All you need for a Volvo XC40 subscription is your iPhone

Getting a new car is getting even easier these days. BMW, Lexus and Volvo have all started selling cars via subscription. The Care by Volvo program gives you an all-wheel drive XC40, insurance, routine maintenance, roadside assistance and no money down for $600 a month. That sounds pretty great, but it’s also super easy to sign up. Now you can sign up and pay for your monthly car sub via an iOS app and Apple Pay.

You can use any iOS device to run the Care by Volvo app, of course, and bot Touch ID and Face ID work to authorize the payment. The app allows you to take a virtual tour of the XC40, configure your own with options and fill out your details for the subscription. All of this right from the app — no need to visit the website. Once you submit all your details, a Volvo concierge will get in touch to coordinate delivery.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from the 2018 New York Auto Show.

Source: Volvo/App Store

Autoblog’s 2018 New York Auto Show roundup

We’ve seen all that there is to see at the 2018 New York Auto Show, and we won’t be walking away disappointed. We saw pure concepts, concepts that clearly point the way for future production models, and comprehensive refreshes of some of the best-selling vehicles in America.

We’ve already picked our favorites, but there were a whole heck of a lot more vehicles worth talking about. See everything we published from New York right here, and stay tuned for more as news continues to flow out of the halls of Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

This article originally appeared on Autoblog, the complete authority for news, reviews and car-buying research.

Google is shutting down its goo.gl URL shortening service

URL shorteners can be both useful and fun. Google’s take on the tech launched in 2009, and added a third-party API, the ability to create QR codes and the power to link right to iOS and Android apps. Even Keanu Reeves has a URL shortener named in his honor. Unfortunately, Google is replacing its own service, goo.gl, with Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL) as of April 13th. These new smart URLs let you send folks to any location within iOS, Android or web apps.

You won’t be able to create new goo.gl short links after the 13th, but existing users can manage them via the goo.gl console for the next year. After that, all the links will still work, but you won’t be able to access the console itself after March 30th, 2019. Google suggests creating FDLs from now on, or using other shortening services like Bitly and Ow.ly.

Via: 9to5Google

Source: Google

Japan Display to Raise $517 Million to Supply Apple With LCDs for 2018 Low-Cost iPhone

Japan Display is planning to raise $517 million through third-party share allocations and asset sales so it will have the funds to supply LCD screens for new iPhones, reports Nikkei.

Last year, Japan Display lost business because of Apple’s shift to OLED, so the company sought partnerships to begin producing OLED displays, but with Apple planning to continue to use LCDs for some devices, Japan Display is in need of working capital to purchase inventory and to begin production on the LCDs Apple now needs.

Rumors have suggested Apple is planning on introducing two OLED iPhones (5.8 and 6.5 inches) and one 6.1-inch LCD iPhone next year, with the LCD device to be positioned as a low-cost option alongside the two more expensive OLED devices.

With Japan Display again planning to invest in LCDs, it could be in trouble in the future should Apple opt to abandon LCD technology for OLED technology entirely, says Nikkei.

Expecting the U.S. tech company to keep shifting toward OLEDs, the supplier began exploring capital partnerships to obtain the massive funds necessary to invest in producing the advanced tech.

However, the iPhone X has proven a flop, and Apple appears to be sticking with LCDs for some models due out this fall, leaving Japan Display in need of working capital to secure inventory and production capacity to supply those screens.

Previous rumors have suggested Apple is interested in Japan Display’s Full Active LCDs, which are said to match or exceed some of the advantages of OLED at a lower cost.

Full Active panels have a smaller bezel around the screen than traditional LCDs and they have enough flex that they can be used in curved or angled designs.

All three of Apple’s rumored 2018 iPhones are expected to adopt full-screen designs with minimal bezels, much like the iPhone X. The Home button will be eliminated in each, with Apple adopting Face ID across its 2018 iPhone lineup.

Related Roundup: 2018 iPhones
Discuss this article in our forums

Czech Republic extradites suspected Russian hacker to the US

The Czech Republic has extradited Russian national Yevgeniy Nikulin to the United States, where he’s accused of several hacking attempts dating back to 2012. A US federal grand jury had indicted him in 2016 for breaking into DropBox, Formspring and LinkedIn. The latter breach potentially exposed the information of 100 million of users.

