Smart Home

The clock is ticking, folks: There are about 7 shopping days left until Christmas, and fewer if you're relying on standard 2-day delivery. There are plenty of last-minute sales and discounts available, including a wealth of stuff at or near their Black Friday/Cyber Monday prices. But here, we're focusing on "cheap but good" tech gifts. Call them stocking stuffers, call them accessories -- they're all things that will be indispensable during the holidays in beyond. (Especially a week later, when you realize you threw out that box that had the charger and headphones that came with your phone.)Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page. So without further ado, here are some of our favorite cheap and useful tech gifts.Updated Monday, December 17 with the Roku Express and Wyze Cam. Cheap but good streaming Roku Express Sarah Tew/CNET If you can, get the Streaming Stick (marked down to $34) or the 4K Streaming Stick Plus (marked down to … [Read more...] about Best stocking stuffers: The top Christmas tech gifts under $25

If you've been waiting to listen to Apple Music on your Alexa-enabled smart speakers, it's your lucky day. The skill for Apple Music is live and available via the Alexa app for Android and iPhone. Right now the skill works exclusively on Amazon-brand speakers, but it is expected to roll out to third-party Alexa-enabled devices like the Sonos One soon. Related links Did Apple Music just eclipse Spotify in the US? How to set up your new Amazon Echo Amazon Alexa now lets you listen to paid Pandora Premium accounts Simply search for "Apple Music" in the skills section of the Alexa app and hit "Enable to use" to link your Apple Music account. You will be asked to allow Alexa to access Apple Music and can even designate Apple Music as your default music player so you don't have to constantly specify "Apple Music" in your command. It was easy to set up and worked well for me during a cursory test. My Amazon Echo Dot did have to go through a short software update first, but that, … [Read more...] about Apple Music now works on Amazon Alexa smart speakers

Sound the alarm for Alexa-timer addicts: The Amazon wall clock that syncs up with Echo devices is now available for preorder on the e-tailer's website.Announced in late September at Amazon's Echo event, the Echo Wall Clock looks like a straight-ahead modern timekeeper. But when you talk to your Echo device and ask voice-assistant Alexa to set a timer, the LED-equipped minute marks on the clock's face light up to count down your window of time. Now playing: Watch this: Amazon remakes the Wall Clock with Alexa built-in 2:15 That means you can simply glance at the clock to see how much longer junior's allowed to play Fortnite, or how much more wine-sipping you can do before it's time to go fetch the laundry. Or both; the clock can handle multiple timers at once. (CNET reviewer Rich Brown says that as a parent and a cook, he uses Alexa timers constantly. You can check out his take on the clock here.)The Echo Wall Clock also handles daylight saving time automatically, so you … [Read more...] about Echo Wall Clock now available on Amazon, brings visual cues to Alexa timers

Ring, Amazon's video doorbell company, filed two facial recognition-related patent applications this year that have already been criticized in regard to civil liberties.The company, which Amazon acquired in April, filed two patent applications that became public in recent weeks. Both consider ways of using Ring's devices to recognize "suspicious" people in a neighborhood and then automatically alert law enforcement. Such people are described as convicted felons, sex offenders or people on a "most wanted" list. Ring's doorbells don't currently use facial recognition software to detect specific people. Google's Nest Hello video doorbells already include facial recognition software to detect friends and relatives, but they don't include connection to law enforcement.Amazon representatives didn't respond to a request for comment but told The Washington Post that Amazon regularly files forward-looking patent applications that consider new, potential tech. The spokesperson added … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Ring takes heat for considering facial recognition for its video doorbells

Anki's Vector will add Alexa to its mini robot repertoire on Dec. 17.The fully autonomous robot, which rolled into homes in November, will be taken over by Alexa when you address it via Vector -- which is actually a little dark if you think about it.The reveal video shows the Amazon voice assistant assuming control of Vector, with his green eyes getting replaced by a blue ring after you say "Alexa" You can ask Alexa to turn up the heat or other basic functions, but you can't stream music, call contacts or access its Kindle and Audible features via Vector, Engadget noted.Alexa integration was one of the top requests from the Vector's Kickstarter community, Anki CEO and co-founder Boris Sofman wrote in an October blog post. Now playing: Watch this: Unboxing the Anki Vector robot 1:51 … [Read more...] about Anki Vector, the adorable mini robot, is getting Alexa