The best smart hub
By Jon Chase
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read the full article here.
After researching more than 20 smart hubs—the brains that let all of your smart-home devices work together—and living with a half-dozen of them for a few months while putting them through their paces with an array of smart locks, thermostats, room sensors, switches, lights, and more, we think that the Samsung SmartThings Hub is the best hub for most people who want to buy right now. It’s competitively priced, is compatible with a large number of third-party devices, and supports most of the major wireless protocols relied on by smart devices.
We think it’s important to note, however, that we struggle to fully throw our support behind any one model without substantial reservations. The SmartThings hub is the most evolved among a number of well-rounded products out already. Still, to date, we don’t believe that any one smart hub is an unqualified, home-run purchase that would satisfy most people—our baseline standard.
Who this is for
A smart hub is essential for anyone who wants to use a single centralized app to control their wirelessly connected lights, thermostats, smoke alarms, motion detectors, sound systems, or any other smart-home devices and appliances. A smart hub acts as the middleman in a system, facilitating communications between all your various devices and enabling control of them too. It can also automate your devices so they work with each other without any interaction from you. You can easily set up simple scenarios such as having the system automatically turn on the lights whenever you unlock your front door; a more complex system and a little work can let you set up the hub to use inputs from various sensors and switches and adjust devices in your house accordingly. The DIY hubs we tested for our guide are a fraction of the cost of the top-shelf home-automation systems that are custom-installed by the pros, though to get anywhere near the same level of functionality and polish takes a little effort.
Setting up and using a smart hub requires a functional level of tech know-how, at a minimum the ability to use a smartphone or tablet and apps, as well as familiarity with pairing Bluetooth devices and/or logging your various devices onto your Wi-Fi network. Complicated setups may require a bit of patience, a few hours of perusing online help forums, or a call or two to tech support.
How we picked and tested
Because connected products have so many different competing technologies among them, we searched for hubs that offered compatibility with as many products and standards as reasonably possible, yet remained easy to set up and use. We also nixed hubs that required buying into a very expensive ecosystem to get started or require custom or professional installation. After cutting down our list, we consulted veterans in the field, including representatives from Apple, Nest, Insteon, Lutron, and the Z-Wave Alliance, as well as a number of editorial resources and customer testimonials.
To discover what these hubs are capable of, we pulled together a collection of test smart devices (from several manufacturers) that we think would be desirable for a typical household, including light bulbs, outlet switches, thermostats, door and window sensors, cameras, water sensors, and door locks. Our test regimen for each hub included downloading, installing, and registering an app, connecting the hub to our home network, going through the setup procedure, and then pairing each hub with as many devices as possible among our range of test accessories.
When performing our tests, we paid close attention to how friendly and intuitive the setup process was when setting up the hub and, in particular, when linking devices together to create scenes or macro actions. Compatibility with wireless protocols was a key concern, as well as whether a hub needed to be directly connected to our home router or could be located remotely—a major issue if you have a large home or one with spotty wireless issues. Almost as important as the physical components of a hub is the companion app you use to control it, so we spent most of our time using apps to set up devices, link them together, create scenes, and tweak notifications settings, wherever possible.
Our pick
Our winner, the Samsung SmartThings Hub. Photo: Jon Chase
The Samsung SmartThings Hub is the most evolved among a number of well-rounded products already on the market. It’s competitively priced, is compatible with a wide range of third-party devices, and supports most of the major smart-home wireless protocols, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee and Z-Wave. The companion controller app can be confounding, but within its many submenus and sections is a wealth of capability and, with some planning, the right smart accessories and devices, and patience—lots of patience—you can create a rich home-automation scheme that can hum along without requiring you to monitor it constantly. In the right hands, the SmartThings hub can steer the ship of a comprehensive DIY smart-home setup.
Setting up the SmartThings hub is straightforward, as it was with most of the hubs we tested. The SmartThings companion app, which is required for setting up and controlling the hub, takes a lot more work to understand. Compared with more streamlined app offerings, the SmartThings app is positively full of icons, buttons, submenus, and subsections. Though you could certainly get by using only a fraction of the functions offered, we recommend digging in a bit to get an idea of what SmartThings is capable of—and also why it may be a little too much for some potential users.
Runner-up
The Wink hub supports most of the popular wireless protocols and doesn’t need to be plugged into a router. Photo: Jon Chase
The Wink Hub supports most popular wireless protocols, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Lutron Clear Connect, ZigBee, and Z-Wave Plus. For individual control of a device or even a few, it’s a great bargain, but for automation of several devices we believe the SmartThings hub remains a better option. The Wink does have a few advantages though. You can connect it to your home network via Wi-Fi instead of a cable, allowing you to place the hub anywhere in your home you like, which is especially helpful if reception is an issue. And the ability to pair some devices by scanning a barcode is far easier than the SmartThings hub’s often multistep approach.
