart light ecosystem manufacturer that has proven itself a mainstay of the trend, thanks to a high-quality app experience and some seriously impressive value. We went hands on with their RGBIC LED Strip Lights with Bluetooth integration to see whether they can best our previous, more expensive option. These lights might make it into an ideal best budget streaming setup for those looking to get into the space.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights (Bluetooth): Price and availability

The Govee RGBIC Light Strip (Bluetooth) is available at all major retailers including Govee's own website for $24 dollars. You get a huge amount of lighting for the price, alongside great app integration with solid features. This makes for a great gift for younger friends and family potentially, especially those who aren't interested in full-blown smarthome integration, since this works only with the Android and iOS mobile app via Bluetooth (which is free).

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights: What you'll like

I've used Govee before, and remain impressed with the general quality of the products they put out. This RGBIC Strip Light has a solid array of features, and is versatile for all sorts of surfaces and user scenarios.

Right now, I'm generally using strip lights to add backlighting to my TV. For that purpose, using the self-adhesive surfaces on the back of the strips is a simple case of peel and stick, after cleaning dust from the adjoining surface, of course. Govee provides instructions for creating corner loops, along with 3M self-adhesive holders (along with screws) for a reinforced hold. I didn't bother using these, but if you want to, they're provided in the box.

Source: Windows Central

Set up is also incredibly easy. The strip lights boot up in pairing mode, and come complete with a small interface in-line with the cable for switching modes and activation. The Govee Home app for Android located and paired up with the lights almost instantaneously, eliminating any potential headaches that often come with these types of products. From there, I was pretty much good to go.

The app itself is also very well made and comprehensive. You can customize each individual light strip segment, with a huge range of music-activated scenes, timer scenarios, and custom light shows. They reach about 820 lumens on maximum brightness which is decent, and the brightness can be further customized in the app, even per segment.

There's a large range of customizability options within the app, as well as a user-created service for different types of scenes, and highly responsive music response modes that can turn your dwelling into your very own personal disco.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights: What you won't like

Source: Windows Central

The biggest downside of this product is the lack of integrations. This is a basic strip light system with a Bluetooth interface, although it does have some in-line controls on the cable too. Despite having an app which could have easily integrated with Alexa or another service like Smart Life, you can't set up any smarthome integrations with this app at all, which is a bit of a shame.

Besides that, there's not really anything hugely negative to say about the product. Given its affordable price point, generous light offering, and solid app experience, this is a product that delivers a good experience for the cost. There are definitely brighter options out there, and products with better integrations, but you may have to pay a little extra to get it.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights: Competition

Govee has a range of similar products that do offer that much-needed Alexa integration, often costing around the same or slightly more, depending on how much lighting you need. Just be sure to search for "WiFi" or "Alexa" while searching for Govee on Amazon, or indeed, on Govee's own website

There are some slightly brighter lights out there, including the Corsair Elgato ones I reviewed more recently, but they often come with a heftier price tag.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Lights: Should you buy them?

The Govee light strips with Bluetooth are a great beginner option for adding some color and pizzaz to any home dwelling. You could slap these behind a desk for extra ambiance while working, you could stick them up behind a TV like I have, or put them in the background while streaming to your fans on Twitch. The integrations and features are a bit limited compared to some other products out there, but the price is absolutely right with this set.

You should buy this if ...

• You want a basic light setup without smarthome features
• You don't want to pay too much

You shouldn't buy this if ...

• You want additional features like Alexa integration

I don't think anyone will be disappointed with this product as long as you know what you're buying from the outset. They provide some good illumination for a relatively low price.

If you're a smarthome enthusiast you may want to skip these, unless you're planning to buy for a youngster just for them to control via their phone. Otherwise, they're pretty great for the asking price.

Add some smart functionality to your garage with the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener on sale for $26.79 at Amazon. Stack two discounts including the $10 off on-page coupon and the coupon code GYG2X33V that adds another couple bucks off the price. The final discount is more than $13 off the regular price and one of the best prices we've seen.

You can also save on the Meross smart outdoor plug and get it for $5 off with code HU8LXKFZ. A plug like this is especially great for controlling Christmas lights or other outdoor lights you don't want to have to manually unplug every day.

The original Meross smart garage door opener was simply the result of a successful crowdfunding campaign on the website Indiegogo back in 2018. Since then, Meross has become a great company for simple smart home products.

The garage door opener adds remote and voice control easily to your existing garage door opener and doesn't require any extra hub or anything like that. It's compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can use the Meross app to turn your phone into a garage door remote control. This is great if you manage to get all the way to work only to remember you left it open. It's also a way to let in guests, forgetful children, and others when you can't get to the door.

You can get notifications that let you know whether the door is opened or closed, overnight notifications that help remind you to close it, and more. It comes with strong adhesive that you use to install it, making the entire set up process quick and painless.

The device has a high-sensitivity sensor that monitors the status of the garage door and always stays stable. It's also very easy to install and comes with the tools you need to do so.