US prosecutors had been vying with Russia to extradite Nikulin ever since the FBI cooperated with Czech authorities to arrest him in 2016. After he was taken into custody, a court in Moscow issued its own arrest warrant for allegedly electronically stealing several thousand dollars within Webmoney back in 2009. The Czech courts ruled extradition to either country was permissible, and the country’s President Milos Zeman predictably called for Nikulin to be transferred to Russia, but the country’s Justice Minister Robert Pelikan chose the US. He is allegedly already en route:

“We confirm extradition to the United States,” a Justice Ministry spokeswoman said in a text message, according to Reuters. “He has already flown out.”

Via: DW

Source: Reuters

Best high-tech April Fools’ jokes

April Fool’s is the one day a year it’s generally acceptable to prank people, so hopefully you’ve been plotting. If you don’t have the time or resources to fill your coworker’s office with balloons or buy an evil clown costume, you can still get into some low-grade mischief with tech-related pranks. By just fiddling with the settings on someone’s phone or computer, you can induce annoyance or mild panic!

Note: Some people are more open to pranks than others. Don’t cause an HR incident by indiscriminately pranking people at the office!

Mouse tricks

The simple tape trick

Photo credit: Overclock.net

As the name denotes, this is the laziest and easiest prank on the list. It takes absolutely not time at all. For beginning pranksters only.

Step 1: Find clear tape or a sticky note.

Step 2: Put it over the laser on your victim’s mouse.

Step 3: Enjoy the frustration.

This is the modern day version of stealing the ball from someone’s mouse. It’s an easy thing to figure out, so don’t expect all day laughs.

The Ghost Mouse

You will need two identical wireless mice and the desire to confuse a friend.

Step 1: Replace their mouse with one that looks exactly like it.

Step 2: Take the actual mouse to your desk and wreak havoc.

Step 3: Enjoy as the confusion eats away at them.

There are two ways to execute this prank. You can move it around wildly so they catch on immediately and you both chuckle. Or you can watch them very carefully and work to move when they move, only messing up every so slightly. It is up to you how much time you want to put into this particular joke.

Pointer Problems

Another mouse prank will test the patience of those around you.

Step 1: Open the control panel on your computer.

Step 2: Find the “Mouse” settings.

Step 3: Change the icon from a pointer to an hourglass or rainbow wheel of death.

Your victim will think something is continuously loading on their computer even though nothing is happening. This will soon turn into a psychological study of your desk mates when you see how long they will wait for something to happen. You can also change the direction of the mouse so it goes the wrong way no matter what they do. That is equally as enjoyable.

Screen tricks

The Broken Screen Surprise

This shouldn’t have to be said, but don’t actually break someone’s screen. There’s an app for that.

Step 1: Get a hold of your friend’s phone.

Step 2: Download the broken screen app for iOS or Android.

Step 3: Tell them you accidentally dropped their phone and see the reaction.

You will have to know their password to download the app so start work on that well before April Fool’s Day. The perceived loss of property could lead to some unpleasant reactions, so only try this on your most mellow of friends.

The Frozen Desktop

This prank is incredibly easy and is guaranteed to frustrate your victim.

Step 1: Take a screenshot of their desktop

On Windows, open the Snipping Tool (open the Start menu and search for Snipping Tool), and drag the cursor to highlight their current desktop.

On Mac, press Shift + Command + 4 to open the screenshot tool, then click and drag to highlight their desktop.

Step 2: Set the screenshot as their desktop background (By right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Personalize in Windows or by navigating to System Preferences followed by the Desktop & Screen Saver panel in MacOS.)

Step 3: Move all the icons to a folder hidden at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: Watch as your coworker struggles to open application after application to no avail.

The Frozen Desktop will cause a decent amount of frustration for minimal work on your part.

The broken monitor

There’s a good chance your target may see through the blue screen of death wallpaper (or maybe they have a Mac and find it odd that they’re getting a Windows error message). For something that might not be so obvious at first — and certainly more panic-inducing — swap their desktop background out for one that makes it look like their screen is broken.

Just remember to come clean before they order a new monitor.

The blurry morning

The ultimate prank is one that makes someone doubt not only their sanity but also their physical health. Blurry Morning does both of those things with minimal effort.

Step 1: Go into your victim’s control panel.

Step 2: Turn the brightness down slightly and the contrast up slightly, but not enough to be obvious.

Step 3: Every time they leave the room, repeat Step 2.

