Home Automation and Smart Homes
Amazon to Buy Maker of the Roomba for $1.7 Billion
Hey, Alexa, tell Roomba to vacuum the bedroom. Amazon announced on Friday that it had reached an agreement to buy iRobot Corp., the maker of the Roomba robotic vacuum, for $1.7 billion, adding to its growing roster of smart home products. “We know that saving time matters, and chores take precious time that can be […]
Know More
In Busan, A Smart City Built on Data Takes Shape
The air-filtering system is among the 15 products in each home provided by Samsung — including the AirDresser, a closet that can dry clean, steam and sanitize clothes — all of which can be controlled using the SmartThings app. But smaller businesses, in a country known for its electronics conglomerates, also have a presence. Unmanned […]
Know More
How Tech Can (and Can’t) Help You Fight Soaring Energy Bills
When the $370 bill arrived a month later, I realized that the rule of thumb was terrible for my two-bedroom home, which was built in the 1960s with insulation treated as an afterthought. Once the house reached 68 degrees, it couldn’t retain that temperature for long, so the furnace powered back on about 20 minutes […]
Know More
Helium Network Hints at Crypto’s Practical Uses
“That incentive model, powered by crypto, actually made sense in this case,” Mr. Mong said. So the company tore up its old business model and settled on a new one. Instead of building its network itself, Helium would make it fully decentralized and let users build it themselves by buying and connecting their own hot […]
Know More
The Tech That Will Invade Our Lives in 2022
The lack of compatibility has created long-term issues. An Apple-compatible lock isn’t useful for the family member or future tenant who prefers Android. It would also be more convenient one day if our home devices could actually talk to one another, like a washing machine telling a dryer that a large load was ready to […]
Know More