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars for a home security system that lets you check in on what's happening at your home while you're away. In fact, Hoop's home security cameras are an affordable choice that beat most of the competition now thanks to a major sale that's going on currently at Amazon and Hoop's website. There are two main models available, including the Hoop Cam and the Hoop Cam Plus, which regularly start at $59.99, though thanks to today's sale, prices are starting as low as $29.99 on these 1080p HD cameras. Just be sure to clip the coupon on the product page of the camera you choose to score today's deal.

These offers are coming to an end on Monday, August 17 so be sure to place your order before then.

While there aren't too many differences between the Hoop Cam and the Hoop Cam Plus, there is still a crucial feature worth mentioning that you won't find on both models. Though you can buy either option in white, red, or black, the Hoop Cam Plus is the only model which allows you to pan the camera up to 360 degrees or tilt up to 45 degrees. That means you can view the entire room even while the camera is in the center of it, while the Hoop Cam doesn't allow for that functionality.

Both cameras feature night vision, real-time notifications when sound or motion has been detected, two-way communication including a microphone and speaker, and voice assistant functionality that lets you use Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for voice control.

Amazon offers free shipping on orders totaling $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping with no order minimum, as well as access to all of Prime's perks such as the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts and more.

Having an LED light strip behind your TV or computer desk can work wonders not just for your eyesight but on the overall look and feel of your room, too. Right now, you can even score the Govee Smart Wi-Fi LED Strip Lights on sale at Amazon for just $29.99 when you use promo code 285UV8J3 during checkout. That saves you nearly $15 off its usual cost of $44, and it also beats the lowest price this kit has ever reached without a code before.

This Govee backlighting kit comes with two light strips measuring 16.4 feet long each, designed to be connected for a total length of 32.8 feet of lighting that you can control using your smartphone or with a voice assistant. Once the Govee Home App is downloaded to your phone or tablet, you can control your lighting from anywhere. Switch from millions of colors, set schedules for when you want the lights to turn on or off, and more. You'll even be able to ask Alexa or the Google Assistant to control the lights even quicker using a device like an Echo Dot speaker.

These strip lights can be cut down to size and have a 3M adhesive backing which makes them easy to stick onto nearly any surface. More than 1,100 customers have left reviews for this light strip kit on Amazon resulting in a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Amazon offers free shipping on orders totaling $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a Prime member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping on today's order. You'll also gain access to the rest of Prime's perks, such as the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

Keeping an eye on your home 24/7 isn't possible... except with the right equipment. The eufyCam 2 wireless home security system ensures you always have a way to see what's going on around your home no matter where you are, while also letting you rewind and view previously recorded footage as well. Now, thanks to a sale at Best Buy, you can snag a 2-camera kit for your home on sale for only $275.99. This $75 discount saves you over 20% off its usual cost of $350, and it even marks one of the best prices we've seen on the set all year.

The EufyCam 2 greatly improves on the first-generation EufyCam E in a number of ways. You'll get more advanced A.I. powered facial recognition software that helps prevent false positives. The new EufyCam 2 can tell the difference between familiar faces, objects, dogs, birds, and other things that the old EufyCam E might have sent you an alert about. You'll also get a better IP rating for withstanding weather. The EufyCam 2 has an IP67 rating, which means it is a lot more resistant to water than the previous generation's IP65 rating. It also comes with an 8x digital zoom, which is something the original does not have.

In addition to all of that, the camera has 16GB local storage that can store up to a year's worth of video, a battery that can last 365 days on a single charge, 1080p video recording, night vision that works up to 25-feet away, two-way audio, and a 140-degree wide angle lens so you can capture all around your home.

The camera also has sophisticated smart home integration. You can connect the camera system to your Wi-Fi and control it from your smartphone. You'll also be able to use voice commands through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit, which is another new feature for the series, though you'll need a device like the Echo Dot smart speaker to make use of that functionality.

Best Buy includes free shipping on this purchase and all orders totaling $35 or more. If for some reason you need this set sooner than it can be shipped, curbside pickup is also an option at select locations.

While we're all stuck inside over the next few weeks, why not make a few improvements and enhancements to your home? Philips Hue is having a mix-and-match sale on smart bulbs that could save you up to 20% off your purchase. You'll just need to add four or more eligible items to your cart to take advantage of today's discount, and the more you buy, the more you'll save.

Today's sale is a great time to buy even if you're new to Philips Hue products. The essential Hue Bridge is included in the sale to get newcomers started, so don't forget to add that item to your cart if you don't own one already.

You'll save 10% on your purchase by adding four of the eligible items in the sale to your cart. Meanwhile, five items will save you 15%, and six items or more will save you 20% on your order. There's a nice mix of Philips Hue smart bulbs included in the sale too, so you have a few different options to choose from.

Philips Hue bulbs are not just extremely useful but pretty fun as well. You'll be able to control whichever bulbs you buy using the Philips Hue app on your smartphone or tablet. Some of them can change colors too. Using the app, you'll be able to schedule when you want the bulbs to power on automatically or turn them on manually at any given moment. They're also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so if you happen to have a device like the Echo Dot at home, you could begin voice controlling the bulbs as well.

For even more smart ways to improve your home over the next few weeks, check out this guide to the best smart home products under $100.

What you need to know

• Microsoft Edge Canary now has a family safety section within settings.
• The section links you to your family dashboard.
• You can use family safety settings to restrict certain content, monitor family spending, and limit screen time.