Step 4: By the end of the day they should have a completely wacky screen.

If you do this the right way, your victim will think they are losing their vision during the day. The key is to make little adjustments so they can’t detect it immediately.

Computer tricks

The Tower of Babel

Nothing will make you question your sanity like having your keyboard fight against you. That’s exactly the situation this prank creates.

On Windows:

Open Settings.

Click Time & Language, then Region & Language.

Under the Languages field, click Add a language.

On MacOS:

Open System Preferences, then choose Language & Region.

On the left, under the section titled Preferred languages, click the + button to add a new language.

Choose a language and click Add.

We recommend Romanian because only a few characters are different, so it will take them a while to figure out what’s happening.

The Curious Autocorrect

This prank takes more work than most of the others on the list, but provides no end to hilarious moments. This can be done on smartphones or Microsoft Word but messing with someone’s email is the ultimate prank, so here is how to change autocorrect in Outlook.

Step 1: Open Outlook and Click File.

Step 2: Go to Mail.

Step 3: Click Spelling.

Step 4: Click Autocorrect.

Step 5: Go to Autocorrect Options.

Step 6: Replace whatever word you want with another word.

Some fun ones include replacing their name with something inappropriate or replacing “at” with “t.” Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless! Explore other platforms to really ruin their day.

The Speaker Switch

The Speaker Switch is a brilliant prank if your victim has external speakers.

Step 1: Connect their speakers to your computer.

Step 2: Play something.

You can choose something subtle for this like a distant scream every once in awhile or you can do it big and blast your favorite TLC song. It’s up to you to decide which will have the most impact and garner the most laughs.

Fun with Chrome extensions

Chrome extensions aren’t just for productivity. The Google Play store is rife with novelty extensions, and installing some on a friend or coworker’s browser can lead to some confusing moments for them. Try, for example, installing an extension that rewords Wikipedia articles to be about Nic Cage, or one that replaces every instance of the word “Millennial” with “snake people.”

Be careful with that last one, however; as demonstrated by a minor snafu at the New York Times, such text-swapping can bleed over into their work. Note that there have been incidents in which certain Chrome extensions have contained malware, so vet any extensions you want to install.

Adventures in Photoshop

Photo credit: Oli + Alex (oliandalex.com)

This is what you would call a “long-con” because it will take a little while for your victim to realize what has been done, and by that time you could have messed with many of their photos.

Step 1: Get your friend’s Facebook username and password.

Step 2: Download a few of their photos from their profile.

Step 3: Change the photos slightly using Photoshop.

Step 4: Replace the old pictures with those you’ve tampered with.

The key to Photoshop follies is to stay subtle. Add a droopy eye or a funky lip so people won’t notice immediately. Once they notice something is off they will begin to question every photo they’ve ever taken.

The iPhone Typing Tease

Though wonderful, this prank only works if two iPhones are both using iMessage.

Step 1: Go to this site on your phone.

Step 2: Hold your finger down on the gif and click “save image.”

Step 3: Send the image to your friends.

It will give the illusion that you are typing when you’re not and drive people crazy. We recommend sending it after a text that says “The funniest thing just happened,” or “We really need to talk.”

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Scientists hunt meteorites in Antartica with metal-detecting snowmobiles

University of Manchester

On the hunt for lost meteorites in Antarctica (which totally sounds like a mission straight out of Tomb Raider), researchers from the U.K.’s University of Manchester have turned to innovative metal-detecting technology to help them.

With that driving mission, they have developed a purpose-built detector unit which can be towed behind a Ski-Doo snowmobile. This metal-detecting device is based on tech optimized by University of Manchester researchers for airport security scanning, landmine removal, recycling, and non-destructive testing. In this specific case, the researchers hope to use it to discover iron meteorites which are hidden mere centimeters beneath the surface of the ice but are nonetheless difficult to discover.

The researchers have yet to face the chilly climes of the most remote parts of Antarctica, however. Instead, their recent small-scale test mission testing was carried out at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Arctic research station at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard — on the Norwegian archipelago between continental Norway and the North Pole.

“I’m thrilled our testing at Ny-Ålesund worked,” applied mathematician Dr. Geoffrey Evatt, who led the team, said in a statement. “We now have the opportunity to commence on a truly exciting scientific adventure. If successful, our expeditions will help scientists to decode the origins of the Solar System and cement the U.K. as a leader in meteoritics and planetary science.”