In our tests we had no trouble pairing the Wink hub with a few smart locks (in fact, it was our test hub for our smart locks guide), as well as a Connected Cree LED bulb, a Nest thermostat, a Nest Cam, and an Amazon Echo. Controlling any of them and setting up notifications is straightforward via the Wink’s companion app, which is far easier to decode and use than the SmartThings app. One foible though is the method for creating automation schemes, dubbed “robots.” It’s an obtuse system of creating logic schemes for actions that tips the Wink into more-advanced-user territory. We also found that the Wink tended to suffer a greater lag time between when we triggered an action to when it occurred, which is a common complaint.
An updated Wink hub, which the company is calling Wink Hub 2, will launch at the end of October. It does everything the original Wink does, but adds Ethernet, Bluetooth Low Energy (BTE), a faster processor, and support for locally controlled automation routines.
HomeKit, Nest, and Echo
Amazon, Apple, and Google have each staked a claim in the smart home as well. Google snapped up smart-thermostat pioneer Nest a few years ago, and later acquired Dropcam. Despite ending support for Nest’s own hub, the Revolv, Google remains involved in (and hopefully committed to) home products, and maintains a Works with Nest program that provides standards for third-party products to maintain compatibility with the Nest. Apple has its Works with Apple HomeKit program for products that meet hardware and software standards and that will, in theory, interact with other enabled devices as well as Apple devices seamlessly, including voice control via Apple’s Siri. And Amazon moved strongly into smart-home voice control with its Internet-connected Echo speaker and its newer variants, the Tap and Dot.
For more about the options for HomeKit, Echo, and Nest and what to look forward to in smart-home technology, check out our full guide.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
Note from The Sweethome: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.
The Engadget Podcast Ep 11: Everybody Hurts
Managing editor Dana Wollman and senior editor Mona Lalwani join host Terrence O’Brien to talk Macbook rumors, Amazon ISP ambitions and Julian Assange. Then they’ll talk about all the work that went into Engadget’s five part series covering the world’s first cyborg games, Superhumans and look at VR’s ability generate empathy.
The Flame Wars Leaderboard
Wins
Loses
Winning %
Mona Lalwani
3
1
.750
Christopher Trout
2
1
.666
Dana Wollman
8
5
.615
Devindra Hardawar
9
7
.563
Chris Velazco
3
3
.500
Cherlynn Low
6
7
.461
Nathan Ingraham
4
6
.400
Michael Gorman
1
2
.333
Relevant links:
- Apple could bring E Ink keyboards to MacBooks in 2018
- Amazon wants to sell internet service in Europe
- Ecuador confirms it cut Assange’s internet for US election interference
- Superhumans: Inside the world’s first cyborg games – Episode 1
- Superhumans: Inside the world’s first cyborg games – Episode 2
- Superhumans: Inside the world’s first cyborg games – Episode 3
- Superhumans: Inside the world’s first cyborg games – Episode 4
- Superhumans: Inside the world’s first cyborg games – Episode 5
- VR helped me grasp the life of a transgender wheelchair user
- The New York Times VR app launches with portraits of refugee children
- The United Nations is turning VR into a tool for social change
- The Godmother of Virtual Reality: Nonny de la Peña
- ‘That Dragon, Cancer’ forced me to confront my past
You can check out every episode on The Engadget Podcast page in audio, video and text form for the hearing impaired.
Watch on YouTube
Watch on Facebook
Subscribe on Google Play Music
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Stitcher
Subscribe on Pocket Casts
Amazon’s Fire TV software is getting a new look soon
Amazon’s refreshed Fire TV stick with Alexa-enabled remote started shipping today, and along with the new hardware, we’re getting a look at the new Fire TV software update. The new look is said to be a “cinematic” experience, with video trailers and screenshots aplenty. Another change is how it features content from non-Amazon providers, which may increase support from other services on the Fire TV platform.
As SlashGear points out, the primary navigation elements have shifted from the left side to a bar across the top, with category labels. As far as individual apps, those can be reordered at will, while the FireTV and compatible apps are also accessible to more people with a VoiceView screen reader. This updated software is coming to the new stick and most recent Fire TV box first, later this year.