Microsoft Edge Canary just gained a family safety section within its settings. The section links you to your Microsoft family dashboard. You can use Microsoft's family safety settings to restrict certain types of content, limit screen time for family members, and keep track and limit family spending. Richard Hay pointed out the new section on Twitter.

The family safety section within Edge Canary doesn't actually have any settings in it. Instead, it has a link to your family dashboard and some helpful reminders. It points out that to make sure the family safety settings work, your kids need to sign in to Microsoft Edge and all of their devices with a Microsoft account. It also reminds you that if your child uses a browser other than Edge that family safety settings won't work correctly.

You can control app and games limits across all devices, and here's how.

Microsoft has some handy features for family safety if you use a Microsoft account across supported devices. For example, its screen time limit settings work across devices, so a child can't just jump from device to device to get around limits. Family safety settings work across Windows 10 devices, Xbox One consoles, and Android devices using Microsoft Launcher.

There's only about a week before the start of spring, and if you're looking to take spring cleaning seriously this year, today's sale on the Roborock S4 Smart Robot Vacuum is not to be missed. Amazon has this smart vacuum cleaner on sale for $299.99 when you use promo code ROBOROCKS4 during checkout. That saves you $100 off its full cost there and marks a return to the best price we've ever seen this vacuum reach.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Roborock S6 robot vacuum cleaner and map

$379.99 $600.00 Save $220 1619608585

Uses precise navigation and a Z-shape cleaning route. Can map your entire home, including multiple floors, along with no-go zones. Has 2000Pa suction and automatic boost when it detects carpet. Battery lasts up to 180 minutes and it can self charge.

Roborock S6 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$401.99 $649.99 Save $248 1616577926

The Roborock S6 uses precise navigation and a Z-shape cleaning route to clean your home. It has 2000Pa suction and automatic boost when it detects carpet. Plus, there's even a built-in mop. Clip the on-page coupon and use the below code to save.

Roborock S6 Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$419.99 $649.99 Save $230 1613682185

The Roborock S6 uses precise navigation and a Z-shape cleaning route to clean your home. It has 2000Pa suction and automatic boost when it detects carpet. Plus, there's even a built-in mop. Today's deal saves you $230 off its full price.

Roborock S4 Max robot vacuum cleaner

$319.79 $430.00 Save $110 1612378740

Uses a high-precision laser navigation system that can scan your home and map the floors. Has 2000Pa suction that can deep clean dirt and pet hair. The battery lasts up to 180 minutes. Do even more with the free app and voice control.

Roborock S6 robot vacuum cleaner and mop

$419.99 $650.00 Save $230 1611832779

Uses precise navigation and a Z-shape cleaning route. Can map your entire home, including multiple floors, along with no-go zones. Has 2000Pa suction and automatic boost when it detects carpet. Battery lasts up to 180 minutes and it can self charge.

Roborock's smart S4 robotic vacuum cleaner features a high-precision laser navigation system that scans the rooms in your home to create a real-time map that's extremely accurate. Its 2000Pa suction is powerful enough to pick up AA batteries, so you'll want to be careful what you're vacuuming over. It picks up dirt, dust, and pet hair with ease, though it's not recommended for use on high-pile carpets.

With the Roborock app, you'll be able to control this smart robotic vacuum cleaner even while you're away from home. Simply use the app on your smartphone or tablet to clean, set areas for the vacuum to stay away from, and more. The vacuum cleaner's large 5200mAh battery lets it clean for over 150 minutes on a single charge, but the best part about it is that whenever the battery is dead, the robot vacuum returns to its charging base all on its own so you never end up stepping on a dead robot in the middle of a messy floor.

Shipping at Amazon is free on orders over $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping with no order minimum, along with acccess to Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

Eufy's eufyCam 2 Wireless Home Security System 2-camera Kit is down to just $275.99 on Amazon, marking one of its lowest prices in history. That saves you $74 off the 2-camera kit's regular price. Each camera usually costs up to $150 on its own, so you're saving quite a bit by choosing the 2-camera kit today, especially as it includes the required eufy Base Station. If you need more cameras, you can always buy more separately at a later date.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Eufy cordless stick vacuums and robot vacuum cleaners

As low as $140 1620986924

Choose from a cordless stick vacuum or a robot vacuum. The cordless vac includes 120AW suction power for 8 minutes or 25 minutes in standard mode. Helpful for getting into tight spaces. The robot has 1300Pa suction and lasts up to 100 minutes.

Eufy Security Wi-Fi 2K resolution video doorbell

$119.99 $160.00 Save $40 1620135804

You'll get a wireless chime you can use somewhere else in the house to hear the door wherever you are. Has a 2K resolution image with advanced HDR and distortion correction. Includes two-way audio, motion detection, and smart alerts.

Eufy RoboVac 15C Max Wi-Fi connected robot vacuum cleaner

$175.99 $ Save $ 1619699933

Comes with super strong 2000Pa suction so it can pick up even stubborn dirt. BoostIQ feature will even boost the suction when you need it. Lasts for up to 100 minutes. Use the EufyHome app and connect it to your smart home for more control.