The reason the researchers are so interested in these meteorites is because they may hold important information about the formation of the Solar System. Iron meteorites were formed from the cores of small planets, which were later destroyed by other planetary impacts. The best place to find these meteorites is in Antarctica since their dark color shows up easily against the white background of snow and ice. However, iron-based meteorites are in short supply. One hypothesis for this is that they are more easily warmed by the sun and this causes them to melt the ice around them, and subsequently become trapped beneath the surface.

With the trial mission an apparent success, the researchers’ main mission will reportedly take place in early 2020. A preliminary visit to Antarctica will happen before then in 2019. On the Antarctic continent, the team will work at three different sites, transported using a specialized aircraft provided by the British Antarctic Survey.

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Resistance isn’t futile! 6 tips for keeping your job amid the robot takeover

Whatever you do at your job, chances are that you’ve considered the possibility that you could one day lose your livelihood to a robot. Until a system like universal basic income comes into play (and arguably even then!), the risk of A.I. stealing our employment is the existential threat of our age. But things don’t have to look so dismal.

As Terminator protagonist Sarah Connor once told us, we can make our own future. At the very least, we can configure it to our advantage. What tips can we pass on to ensure that you don’t find yourself downsized in favor of a robot? Read on to find out.

Get on the right side of disruption

You don’t have to be Clayton Christensen to know that technology is disrupting a bunch of industries right now. (Including the one you work in, most likely!) Whether this disruption is a good thing or not depends on which side of it you’re on.

If you’re one of the disrupted, there’s something like a 47 percent chance that your current job won’t exist for humans in the next 15 years. If, on the other hand, you’re one of the disruptors, you’ve got an amazing opportunity to get your hands on a larger-than-ever piece of the pie.

The single best way to make sure you’re not replaced by robots? Be the one who owns the robot, builds the robot, maintains the robot, or tells the robot what to do. Not all of us can be tech entrepreneurs, but learning to code and understand the new technologies which shape our lives is essential.

Pick an intersection and master it

A.I. and other forms of automation are taking over just about every area of employment. The bad part of that? No job — whether it’s being a lawyer, a pharmacist, a bricklayer or a journalist — is totally safe. The good part? A lot of the intersections between computer science and more established disciplines are still ripe for the picking.

If you’re just now choosing your career, don’t think that you have to limit yourself to a purely technical job like coding. Combining a subject like computer science with, say, law opens up a plethora of new specialisms that are still short on experts. That expert could be you.

The artisan economy

Artisans are workers who produce things by hand. Today, it’s most often used to describe high-quality, exclusive goods or services that are produced in small quantities or feature one-on-one interactions.

While it’s hard to predict which tasks will be automated in the years to come (tasks such as driving a car or translating a document seemed impossible just a few years ago), there’s a good chance that if you have a “high touch” job in which the human element is important, you’ll be safe.

For this to hold true, you need to be honest about how much or how little the human element adds to an experience. In some cases, it may be an unnecessary step which could be eliminated (see: the rise of the self-service checkout at supermarkets). In others, that human touch means a level of empathy, creativity and, frankly, humanness that you’ll never get from a robot.

Would you prefer that your elderly mom had a human caregiver or a robot? Would you rather hire a human math tutor for your kid than sign them up for a learning app? Now that robots and A.I. are capable of carrying out a growing number of tasks, it’s up to society to determine which jobs we want to be performed by humans and machines.

If you can become a genuine artisan in your chosen career, you’re onto a winner!

Know your enemy

This point builds on the one above and is about honing your skills for the digital age. Right now, machines can do a whole lot of tasks, but they can’t always do every aspect of every task. In factory work, for instance, robots frequently work side by side with humans, who can carry out some of the precise work that robot grabbers are not yet capable of.

Amazon’s factories use robots to bring shelves to human workers, who pick off the right items and box them up for shipments. Twitter, meanwhile, employs human “judges” to help make sense of certain trending topics for Twitter’s algorithms. Similar examples of skills A.I. is not yet capable of can be seen in every industry.

Knowing what skills A.I. and robots currently lack can help reveal where opportunities still lie — which brings us to our next point…

Stay vigilant

Technology changes all the time. Just because it wasn’t capable of carrying out certain tasks a decade ago (or heck, even just last month) doesn’t mean that the same will hold true in the future. Due to the rapid pace of technological advancement, new threats will almost certainly appear as time passes.

