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Andy Heron (40 KP) rated Koogeek KLUP1 Smart Plug in Tech
Mar 6, 2020
Bostonian916 (449 KP) rated Fossil Gen 3 Smartwatch - Explorist in Tech
Sep 25, 2020 (Updated Sep 25, 2020)
I've tried and worn a lot of smart watches. This is currently my everyday wearer. I like it a lot. Easy to disassemble for cleaning. Performs well above average. I do wish I could change the function of the ordinary physical button, as I often push it accidentally and activate Google Assistant. Other than that, zero complaints a year in.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Smart Wi-Fi LED Light Bulb in Tech
Sep 19, 2021
Easily turn on/off light bulb anywhere you have wi-fi through app. (2 more)
Control light bulb by voice using Alexa, Google assistant or Cortana.
Set light bulb to automatic conditions like weather, time, or device status.
Will sometimes go back to setup mode where it just keeps flashing and you have to connect or setup again. (2 more)
You have to have the switch turned on for it to be online or else you cannot turn the bulb on/off through app.
Confusing packaging.
Convenient, But How Convenient Really?
The Merkury Innovations Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb (Dimmable*White/A19 Bulb) is made to replace your traditional light bulb where you can now control, dim and schedule your lights by app (geeni app) from anywhere you have your smart phone. The one I purchased was the 9W=60W, brightness 800 lumens, A19 bulb. The smart wi-fi bulb can be controlled from anywhere with wi-fi access by the app, voice or can even be set to a pre-set schedule and can easily share access with other family members. The life of the bulb based on 3 hours a day is 22.8 years.
So the other day I was at my grandmother's house with my Dad. The family has been doing some renovations over there and I saw my Aunt messing with a lamp and her phone. She told me she had bought one of those smart light bulbs and that she could use an app on her phone to control it. I have seen commercials for different similar products like the smart A/C thermostat and thought it was pretty cool. So I decided next time I was at the store to have a look at them and see if there was something affordable and not too expensive to give it a try and that's how I found this product.
This is my first time buying a smart bulb so I didn't really know what to expect. Inside the box was just the light bulb and instructions. The instructions didn't seem to complicated, download the "geeni" app, create an account and password, login and then setup the bulb. There were 3 ways to setup the bulb, bluetooth, easy mode and backup AP mode. I was doing it by bluetooth but somehow wound up not being able to get it. So then I tried easy mode and still wasn't able to get it and that's when I saw the small print that says, "Note: Geeni can't connect to 5GHz networks." Once I connected to the right network everything went smoothly.
In the app on the "My Home" tab, it shows you which light bulbs you have connected. If they are off it will show a message that says "device offline". If on it will show an on/off button and will also show a "Quick Actions" link where you can control the brightness from 1% - 100%. via dimmer. The next tab in the app is the "Smart Scenes" tab, under the Tap-to-Run page you can control multiple devices with one tap or with voice assistance like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Microsoft Cortana. On the Automation page you can execute actions automatically, and setup them up by specifications based on weather conditions, device status or time. The next tab is the "Notification Center", and there are pages for Alarms, Home, and Alerts. The last tab is the "Profile" tab and is where you can set your name, find the help center, the settings tab and manage your home so you can organize your light bulbs by house hold.
Pro:
Easily turn on/off light bulb anywhere you have wi-fi through app.
Control light bulb by voice using Alexa, Google assistant or Cortana.
Set light bulb to automatic conditions like weather, time, or device status.
Con:
Will sometimes go back to setup mode where it just keeps flashing and you have to connect or setup again.
You have to have the switch turned on for it to be online or else you cannot turn the bulb on/off through app.
Confusing packaging.
Rating: 7/10
Conclusion:
I have to say that these light bulbs can be pretty convenient and an awesome way to setup some lights at home to turn on when it's dark to make people think you're home. It's also good for when you are getting home at night and want to turn on the lights so you don't walk into a pitch dark room. It's awesome to just use the app to dim the lights without having to get up or even turn them off when your sitting down about to watch a movie. When I purchased them there was a 3-pack that was more expensive then buying 3 bulbs separately and I couldn't understand why. In retrospect I think maybe those were non-dimmable which really doesn't make sense. So I would say shopping for light bulbs is already confusing enough and getting a smart bulb might just cause more headaches for some people. But if you're looking to try it out I got this bulb for under $10 at Wal-Mart and think they are pretty cool. I give the Merkury Innovations Smart Wi-Fi- LED bulb a 7/10.
So the other day I was at my grandmother's house with my Dad. The family has been doing some renovations over there and I saw my Aunt messing with a lamp and her phone. She told me she had bought one of those smart light bulbs and that she could use an app on her phone to control it. I have seen commercials for different similar products like the smart A/C thermostat and thought it was pretty cool. So I decided next time I was at the store to have a look at them and see if there was something affordable and not too expensive to give it a try and that's how I found this product.
This is my first time buying a smart bulb so I didn't really know what to expect. Inside the box was just the light bulb and instructions. The instructions didn't seem to complicated, download the "geeni" app, create an account and password, login and then setup the bulb. There were 3 ways to setup the bulb, bluetooth, easy mode and backup AP mode. I was doing it by bluetooth but somehow wound up not being able to get it. So then I tried easy mode and still wasn't able to get it and that's when I saw the small print that says, "Note: Geeni can't connect to 5GHz networks." Once I connected to the right network everything went smoothly.