Eufy Spaceview Security by Anker baby monitor camera bundle

$129.99 $170.00 Save $40 1618749642

Has a large 5-inch 720p display for a sharp picture. Let's you see everything your little troublemaker is doing. Can pan 330-degrees and tilt 110-degrees so you can see the whole room. Get instant alerts. Has a range up to 1,000 feet.

Eufy Security SpaceView 720p video baby monitor with night vision

$109.99 $160.00 Save $50 1614696511

Has a large 5-inch 720p display for a sharp picture. Let's you see everything your little troublemaker is doing. Includes a wide-angle lens for when your baby starts moving around more. Get instant alerts. Has a range up to 1,000 feet in open area.

This is the second-generation of Eufy's home security system, and it's relatively new too. The EufyCam 2 greatly improves on the first-generation EufyCam E in a number of ways. You'll get more advanced A.I. powered facial recognition software that helps prevent false positives. The new EufyCam 2 can tell the difference between familiar faces, objects, dogs, birds, and other things that the old EufyCam E might have sent you an alert about. You'll also get a better IP rating for withstanding weather. The EufyCam 2 has an IP67 rating, which means it is a lot more resistant to water than the previous generation's IP65 rating. It also comes with an 8x digital zoom, which is something the original does not have.

In addition to all of that, the camera has 16GB local storage that can store up to a year's worth of video, a battery that can last 365 days on a single charge, 1080p video recording, night vision that works up to 25-feet away, two-way audio, and a 140-degree wide angle lens so you can capture all around your home.

The camera also has sophisticated smart home integration. You can connect the camera system to your Wi-Fi and control it from your smartphone. You'll also be able to use voice commands through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit, which is another new feature for the series.

Shipping at Amazon is free on orders totaling $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a Prime member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping wtih no order minimum, along with access to the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

Not looking forward to spring cleaning? With a robot vacuum like the RoboGeek 23T, you can make sure your home's floors are always clean without having to end your Netflix binge or even get out of bed. It's capable of being controlled using an app that lets you schedule or start a cleaning whenever you want, and thanks to a sale at Amazon, you can pick one up today at a major discount. Its price drops to just $148.39 when you clip the coupon on its product page and then use promo code NNLB54PU during checkout. That saves you nearly 50% off its full cost of $279.99.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

RoboGeek 23T Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

$141.19 $279.99 Save $139 1581952374

The latest RoboGeek smart robotic vacuum has a max 2200Pa suction power, a 100-minute runtime per charge, and the ability to be controlled using your smartphone or your voice. Clip the on-page coupon and use the following code at checkout to save.

Dser RoboGeek 21T Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$149.99 $236.65 Save $87 1580134487

Dser's RoboGeek 21T Smart Robot Vacuum lets you use your phone to control it, or just your voice and an Alexa device. Clip its on-page coupon to score one of its best prices yet.

The RoboGeek 23T has a max 2200Pa suction and automatically boosts its suction power when handling tougher cleaning jobs like carpets. This model is pretty versatile too as it has three ways to control it: using an app on your phone or tablet, using the included remote control, or even using your voice. You'll need an Amazon Alexa device to use that functionality; Amazon has smart speakers with Alexa starting at $25.

One of the coolest features of a robot vacuum like this is its ability to return to its charging base when it's low on power. The RoboGeek 23T is able to clean for up to 100 minutes with each charge, and you'll never have to worry about plugging it in or carrying it around to its charging station all the time. There are also multiple cleaning modes on the RoboGeek 23T, including spot mode, edge mode, auto mode, and remote control mode which lets you guide the vacuum manually.

Shipping at Amazon is free on orders totaling $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping, along with access to the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

Now's your chance to save during the latest sale at SimpliSafe's website. You can score a free SimpliSafe Smart Security Camera and 20% off any SimpliSafe system during the event, though there's not much time left to take advantage of this offer. That's a savings of over $100 at bare minimum, and depending on which SimpliSafe system you choose, you could be saving quite a bit more than that today. You'll even snag free standard shipping with the purchase.

SimpliSafe made its way onto this list of best smart home security systems of 2020 for good reason. It's a hassle-free alarm system with no contracts and no hidden nonsense. The surveillance system is smart enough it can detect the difference between a pet and an intruder. The alarm monitoring is easy and reliable 24 hours a day. You'll get gentle reminders when you leave windows open and urgent notifications during more important times. There's an option to pay for professional monitoring during checkout, and while inexpensive at just 50 cents per day, it is optional so you can skip it if you prefer.

You can integrate up to 100 different devices, so you can always add more sensors later. Also, the base station is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. That means you'll be able to use your voice to arm the system, and check on it just in case you forgot. It's also capable of integrating with other systems like August smart locks to keep you secure in other ways. Your SimpliSafe kit is even backed by a 3-year warranty.

SimpliSafe includes a 60-day money-back guarantee with the purchase of all of its home security systems. If you're not satisfied with how it all comes together, you can return it for a full refund with no questions asked.