Amazon:
New Update Makes It Easier To Browse and Discover Content – Coming Soon
Coming later this year, a free software update for Fire TV will give customers a new on-screen experience that makes finding what to watch next even easier and more enjoyable. Fire TV will present a cinematic experience, offering video trailers and content screenshots to help customers access the content they want more quickly – without the need to open and close multiple apps. Finding and enjoying apps and games will be easier too with new support for a customizable apps list on the home screen. Accessibility improvements will also be included, allowing customers to use Fire TV and any compatible apps with the VoiceView screen reader. These features will be available for all Fire TV customers as a free, over-the-air update, starting with the new Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote and latest generation Fire TV later this year.The all-new Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote is available for pre-order beginning today for $39.99 at http://www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick and will start shipping to customers on October 20. Eligible customers who purchase online or from a participating retailer and activate their device by October 31 will also receive a free content bundle. This limited-time offer includes one month of Sling TV and two months of Hulu (Limited Commercials) for new subscribers, and a $10 credit for Amazon Video – a value of up to $65.
Source: Amazon
Apple lawsuit reveals most chargers sold on Amazon are fake
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC for manufacturing fake Apple chargers and cables and passing them off on Amazon as authentic goods. According to the details of the lawsuit posted by Patently Apple, Cupertino bought and tested over 100 Lightning cables and chargers marked “Fulfilled by Amazon” over the past nine months. The result? Around 90 percent of the chargers were fake. Now, we all know there’s an abundance of counterfeit Apple goods out there, but people tend to trust listings sold by Amazon itself. And in this case, Amazon clearly stated that the items were “original.” Check out one example below the fold to see what we mean.
When Apple got in touch with Amazon about the issue, the website told the former that it got most of its chargers from Mobile Star LLC. The iPhone-maker stressed that since counterfeit cables and chargers don’t go through consumer safety testing and could be poorly designed, they’re prone to overheating and catching fire. They might even electrocute users. Tim Cook and co. are now asking the court to issue an injunction against the defendant. They also want the court to order the seizure and destruction of all the fake chargers in addition to asking for damages.
As for Amazon, it told 9to5mac that it “has zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeits on [its] site” and the the company “work[s] closely with manufacturers and brands, and pursue wrongdoers aggressively.”
[Image credit: Patently Apple]
Via: 9to5mac, ABC News
Source: Patently Apple
Amazon Echo’s UK owners can now shop just by talking
Now that the Amazon Echo has reached the UK, thousands of Brits are getting to grips with the cylindrical speaker’s smart assistant, Alexa. Companies like Just Eat and Sky have created app-like “Skills” for the Echo, allowing owners to re-order their last takeaway and receive news updates, but Amazon’s own integrations have been lacking compared to those available in the US. To celebrate availability of the Echo Dot, the retailer today confirmed that a number of new features are available on UK Echos, including Alexa voice shopping and ESP (Echo Spatial Perception).
With Alexa voice shopping, Prime subscribers can talk to their Echo to order products and check the status of their delivery. Amazon says “order paper towels,” “order dog food” and “buy some LEGO” are some good examples of what you can ask Alexa to find. The assistant will then find the relevant item(s), ensure they’re available for Prime delivery and apply any available discounts.
Once you’ve added what you were looking for, a simple “Yes” will confirm everything. Ask “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” and it’ll let you know when you can expect your items to arrive.
With Echo Spatial Perception, people with more than one Echo in their house will have a better time getting the correct speaker to respond. Amazon says the ESP technology can calculate the clarity of a user’s voice, determine which Echo is closest and have it instantly respond to the request. In our Echo Dot review, we solved that problem by renaming the “Alexa” trigger, but the new update should negate the need for that completely.
Source: Amazon UK Press Office
Tech giants outspend banks in US lobbying
It won’t shock you to hear that tech companies are trying to cozy up to politicians, but they may have more influence than you think. Bloomberg has determined that the five largest tech firms in the US (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft) spent more than twice as much on lobbying in 2015 as the five largest banks — $49 million versus $19.7 million. Facebook and Google argue that the money is necessary to both explain their operations and defend an open internet, but there are mounting concerns that they may have too much sway.
For instance, New America Foundation’s Barry Lynn warns that these companies are terrified of “competition policy” that could restrict their businesses, such as a repeat of the federal anti-monopoly case against Microsoft. Google may not have dismissed the FTC’s antitrust probe due to lobbying, but there is a concern that companies could have officials look the other way. And it’s safe to say that they’re not fond of measure that would force them to repatriate cash stored overseas and pay taxes.
At the same time, it may be difficult for the feds to completely reject tech industry overtures. The government needs to cooperate closely with these companies for everything from fighting terrorist propaganda to modernizing data. The future administration will likely have to walk a fine line between listening to what tech has to say and preventing it from dictating policies that hurt both your market choices and the country’s bottom line.