In the app on the "My Home" tab, it shows you which light bulbs you have connected. If they are off it will show a message that says "device offline". If on it will show an on/off button and will also show a "Quick Actions" link where you can control the brightness from 1% - 100%. via dimmer. The next tab in the app is the "Smart Scenes" tab, under the Tap-to-Run page you can control multiple devices with one tap or with voice assistance like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Microsoft Cortana. On the Automation page you can execute actions automatically, and setup them up by specifications based on weather conditions, device status or time. The next tab is the "Notification Center", and there are pages for Alarms, Home, and Alerts. The last tab is the "Profile" tab and is where you can set your name, find the help center, the settings tab and manage your home so you can organize your light bulbs by house hold.
Pro:
Easily turn on/off light bulb anywhere you have wi-fi through app.
Control light bulb by voice using Alexa, Google assistant or Cortana.
Set light bulb to automatic conditions like weather, time, or device status.
Con:
Will sometimes go back to setup mode where it just keeps flashing and you have to connect or setup again.
You have to have the switch turned on for it to be online or else you cannot turn the bulb on/off through app.
Confusing packaging.
Rating: 7/10
Conclusion:
I have to say that these light bulbs can be pretty convenient and an awesome way to setup some lights at home to turn on when it's dark to make people think you're home. It's also good for when you are getting home at night and want to turn on the lights so you don't walk into a pitch dark room. It's awesome to just use the app to dim the lights without having to get up or even turn them off when your sitting down about to watch a movie. When I purchased them there was a 3-pack that was more expensive then buying 3 bulbs separately and I couldn't understand why. In retrospect I think maybe those were non-dimmable which really doesn't make sense. So I would say shopping for light bulbs is already confusing enough and getting a smart bulb might just cause more headaches for some people. But if you're looking to try it out I got this bulb for under $10 at Wal-Mart and think they are pretty cool. I give the Merkury Innovations Smart Wi-Fi- LED bulb a 7/10.
TacoDave (3640 KP) rated Amazon Echo Auto in Tech
Jul 19, 2019
A digital assistant on the go (4 more)
Hands-free calling
Unlimited music
Podcasts
Audiobooks
A cool Alexa device - for your car!
I was chosen to purchase a pre-release version of the Amazon Echo Auto through Amazon's website. It works just like a normal Echo, except it is designed for use in the car.
The mount for the Echo Auto is a strip of thick rubber that sticks to the dashboard and includes a magnet that keeps the Echo firmly in place.
The Echo uses bluetooth to connect to your cell phone, and can connect to your car's speakers via bluetooth or an included aux cable. It is powered by a cigarette lighter plug or USB port.
If you already have Siri or a newer car, you might have some of the Echo's features already. I drive a 2008 minivan, so the Echo actually added tons of abilities that I didn't have access to already.
For example, I can now use the Echo as a hands-free phone device. I've tried it multiple times and the sound quality is great and the person on the other end hears me fine. I can also ask Alexa to navigate to an address and, using Google Maps, hear step-by-step instructions to get where I'm going. And if I'm listening to music or a podcast, it will pause them so I can hear the voice say "In 600 feet, turn left" or whatever. And since I pay $8 a month for Amazon Music Unlimited, I can ask Alexa to play almost any song and it will instantly play in my car.
Not only that, but the "regular" features of Alexa are included. I asked "How many feet are in a mile?" and it answered (correctly). My kids have asked it what certain words mean and have asked it to tell jokes. They can play 20 Questions or Jeopardy while I'm driving. The possibilities are almost endless.
I only have one problem with the Echo Auto: it relies on a cell signal. So when I drove my daughter to camp on Sunday - way out in the middle of nowhere in the woods - I lost cell service and my music cut off suddenly. (I had asked Alexa to shuffle music from Weird Al Yankovic to keep my kids entertained, and we were enjoying it! Plus, I could ask Alexa to play the original version of a song after we heard the parody version so my kids would have context.) I understand that this is a known limitation, and since I live in a major city it won't often be a problem. But I thought I'd mention it for people who might live in places with less cell coverage.
The mount for the Echo Auto is a strip of thick rubber that sticks to the dashboard and includes a magnet that keeps the Echo firmly in place.
The Echo uses bluetooth to connect to your cell phone, and can connect to your car's speakers via bluetooth or an included aux cable. It is powered by a cigarette lighter plug or USB port.
If you already have Siri or a newer car, you might have some of the Echo's features already. I drive a 2008 minivan, so the Echo actually added tons of abilities that I didn't have access to already.
For example, I can now use the Echo as a hands-free phone device. I've tried it multiple times and the sound quality is great and the person on the other end hears me fine. I can also ask Alexa to navigate to an address and, using Google Maps, hear step-by-step instructions to get where I'm going. And if I'm listening to music or a podcast, it will pause them so I can hear the voice say "In 600 feet, turn left" or whatever. And since I pay $8 a month for Amazon Music Unlimited, I can ask Alexa to play almost any song and it will instantly play in my car.
Not only that, but the "regular" features of Alexa are included. I asked "How many feet are in a mile?" and it answered (correctly). My kids have asked it what certain words mean and have asked it to tell jokes. They can play 20 Questions or Jeopardy while I'm driving. The possibilities are almost endless.
I only have one problem with the Echo Auto: it relies on a cell signal. So when I drove my daughter to camp on Sunday - way out in the middle of nowhere in the woods - I lost cell service and my music cut off suddenly. (I had asked Alexa to shuffle music from Weird Al Yankovic to keep my kids entertained, and we were enjoying it! Plus, I could ask Alexa to play the original version of a song after we heard the parody version so my kids would have context.) I understand that this is a known limitation, and since I live in a major city it won't often be a problem. But I thought I'd mention it for people who might live in places with less cell coverage.