Time to add a little smarts to those lights you don't normally smarten up. This four-pack of Aoycocr BR30 dimmable smart LED light bulbs is down to $29.69 on Amazon. Clip the 5% off on-page coupon, then use the code 404SLS5Q during checkout. The two discounts will stack to bring these bulbs under $30 for the first time. Without the codes, the bulbs are selling for $54, which is what they normally go for. You're saving just over $24 with today's deal.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Smart Lights Led Bulb Daylight Aoycocr(6500K) 7.5W A19 - Medium Screw Base (E26) - 750 Lumens(65W equiv.) - Dimmable - RGB Color Changing - Voice Control - No Hub Required - UL Listed - 4 Pack

$20.99 $40.99 Save $20 1550293200

Aoycocr Smart Light Switch

Starting at $10 1580219283

These smart light switches can be controlled using an app on your phone or even with your voice! Amazon's offering an additional 50% off which shows at checkout; you can grab one for $10 or two for just $17!

Aoycocr Mini Smart Plug (4-pack)

$19.79 $31.06 Save $11 1578059877

These smart plugs can be controlled using an app on your phone or tablet, or even with your voice! No hub is required, and today's sale saves you 40% at checkout instantly. That brings them down to just $5 each.

Aoycocr Mini Smart Plug (4-pack)

$19.79 $32.99 Save $13 1575541091

Appliances you already own can be controlled with your phone with help from these mini smart plugs. Adding to your cart via this link scores you 1 for $7.79 or 4 for under $5 apiece.

Aoycocr BR30 dimmable LED multi-color smart bulbs 4-pack

$33.59 $53.00 Save $19 1570541072

Aoycocr's BR30 smart bulbs are perfect for recessed lighting fixtures and anywhere you need some directional smart lights. Don't require a hub and work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Set schedules and routines with the free smartphone app.

These are BR30 light bulbs, and that's an important distinction. They are not designed to replace regular bulbs in a floor lamp or similar device. The BR30 design works best with lights that are in a recess or hanging upside down from the ceiling. If you want lights that are meant to be upright, look for the A19 designation.

That being said, these bulbs can add a whole lot of functionality to your home. They don't require a hub or anything, so they can connect directly to your Wi-Fi network. Because of that you can also connect these bulbs straight to your smart home ecosystem. Whether you use Google or Amazon, you can activate these smart bulbs using just your voice. Use Alexa or Google Assistant to turn them on or off, dim the brightness, or even change the color.

Download the free Smart Life app on your phone or tablet. You can control them remotely with just the press of a button or two.

These are fully multi-color bulbs with 16 million colors to choose from. Set the right atmosphere for movie night or set them to full bright white while you're working. You can even create your own scenes or routines that match what you do in that room, whether that's hosting a party or playing video games. Tune the lights to the perfect color temperature from warm to daylight. Match the white color of the previous bulbs or make it nice and cozy.

Keeping your home safe is easier than ever these days with smart home technology like the Blink XT2 Smart Security Cameras. They're designed to be used indoors or outside and allow you to watch their live video feed from anywhere in the world using an app on your smartphone or tablet. Today, Blink XT2 starter kits are on sale at Amazon with discounts up to 22% off so you can try out the system for yourself. There are picks like this 2-camera kit on sale for $139.99, as well as a 5-camera kit for $299.99 among others.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Blink home security cameras

From $28 1613555555

Amazon is offering a bunch of deals on Blink cameras right now including the first major price drops on the all-new Blink Indoor cams. Prices start at just $28 for the Blink Mini and you can save up to 29% on bundles.

All-new Blink Outdoor HD security camera kits

As low as $65 1606617021

Built for the outdoors. They are completely wireless with a battery that can last for up to two years. They also have IP67 weather resistance to survive the elements. Other features include motion detection, two-way audio, and phone alerts.

Blink XT2 Smart Security Cameras

From $75 1595855413

These cameras use AA batteries that are designed to last for up to two years. They can be used inside or outside too. The one-camera kit is $75 or go for the biggest 5-camera kit for $285. Just $10 more gets you an Echo Show 5, too.

Blink XT2 Smart Security Cameras + Echo Dot

From $75 1574968074

These operate on AA batteries that are designed to last for up to two years so you can install them just about anywhere. They can be used inside or outside so take your pick. All the kits are 25% off and get you an Echo Dot at no extra cost.

Bink XT2 all-new outdoor indoor home security cameras 1-camera kit

$74.99 $100.00 Save $25 1574915224

Get two years of life on a set of AA batteries, two-way audio, live view, motion recording, and free cloud storage. These cameras work with Alexa so you can see motion clips, view the feeds live, and more. Records 1080p video with night vision.

Building upon the features of original, well-received Blink XT camera, the Blink XT2 offers extended battery life that will keep it powered for two years on just two AA batteries. And just like the original model, it's designed to be 100% wire-free and weatherproof so you can use it anywhere you'd like — whether that be indoors or outdoors. The Blink XT2 records in 1080p HD and features two-way audio, giving you the ability to talk with anyone on the other side of the camera using the Blink Home Monitor app on your phone. That could mean chatting with your family or even reminding your dog to stay out of the garbage.

Unlike many other smart security cameras, the Blink XT2 requires no monthly fees and even offers free cloud storage for clips for a year. Considering that most other camera makers usually only let you store your clips for 30 days without paying, that's a huge deal that could save you a ton of money going forward. You can learn more in our review from last November.