Source: Bloomberg
Amazon Alexa can answer your debate and election questions
Since your racist uncle is not a reliable source, many Americans have turned to Alexa for information about the presidential election. It’s hard to say whether that’s good or bad, but Amazon has taken notice and released new commands for its AI assistant ahead of the next debate. You can now ask questions about the time and channel of the debate, where it’s happening, and afterwards, who won.
Alexa is also getting a host of new commands on election day, November 8th, “to help keep you up to date on all things Election 2016 including who is leading the election, which states the candidates have won and more,” Amazon says. Examples of questions you can pose include “Alexa, who is winning the presidential election,” “who is leading in the presidential polls,” “which percent of the popular vote does Hillary have” and “which states has Trump won.”
Amazon also pointed out some amusing Alexa stats, including the most popular questions. The top four were the ages of each candidate and the latest news around them — with double the number of queries for Trump. The fifth most asked question, weirdly, was “Alexa, who are you voting for?”, just ahead of “Alexa, who should I vote for.” Come on, AI systems don’t have the right to vote yet — you’ll have to wait until at least the next presidential election for that.
Amazon wants to sell internet service in Europe
In Europe, Amazon is looking to bring users more just speedy deliveries and award-winning TV shows. According to a new report from The Information, the online retail giant and Hollywood production studio is considering a plan to become its own internet service provider and sell broadband internet access directly to users.
As one of The Information’s sources noted, building its own ISP would allow Amazon to bundle internet service with Prime streaming video (and the rest of the Prime perks, of course), effectively making it a cable operator in Europe. Alphabet may have hit some snags with the rollout of its own Google Fiber broadband service here in the states, but regulations in countries like the UK or Germany actually make it easier for upstart broadband providers to get into the game in those countries without having to build out their own network. Most broadband providers in the US restrict access to their network, but in the UK, for example, British Telecom is required to offer wholesale access to its network. If Amazon were to re-sell that access, it could do so at cost and improve its margins through the retail business or by selling access to additional cable channels like Starz and Showtime, as it does in the US.
While that all bodes well for a Amazon Broadband service in Europe, it’s unlikely that the company would try the same strategy in the US anytime soon. Stateside, the FCC does not require providers to sell access to their networks and the lobbyists that have been keeping our cable boxes in the dark ages would probably raise a stink if they were required to open up their networks.
Source: The Information
Amazon Japan’s manga-ready Kindle has 8 times the storage
Amazon Japan has an unusual challenge with the Kindle: it not only has to cater to your typical bookworm, but to a local fondness for image-heavy (and thus storage-intensive) manga books. What it’s going to do? Release a special model just for those readers, apparently. The company has introduced a manga version of the Kindle Paperwhite with 32GB of storage, or eight times as much space as the run-of-the-mill 4GB model. You could cram every single volume of Asari-chan, Kochikame and Naruto into this e-reader, Amazon says. On top of that, a 33 percent faster page turning speed promises to keep you engrossed in your comics.
The manga Kindle is available for pre-order now, with pricing commanding a slight premium over the usual Paperwhite. You’re spending ¥16,280 (about $157), or ¥12,280 ($118) if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. The first units ship October 21st, and the update to improve page turning performance should arrive by the end of the month. As you might gather, it’s not very likely that you’ll see this model elsewhere in the world — when the 4GB in regular Kindles is enough to hold thousands of regular books, Amazon doesn’t have much incentive to boost their capacity any time soon.
Source: Amazon Japan (translated 1), (2)
Amazon Prime now includes a ‘Family Vault’ for sharing photos
Slowly but surely, Amazon has built out its Prime subscription to offer access to more online services. Faster deliveries and streaming video often dominate the headlines, but over the past couple of years, the company has also offered unlimited photo storage. In its bid to lure users away from and close the gap on Google’s free image hosting, the retailer today announced the launch of Family Vault, a new feature that lets anyone with a Prime subscription invite up to five friends and family members to join their account and upload as many photos as they like.
Amazon’s Family Vault focuses on collecting and organizing images taken on multiple devices and accounts. While videos and other files can be stored too, storage is capped at 5GB across those five additional users. Once uploaded, the company says its new smart search capability can find matches based on “people, places or things.” If those features sound familiar, Google’s been doing the same with its AI-powered algorithms for quite a while.
It appears that Amazon has quietly been building other services around the expansion of Photos. Just last month, the retailer confirmed its intention to cash in on users storing their photos online with a new printing service. With Family Vault, Prime account holders can combine their images with those taken by others and order photo books, cards and other prints with free delivery.
Although the official launch is limited to US customers, it appears Prime subscribers outside North America can utilize the service via the web with their existing account. I was able to access Family Vault on Amazon.com using my Amazon UK account details, for instance.
Via: Amazon Press Office
Source: Amazon Prime Photos Family Vault
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