You might be aware of robots and machine learning, and how they could risk putting you out of a job. But knowing the current threats isn’t enough. Keep your eyes on the horizon, and not only can you pivot to avoid being hit by automation, you can hopefully take advantage of the new opportunities, too.

Keep on learning

“Just-in-time” manufacturing responds to the philosophy of producing goods to exactly meet customer demand, ensuring flexibility in the supply chain. Today’s learners need to be “just-in-time” learners, with a similar approach to picking up skills.

Because of the aforementioned shifts in technology, you’ll need to continually pick up new skills and areas of knowledge to best cope with the demands of the digital world. While that does mean is that you’ll never be able to really say your days of education are behind you, fortunately, the growing number of online training programs means that accessing learning is easier (and, in many cases, cheaper) than ever.

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Piracy causes Google to yank Kodi from its autocomplete list in search results

In Google’s ongoing crusade to eliminate ties to piracy in search results, the company removed the search term “Kodi” from its autocomplete list. Those who type in the term won’t see a list of suggestions related to the popular tool or associated software, but instead will see results tied to the term “Kodiak,” such as Kodiak Bear and Kodiak Cakes. 

What’s Google’s problem with Kodi? “Since 2011, we have been filtering certain terms closely associated with copyright infringement from Google Autocomplete. This action is consistent with that long-standing strategy,” a spokesperson said. 

Kodi is an open-source home theater software solution developed for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Raspberry Pi, and Xbox One. It’s a network-capable tool for managing and streaming your favorite music, movies, TV shows, and photos on any device that supports the software. You can either view media stored on your device or push all media to a centralized storage unit connected to the network that’s accessible by all devices. 

Google’s beef with Kodi is that the software supports third-party add-ons. Developers can create add-ons granting full access to pirated content, or free access to video services that typically require a monthly subscription. Kodi itself is not illegal software; it’s a media organizer and playback tool that, unfortunately, can be used for illegal purposes. 

To throw Kodi even further into the piracy spotlight, fully loaded “Kodi boxes” are on the rise: Miniature computers with Kodi pre-installed and loaded with add-ons linking to pirated content and services. The team brought the rising problem to the attention of Kodi users more than two years ago, warning that these sellers and YouTube promoters are killing the brand.  

“These sellers are dragging users into the world of piracy without their knowledge and at the same time convincing new users that Kodi is a buggy mess because they never differentiate Kodi from third-party add-ons. Every day a new user shows up on the Kodi forum, totally unaware that the free movies they’re watching have been pirated and surprised to discover that Kodi itself isn’t providing those movies,” the Kodi team said at the time. 

Because of their nature, add-ons linked to piracy often break. The big scam with these “fully loaded” Kodi Boxes is that customers will purchase the device and discover broken add-ons. These disgruntled customers can’t get their money back because the seller simply vanished. 

Kodi can’t seem to escape its association with piracy. The team stays neutral regarding what users do with the media player, but clearly doesn’t “love this use of Kodi.” The team also recently said it was “surprised and disappointed” over Google blacklisting the “Kodi” term in auto search results. 

“We have a professional relationship with the MPAA, who have specifically made clear in the past their own position that Kodi is legal software,” XBMC Foundation President Nathan Betzen said in a statement. “We hope Google will reconsider this decision in the future, or at a minimum limit their removal to search terms where the legality is actually in dispute.” 

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These smart lights work with Amazon Alexa

Control your home’s lighting using Alexa and these smart bulbs.

Amazon offers an affordable way to start building out a voice-activated home automation system for your house or apartment with their Amazon Echo and Echo Dot powered by their A.I. assistant, Alexa. On its own, you can use Alexa to play music and find news, sports, and other information. But things get really interesting when you start to connect Alexa up to smart devices, including connected LED bulbs and smart switches, around your house.

There are many light options compatible with Alexa. We’ve broken things down based on the different brands and ecosystems that each have their own compatibility with smart lights and smart switches that you’ll ultimately be able to control via Alexa on your Amazon Echo.

