TechHive - Reviews
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Features, ratings, reviews, and specs of the latest in consumer technology products
TechHive - Reviews
11h ago
At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
Battery or wired power options
Extreme wide-angle field of view
Attractive hardware, reasonably priced
Cons
Image quality isn’t the best
Some app hangs during testing
Pricey subscription plan is all but required
Our Verdict
Arlo’s upgrade to its video doorbell is modest; and in today’s market, it’s probably only worthwhile if you already have other Arlo gear.
Price When Reviewed
$129.99
Best Prices Today: Arlo Video Doorbell 2K (2nd Generation) (model AVD4001-100NAS)
Retailer
Price
$89.99
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Arlo
$129.99
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TechHive - Reviews
11h ago
Security cameras are one of the most affordable tools for protecting your home, whether it be to watch for intruders or just to keep tabs on your pets while you’re away. Most cameras, however, require an ongoing subscription if you want anything more than just a livestream. If you want a recording of an event that happened while you weren’t watching, you’re out of luck unless you cough up a monthly or annual fee.
Fortunately, that’s not the case with every security camera. Some models avoid the need for a subscription by having onboard storage for recordings, so the manufacturer doesn’t need ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
11h ago
The robot vacuum market is booming, with more innovative and diverse models hitting the shelves every week. These household helpers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with features ranging from intricate mapping capabilities to integration with home automation systems.
This explosion of options, while exciting, also brings a significant challenge: choosing the right robot vacuum for your home has never been more complicated.
That’s where we come in. We take the testing of robot vacuums and mops seriously. Understanding that these devices are designed to make life easier ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
1d ago
Earlier this year, Sling TV’s Freestream became the first free, ad-supported streaming service to offer a cloud-based DVR. This allowed users to record movies and shows from dozens of linear channels, and then skip through the commercials.
As I noted at at the time, Sling’s free DVR only includes 10 hours of storage, and officially you can’t add more without a full $40-per-month Sling TV subscription. But there is an unofficial workaround: By signing up for a cheap Sling TV International plan, you can get 50 hours of DVR storage that’ll work on almost any Freestream channel.
The least-expensi ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
1d ago
At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
Affordable
Tough on pet hair
Accurate room mapping
Great battery life
Cons
Missed larger debris
So-so obstacle avoidance
Our Verdict
For pet owners who have low-pile carpets or hard flooring, this affordable smart vacuum cleaner is designed to efficiently manage everyday cleaning chores.
Price When Reviewed
$279.99
Best Prices Today: Eufy Clean L60
Retailer
Price
$199.99
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Eufy
$279.99
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Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
Back in the day, a robot vacuum equip ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
2d ago
The budding Matter smart home standard just added a slew of new features today, including the ability to take charge of smart ovens, cooktops, leak and freeze detectors, and water valves.
Even better, Matter can now handle smart lighting scenes for individual bulbs or even a roomful of lights, and it can also pass along details about the power usage of connected devices.
The new features and functionality come in version 1.3 of the Matter specification, which was released on Wednesday by the Matter Working Group of the Connectivity Standards Alliance.
While the expand ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
2d ago
With more than a third of North American homes protected by a video doorbell or some other Wi-Fi-dependent device, it’s reasonable to worry about the growing threat of Wi-Fi jammers. These mysterious devices can override your smart home security monitoring, effectively neutralizing the systems you’ve relied on for peace of mind.
Indeed, these increasingly cheap and accessible jamming devices make it easier than ever for criminals to block your security system’s primary communications signal. With that signal blocked, the crooks can break into your place without you noticing—until it’s too lat ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
2d ago
Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors–sometimes one in the same device, in other cases, discrete products–warn of imminent danger, so you can get out of your home as soon as possible. The smart versions of these life-safety devices go further, alerting you to danger from smoke, fire, or a malfunctioning appliance even when you’re not home. They’ll not only have the potential to save lives, they also protect your most substantial financial investment.
When paired with their relevant apps, you’ll not only get an audible alarm inside your home, you’ll also get a notification on your smartphon ..read more
TechHive - Reviews
3d ago
At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
Very well-priced
Reasonably slim design, with a replaceable battery and 10-year useful life
Loud alarm with both siren and spoken alerts
Cons
No smart features
LCD display won’t add much
A bit obtrusive in design
Our Verdict
This affordable smoke/CO detector includes an LCD readout of CO conditions that, ideally, you’ll never need to look at.
Price When Reviewed
$29.99 (plus shipping, if purchased direct from X-Sense)
Best Prices Today: X-Sense XP0A-SR smoke/CO detector
Retailer
Price
$29.99
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X-Sense
$29.99
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TechHive - Reviews
3d ago
Maybe you’re sick of the price hikes. Maybe you’re not keen on the whole password-sharing crackdown thing. Or maybe there’s just nothing you want to watch anymore. Whatever the reason, you might be wondering: Is it time for a Netflix break?
The idea of putting Netflix on pause is more fraught than it is for other streaming services. For many of us, Netflix has been in our lives for decades–heck, I was a Netflix subscriber for nearly 20 years straight–while the other big streamers are barely a few years old.
Because it’s been around for so long, Netflix can start to feel like a utility–you kno ..read more