The XT2 also offers enhanced motion detection which is customizable to help reduce false alerts, as well as compatibility with Amazon Alexa, allowing you to view its livestream on an Echo Show or Fire TV by simply asking Alexa to show you the camera's livestream.

Buying this two-camera kit will also score you a Blink Sync Module that acts as the central hub. Homes which already have the Blink Sync Module set up can choose to purchase a single add-on camera on sale for $69.99 instead. Both the Blink XT and XT2 use the same sync module hub so you can mix and match the two generations.

The smartest way to save on smart plugs is to buy more than one at a time. A single smart plug can cost upwards of $20 to $25, but you can usually score a nice discount by picking up a two-pack or four-pack instead. For instance, Aukey's four-pack of Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plugs is currently $47.99 via Amazon, bringing each plug down to $12 apiece. Using promo code GK28ST2L during checkout, you can even save an additional $22 on this purchase and bring your total down to $26.39. That's one of the best prices ever for the set that snags you these smart plugs for only $6.60 apiece.

Then again, Aukey has a smart plug with dual outlets that you can save on today as well. Though it's regularly priced at $25, entering promo code HEMXCVTU during checkout brings its price down to just $11.99. Depending on how you plan on using your smart plugs, this could make for a better suited option.

These well-rated smart plugs are compatible with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The Aukey Home app, which is free to download, lets you activate and deactivate home appliances and electronics from anywhere in the world. Automatically turn on your lights when the sun sets, flip them on and off at random intervals when you're on vacation, schedule your coffee timer to go off, or use your voice to turn off the box fan that keeps lulling you back to sleep. You don't need a bridge, hub, dongle, or anything else to make them work. Just a Wi-Fi network.

Aukey's smart plugs will raise your home's IQ without putting a huge dent in your bank account. As an added bonus, they're compact, so adjacent outlets will stay usable. Your purchase includes a 24-month warranty as well.

With all of the recent privacy concerns regarding Ring devices in the news lately, you might have decided against owning a video doorbell for the time being — but Ring's video doorbells aren't the only options out there. The new Eufy Security Wi-Fi 2K Video Doorbell doesn't let police request your camera footage without a warrant, and it's even a little more inconspicuous than most Ring cameras.

Thanks to a $40 at Amazon and an on-page coupon taking a further $10 off, Eufy's 2K Video Doorbell is now down to just $109.99 there. It usually goes for $160 and today's price is one of its lowest to date.

Eufy's 2K video doorbell has 2560 x 1920 resolution with HDR and distortion correction, which ensures quality video recordings. With two-way audio, you can hear and speak directly to anyone who approaches your door. The camera uses advanced AI technology and algorithms to detect body shapes and face patterns. The system is designed to be weather-resistant too, so you don't have to worry about it being outdoors and exposed to the elements.

You'll receive alerts to your phone showing you who is at the door, and you can communicate straight from the phone to let your guests know when you'll be back. The included wireless chime alerts you to activity at your door even if you are away from your phone. That's an accessory you have to pay extra for with Ring's system. Eufy's doorbell is compatible with Alexa, so you can use your Echo device with a screen to check in on your front door at any time. It also works with Google Assistant.

Shipping at Amazon is free on orders totaling $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping with no order minimum, along with exclusive members-only discounts, access to the Prime Video streaming service, and more.

The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller was designed to help you conserve money while making sure your lawn looks the best on the block, and today it's down to one of its best prices yet at Amazon of $187.49. This deal saves you just over $40 off its full cost there.

These are Rachio's newest controllers. They come with a limited warranty. The smart controller works with smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It has dual-band Wi-Fi and a long-distance Flex radio. The installation is also very simple and will take you less than 30 minutes with no special tools required. Once it's in, the Rachio can monitor and manage how you use your water. Use your smartphone to set schedules, make automatic adjustments for the weather, and more. This is also the only generation of the Rachio compatible with Rachio's wireless flow meter, which adds even more advanced control over your water.

Existing Rachio users love their smart sprinkler controllers with the Rachio 3 garnering an impressive 4.6 star rating based on over 1,200 user reviews at Amazon.

There are plenty of other products to make your home smarter in 2020, and some of them can even work hand-in-hand with the Rachio 3. This guide to the best smart home products under $100 has several great picks you should consider buying for your home. There's also a guide to the best smart home products under $50 which is worth a look as well.

Shipping at Amazon is free on orders totaling $25 or more, though you could receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a member before, you can start a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping with no order minimum, along with access to perks such as the Prime Video streaming service, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

If your house is already set up with the new EufyCam 2 wireless home security system, Amazon has a stellar deal on the add-on EufyCam 2 camera that you won't want to miss. For a limited time, it's down to just $127.49, saving you over $20 off its regular price of $150. Today's deal marks one of the best prices it's ever reached.

You'll need the eufy HomeBase 2 to operate this camera. You should have one if you already own a EufyCam 2, but if you're new to the system, you can pick up the EufyCam 2 2-camera set on sale for $297.49 currently. It includes the HomeBase 2 so you'll have everything you need to get started.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Eufy cordless stick vacuums and robot vacuum cleaners

As low as $140 1620986924

Choose from a cordless stick vacuum or a robot vacuum. The cordless vac includes 120AW suction power for 8 minutes or 25 minutes in standard mode. Helpful for getting into tight spaces. The robot has 1300Pa suction and lasts up to 100 minutes.