• Philips Hue
• Samsung SmartThings
• Insteon Hub
• WeMo switches and outlets
• Lutron dimmers and switches
• LIFX smart bulbs
• GE Link LED Smart Bulb
• TP-Link
• Nanoleaf Aurora Smart LED Light Panel – 9 Pack
• Haiku Home Premiere LED Lights
• Smartika Smart Home Lighting

Philips Hue

Philips Hue is the leader in smart bulbs, and are downright cool. You can connect up to 50 Philips Hue bulbs, lamps and lighting strips via the Philips Hue Bridge, so chances are you could convert all your home’s lighting over to the Philips Hue system. Whether you’re looking for 60W equivalent white LED bulbs, bulbs that feature 16 million colors, or LED light strips for futuristic accents, there’s a reason why so many people have gone with Philips Hue.

Alexa syncs right up to the Philips Hue Bridge, which means you’ll be able to set up different lighting groups for your rooms and IFTTT recipes on your phone, then also control everything with the sound of your voice via your Amazon Echo. There’s a lot of fun to be had here, as Philips Hue lights can be synced up to your music for epic dance parties, and otherwise customized in countless different ways to suit your lifestyle.

If you’re interested in getting started with Philips Hue, you’re best off getting a starter kit. There are a couple of different options to consider:

• Philips Hue Starter Kit w/ two bulbs and one Bridge — $69.99 on Amazon
• Philips Hue Starter Kit w/ two bulbs, one bridge and an Amazon Echo Dot — $99.99 on Amazon
• Philips Hue Starter Kit w/ two A19 bulbs, one Bridge and one Dimmer switch — $125.47 on Amazon
• Philips Hue Starter Kit w/ three White and Color Ambiance bulbs and one Bridge — $142.77 on Amazon

No matter which starter kit you choose, the beautiful part of going with Philips Hue is that it’s super easy to add extra bulbs or other elements to your ecosystem later.

Samsung SmartThings

SmartThings provides a full suite of options for home automation, which includes a few options for smart lights. You’ll need a SmartThings Hub ($98) to get started, but from there you can connect plug-in smart switches for appliances, lamps and outdoors, and in-wall dimmers which support dimmable LED and CFL technologies along with legacy support for incandescent, halogen, Mark 10, and magnetic lighting loads.

You can also connect smart bulbs from Philips Hue or Osram to your SmartThings Hub, along with a host of other super handy home automation products that all work within the SmartThings ecosystem.

If you’re mainly interested in smart lights, you can get a SmartThings Hub and an Osram bulb bundle. If complete home automation is your ultimate goal, you might be more interested in the SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit, then build your own lighting arsenal from the available SmartThings-compatible lighting options.

Insteon Hub

Insteon’s offerings for smart home lighting mostly include in-wall dimmers and switches and plug-in dimmers. They do offer their own programmable, dimmable LED bulbs, available in two styles: 8W LED bulbs and 12-watt recessed bulbs. You can use the Insteon app to set bulbs into groups for scheduling and creating scenes, then take control via Alexa.

To start building out your Insteon smart lighting ecosystem, you should get the Insteon Starter Kit, which comes with the necessary Hub, and two Dimmer Plugs, perfect for setting up a voice-controlled bedside lamp. From there, you’ll need to buy compatible bulbs as you need them.

Insteon’s system is a decent option for those looking for home automation, but overall their lighting options are somewhat lacking.

WeMo switches and outlets

WeMo offers Wi-Fi enabled smart switches and outlets that you can control via Alexa. The WeMo Light Switch can be used to replace any light switch in your home, letting you schedule and control your lights and appliances without the need of a central hub.

This one is better for the DIYers out there who are interested in manually creating their own home automation network with in-wall switches and plug-in adapters to control lamps and other small appliances. Those looking for hassle-free installation and smart bulb options are best looking elsewhere.

Lutron dimmers and switches

Lutron Caseta Wireless products offer a selection of smart dimmers and switches that connect via the Caseta Wireless Smart Bridge. Connect your Smart Bridge to Alexa allows you to control all the dimmers and switches with your voice.

Check out the Lutron Caseta Wireless Smart Lighting In-Wall Dimmer Kit or the Plug-in Dimmer Kit to see what this system is all about. This is another route that’s going to require DIY effort with initial setup and is also lacking branded LED bulb options, but the Hub is compatible with a bunch of other smart devices from leading brands including Ecobee, Nest, Honeywell, Logitech, and Sonos.

LIFX smart bulbs

LIFX offers a range of smart bulb selections for indoor and outdoor use that are compatible with Alexa. Not only can you turn your LIFX bulbs on and off using only your voice, but Alexa can also control and tweak your bulb color or light temperature, so you always have complete control over your bulbs.