Eufy Security Wi-Fi 2K resolution video doorbell

$119.99 $160.00 Save $40 1620135804

You'll get a wireless chime you can use somewhere else in the house to hear the door wherever you are. Has a 2K resolution image with advanced HDR and distortion correction. Includes two-way audio, motion detection, and smart alerts.

Eufy RoboVac 15C Max Wi-Fi connected robot vacuum cleaner

$175.99 $ Save $ 1619699933

Comes with super strong 2000Pa suction so it can pick up even stubborn dirt. BoostIQ feature will even boost the suction when you need it. Lasts for up to 100 minutes. Use the EufyHome app and connect it to your smart home for more control.

Eufy Spaceview Security by Anker baby monitor camera bundle

$129.99 $170.00 Save $40 1618749642

Has a large 5-inch 720p display for a sharp picture. Let's you see everything your little troublemaker is doing. Can pan 330-degrees and tilt 110-degrees so you can see the whole room. Get instant alerts. Has a range up to 1,000 feet.

Eufy Security SpaceView 720p video baby monitor with night vision

$109.99 $160.00 Save $50 1614696511

Has a large 5-inch 720p display for a sharp picture. Let's you see everything your little troublemaker is doing. Includes a wide-angle lens for when your baby starts moving around more. Get instant alerts. Has a range up to 1,000 feet in open area.

This is the second-generation of Eufy's home security system, and it was only just released, so seeing a deal this good is pretty significant. Plus, the EufyCam 2 greatly improves on the first-generation EufyCam E in a number of ways. You'll get more advanced A.I. powered facial recognition software that helps prevent false positives. The new EufyCam 2 can tell the difference between familiar faces, objects, dogs, birds, and other things that the old EufyCam E might have sent you an alert about. You'll also get a better IP rating for withstanding weather. The new EufyCam 2 has an IP67 rating, which means it is a lot more resistant to water than the previous generation's IP65 rating. It also comes with an 8x digital zoom, which is something the original does not have.

In addition to all of that, the camera has 16GB local storage that can store up to a year's worth of video, a battery that can last 365 days on a single charge, 1080p video recording, night vision that works up to 25-feet away, two-way audio, and a 140-degree wide angle lens so you can capture all around your home.

The camera also has sophisticated smart home integration. You can connect the camera system to your Wi-Fi and control it from your smartphone. You'll also be able to use voice commands through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's HomeKit, which is another new feature for the series.

If you're in the market for some upgraded home security, you're in luck. Right now Best Buy is discounting the Ring Floodlight Cam when you purchase two today only, bringing their cost down to just $379 as a pair. The best part? You'll also receive two Amazon Echo Dot smart speakers at no additional cost which will be added to your cart automatically.

With discounts of over $60 off each Ring Floodlight Cam plus two Echo Dots worth $50 each, you stand to save over $220 with today's offer. However, it's only here through the end of the night so don't hesitate if you're interested.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Ring Video Doorbell 2 in used condition

$69.99 $100.00 Save $30 1612184132

This is fully functional unit tested by Amazon that may have cosmetic imperfections. It is sold by Woot and the price is available for only one day. Record video in 1080p resolution. Use your phone, tablet, or Echo device to see, hear, and speak.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

$159.99 $249.00 Save $89 1609882722

The Ring Video Doorbell Pro lets you see and speak with whoever's at your home's front door using an app on your smartphone. It's easy to install too and connects to your existing doorbell's wiring for power.

Ring Video Doorbell (2020 Release)

$79.99 $99.99 Save $20 1608645736

Best Buy's one-day sale on the latest Ring Video Doorbell can save you $20 instantly. You can even bundle it with a Ring Chime for $20 more and score a free Echo Dot smart speaker with the purchase.

Ring Video Doorbell Pro with Ring Chime Pro

$99.99 $204.98 Save $105 1607629039

Buying refurbished at Amazon is always a smart idea. The items are like new and have been tested to ensure they're in proper working condition. You'll even receive a full warranty and a free Ring Chime Pro with today's offer.

Ring Alarm 2nd-generation 5-piece kit with free Echo Dot

$119.99 $200.00 Save $80 1605875867

Get it faster if you don't care about the free Echo Dot. This 5-piece kit comes with a base station, keypad, one contact sensor, one motion detector, and one range extender. Add other sensors and keypads and such as you need. Works with Alexa.

The motion-activated Ring Floodlight Cam is an HD security camera with built-in 1,800 Lumens floodlights, a siren, and two-way talk. It has an ultra-wide viewing angle and it's easy to view real-time surveillance footage from anywhere in the world using the Ring app. You can see, hear, and speak to visitors from the Ring app as well. The 1080p even works at night thanks to its infrared vision. Lifetime theft protection is also included with your purchase.

With these floodlight cameras, you can use your free Echo Dot speakers to communicate with whoever is outside and you can use any Echo device with a screen to view a live video feed too.

The offer above isn't the only stellar Ring deal available today. You can also save over $200 on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro with Chime Pro and Echo Show 5 at Best Buy while supplies last and pick up that bundle for just $180. For even more ideas on how to guard your property, check out this list of the best smart home security tech.

Shipping at Best Buy is free on orders totaling $35 or more, but you could also select free in-store pickup where available to receieve your order even faster.

If none of the deals over Black Friday weekend convinced you to pull the trigger on a robot vacuum cleaner, perhaps this one will. Amazon has the popular ILIFE V3 Pro Robotic Vacuum on sale for just $118.99. It normally sells for $160 and today's discount is the best price it has seen in over six months. If you missed the one-day sale on it back in February when it went to $7 lower, this is likely your best chance to get it at a discount for a while.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

iLife Shinebot W400s mopping robot

$172.49 $230.00 Save $58 1620560720

Mops in four stages: sprays your hard floor with clean water, scrubs with a microfiber roller, removes the dirty water, then wipes off any residues with a rubber scraper. Has multiple cleaning modes and can clean up to 600 square feet.

ILIFE A9 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$159.99 $229.99 Save $70 1602491102

This smart robot vacuum cleaner automatically maps and navigates your home to keep it clean. Control it with the free app or even with your voice and a smart home assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant. Clip the on-page coupon to save.

ILIFE V8s Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$169.99 $249.99 Save $80 1556164800

ILIFE A4s Robot Vacuum

$149.99 $179.99 Save $30 1486530000

ILIFE A9 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$179.99 $299.99 Save $120 1568001600

This model is designed to work best on hard floors, though it can go over low pile carpet as well. Its pet hair care technology helps it focus on getting all the dirt, debris, and hair that your pets leave behind. It has a low profile design to help it get under couches with ease, and the smart sensors will prevent it from bumping into everything or falling down stairs. When the battery gets low, it will return to the charger, and you can program a set schedule for it to clean. With over 2,700 reviews, the V3s Pro maintains an impressive 4.1 out of 5-star rating.

We named the ILIFE V3s Pro as our best budget pick on our list of the best robot vacuums in 2019, though that list is chock-full of options to suit all budgets if you want to take a peek. It's unlikely you'll be able to snag a deal quite as good as today's, but you might find something that is more suitable feature-wise for your needs.

Start monitoring temperature and humidity in your home from your smartphone using Govee's Alexa-Enabled Smart Temperature + Humidity Sensor. With its Alexa integration, you can even ask Alexa to check on the temperature or humidity for you using a compatible Echo device, or look for yourself on its built-in LCD screen. This smart device regularly sells for $70 at Amazon, but today you can snag one for only $45.49 as part of a wider smart home sale.

Govee's Alexa-enabled Smart Temperature + Humidity Sensor features an integrated Swiss-made SHT30 sensor for high precision monitoring, with the temperature gauge accurate within .3 degrees Celsius and humidity within 2% relative humidity. That allows for super-accurate data so you won't have to worry about false or imprecise readings.

Having one of these handy could let you know if your child's nursery becomes too hot or if your basement gets too humid, and you'll be able to find out by quickly looking at your smartphone whether you're at home or not. The sensor even has a feature that will send an alert to your phone if the temperature or humidity crosses out of the preset range you've selected in the app. There's also a data storage function where you can keep 20 days of on-board data and up to two years of information utilizing cloud storage. Plus, Govee makes it easy to export the data as a CSV file.

You'll want to make sure you have an Echo device around the house, such as an Echo Dot, to start having Alexa read you this sensor's findings. If that's not such an important feature in your eyes, you can find a similar model of Govee's Temperature + Humidity Sensor which isn't Alexa-enabled for just $20.

Shipping is free on this item at Amazon, though you'd recieve your order even faster with Amazon Prime. If you're not a member already, consider signing up for a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping, exclusive members-only discounts, and more.

Roborock's E20 Robot Vacuum Cleaner connects with a free app on your phone so you can control it from anywhere, from scheduling its next cleaning to keeping it out of certain rooms in your home, and it's simple to use too. Today you can pick one up on sale at Amazon for only $199.99 and get started cleaning even while you're not at home. This model has never dropped this low before; not even a year ago it was priced as high as $370.

This deal is part of this week's lead up to Black Friday which is now just a few days away! This year, retailers decided they weren't going to wait and have released tons of deals early! You can find the best deals that are live right now and finish shopping before Black Friday even officially begins.

This robotic vacuum cleaner features a dual-gyro system and motion tracking sensors which work in collaboration to create an efficient cleaning path in every room it visits, while its 13 integrated sensors help to stay away from drops, collisions, traps, and even return the device to its charger when the battery is low.

The E20 vacuum can not only pick up dust, crumbs, and other debris, but it's also capable of mopping your floor at the same time. It's suitable for carpet and hard surfaces and comes with a one-year warranty. At Amazon, over 900 customers left a review for it resulting in a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Roborock's E20 ships for free at Amazon, though you'd receive your order even faster with an Amazon Prime membership. If you've never been a member, consider starting a free 30-day trial to score free two-day shipping with no order minimum, exclusive members-only discounts, access to Prime Video, and more.