You can buy them individually or save money by bundling them into multipacks so you can upgrade bulbs around your home and link them all together via Alexa. They also sell bulbs with built-in infrared to enhance your security cam’s vision, as well as LED strips to add some futuristic and colorful accents to your home. Check ’em out!

See at LIFX

GE Link Smart LED Bulb

General Electric has a few smart bulb options available that work with Alexa but require a hub (compatible with SmartThings or Wink Hub 2.

You can get a standard A19 bulb for $29 (great if you already have a compatible smart home hub), or you can opt for the GE starter kit which includes two A19 bulbs and a compact GE Link Hub for just $75.

Other bulb sizes are also available.

See at Amazon

TP-Link

TP-Link offers smart bulbs that connect to your home network via Wi-Fi and do not require a standalone hub. There are four bulb options, from a standard white dimmable bulb to a fully-customizable multi-color bulb.

All of TP-Link’s bulbs are pairable with the Alexa app which allows you to control your lighting with your voice. TP-Link sells other smart home devices such as smart plugs which are also controllable via Alexa, as well as cloud-based cameras which are not.

See at TP-Link

Nanoleaf Aurora Smart LED Light Panel – 9 Pack

Not all lighting options need to be bulbs. The Nanoleaf Aurora are Smart LED Light Panels that you can connect to create an entirely custom and unique lighting solution for your home office, gaming corner, or wherever you want to show them off.

The best place to start would be the nine-pack kit that comes with nine panels that can be configured however you’d like, and you can add up to 30 panels if you desire. The nine-pack is available on Amazon starting at $220 and they might not be the most practical lighting solution but damn they’re cool. Add in Alexa functionality and BAM! Suddenly you got the coolest living room on the block!

Check out the full review of these modular lights.

See at Amazon

Haiku Home

Smart lights are awesome.
Hey Alexa, Turn them on.
The future is now!

All poetry aside, these light fixtures are stylish and premium smart lights to consider if you’re renovating your home and want to massively upgrade your home lighting with something you can control with Alexa.

Beyond Alexa voice control, these fixtures include built-in motion sensors that can be set up to instantly illuminate the room when you walk in and turn off when you leave. You can install them indoors or outside, and they also include Haiku’s Smart Lighting technology that measures the ambient light in the room and automatically adjusts the lighting level to ensure consistent lighting throughout the day.

These are highly reviewed on Amazon, are available in multiple styles and colors to match your decor, and start at around $199. Check it out!

See at Amazon

Smartika Smart Home Lighting

Smartika has been making stylish and functional smart home lighting options since 2014, developing a line of smart LED fixtures that would look great in any home.

They’ve got some cool looking stuff like the Indoor/Outdoor wall light pictured to the right, along with a track-light fixture and pot lights that can all be linked to a Smartika Central Control HUB ($35).

• Smartika PROFILE Indoor/Outdoor Wall Light ($110)
• Smartika HALO LED Integrated Track-Light Fixture ($190)
• Smartika RADIUS LED Smart Recessed Ceiling Light ($49)
• Smartika EDGE LED Smart Recessed Light Square Cover Plate ($55)

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Which should you get?

Thanks to Alexa’s compatibility with a variety of smart light systems, you’ve got several great options for automating and customizing your home. Which system you go with will greatly depending on your current living situation.

If you’re living in an apartment and are just looking to control some funky lighting options via Alexa voice controls, Philips Hue is your best bet. Buying a starter kit is a great investment that you can take with you as you move — and with the lifespan of LED lighting well exceeding a decade, you’ll enjoy the freedom to rearrange, expand and easily move your Philips system wherever you go.

If you’re a homeowner looking to integrate IoT devices throughout your home, you’ll want to buy an Alexa-compatible hub that shares a wide range of compatibility with other brands and products, such as SmartThings or even a Wink Hub 2, then build out your smart bulb and other devices to the exact specifications of your home.

And if you’re in the process of planning a home renovation, it might be worth looking at WeMo, Insteon, and Lutron’s in-wall switches or dimmers to convert your existing home wiring into a smart lighting system that you can then control with your voice. Don’t just update the look of your home — upgrade its functionality, then let Alexa control it all with the power of your own voice.

Updated March 2018: Added Nanoleaf, Haiku Home, and Smartika products to our list!