Intel executives pledged Tuesday that its upcoming Panther Lake chip will combine the best aspects of its earlier processors, Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake. Intel executives spoke in Las Vegas on the second day of its Intel Vision conference, which engages Intel’s partners and customers. Intel’s new chief executive Lip-Bu Tan outlined his plans for Intel’s new direction on Monday, asking for brutal honesty while pledging to return Intel to greatness. We already knew that Panther Lake would be a critical product for Intel this year. Not only is the chip the next iteration of Intel’s PC client roadmap, but it’s the first chip on Intel’s next-generation 18A manufacturing process. After falling behind in the critical manufacturing process technology race, former chief executive Pat Gelsinger pushed hard to achieve five process technology nodes in four years, culminating in the 18A process. Gelsinger stepped down last year, but achieving that goal would be an important legacy. Executives said that they’ve entered “risk production” with 18A, essentially freezing the process technology development and beginning to scale up the process for eventual volume shipments. Panther Lake will be crucial for Intel Jim Johnson, senior vice president of Intel’s Client Computing Group, told Vision attendees that Panther Lake would be a hybrid of Intel’s earlier chips. “I’m personally excited about Panther Lake because it combines the power efficiency of Lunar Lake, the performance of Arrow Lake, and is built to scale 18A and is on track for production later this year,” Johnson said. “Our client roadmap is the most innovative we’ve ever had, and we are far from done.” Michelle Johnston Holthaus, now Intel’s chief of product, shows off Panther Lake at CES 2025.Mark Hachman / IDG In a letter to shareholders, Tan said that “Nova Lake” would follow the launch of Panther Lake. Nova Lake will debut in 2026, he said. As he has done before, Johnson reiterated that making great AI begins with creating a great PC. Intel has also invested heavily in software development, trying to lure developers to the Intel platform and make Intel’s Core and other chips the engine of client AI. In that vein, Intel announced a new AI showcase to help customers find AI-optimized applications, and especially those designed for Intel. Intel also designed its own app, called AI Playground, which allows consumers using Intel chips to run AI art and an LLM chatbot, all in a single app. Intel typically announces technical details of its next-generation chips around the Computex show, scheduled for the end of May. AI, AI, AI: Intel’s 2025 priorities Michelle Johnston Holthaus, who has returned to her post as the head of Intel’s products business after temporarily serving as Intel’s co-chief executive officer, outlined her three priorities for 2025 for the company at large. Two involved artificial intelligence. “The Intel product group is focused on three key priorities to drive your success,” she said. “First and foremost, winning in AI PCs and enabling you to capture the AI client opportunity from the edge to automotive, to the PC and to the workstation. Second, strengthening our data center capabilities across traditional data centers and workloads in order to help you maximize your existing investments, such as refreshing to recapture space, reducing power, all while reducing your total cost of ownership. “And third, we’ve got to continue to innovate in AI, enabling the next generation of software and hardware, while helping you future-proof critical infrastructure to leverage the power of AI through full stack solutions,” Holthaus explained. Read...

In 2015, I saw the best demo that you’ll probably never see: the press-only demo of the Microsoft HoloLens. This week, Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary on April 4, 2025, and at PCWorld we’ll be spending some time looking back on how it got here. But PCWorld also celebrated something else even more important: the life of our colleague, Gordon Mah Ung. Gordon passed away from cancer last December, and over the weekend PCWorld staff both past and present gathered together to talk about what made Gordon special. For me, it was a time to reflect. My own career began about 30 years ago, about the same time that Gordon moved over from newspapering into technology journalism. Now that he’s gone, it’s made me realize something our society struggles with; asking Gordon about his life would be a tacit acknowledgement that it was ending. It’s a shame. I wish I asked him what PCs, products, and demos made the biggest impact on him over his decades of covering technology in magazines and on the web. What stood the out strongest to a person who saw almost everything tech had to offer this century? In honor of Gordon, and just in time for Microsoft’s 50th, I want to share the coolest tech demo I’ve ever seen: the closed-doors HoloLens hands-on that Microsoft showed off on Jan. 21, 2015. Microsoft The mother of all (Microsoft) demos Microsoft doesn’t often invite journalists to its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, and for me this was my first time stepping foot on its campus. In 1968, Douglas Engelbart gave what’s known as the “mother of all demos,” showing off what became the computer mouse, hyperlinking, and more. For Microsoft, that day was pretty close! Microsoft showed off Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, the HoloLens, and related apps and services, such as the Windows Xbox app. I was there for the news, but most importantly for the demos: how everything looked, felt and worked. And at the end of the presentation, there was the HoloLens. Thurrott.com’s YouTube channel shows off what the journalists in the room saw: Microsoft made a number of computers, tablets and phones available for us to try out Windows 10 and the new Windows Phone OS, and I remember being pretty impressed with Windows 10 and especially Cortana, a cheery, responsive “AI” who could answer questions and perform a number of tasks. Microsoft’s operating systems usually swung back and forth between a professional business focus (Windows 2000, for example) and excessively consumer-y, such as Windows 8. Windows 10 felt like it took some of the best elements of both worlds. While my memory of that day is a little fuzzy, what I do recall is that the HoloLens wasn’t just available to try on. It was a curated experience, and required signing up for one of several groups. At a certain time, a small cohort of reporters was escorted downstairs into the basement to try out the HoloLens in a series of one-on-one demonstrations. The most important thing for a HoloLens viewer was getting the inter-pupillary distance correctly measured. Looking the HoloLens was a bit like looking through a porthole, as the field of view was limited. Naturally, it was important to get that aligned correctly with our eyes. The demo HoloLens that the world saw that day was the slick, Daft Punk-inspired headset that eventually shipped, but we were strapped into a two-piece visor and NUC-like device, tethered by a cord. This was it: Minecraft magic I chose to highlight a virtual walk on Mars as the highlight of the HoloLens launch event, but what still sticks with me, years later, is the Minecraft (“Holo Builder”) demo. We all know Minecraft. It’s a first-person game, where you walk about and, well, mine and craft weapons and tools and building materials. While the game is randomized, the interface isn’t. You’re just a blocky person with a sword or pickaxe, wandering about. The HoloLens changed all that. I walked into a standard living room: sofa, coffee table, a couple of chairs, maybe a plant or two. The HoloLens turned them into the game. This Microsoft concept art is as close as you’ll see to what I saw. I just remember it being less complex but much more vibrant.Microsoft That blew my mind. I’d never thought of actual physical surfaces as a game board, even for someone who had thought that the “battle chess” holographic setup in Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon was pretty cool. The HoloLens allowed me a godlike view, walking around Minecraft plateaus on the couch — even allowing me to peer through “holes” in the coffee table into the fiery Underworld of the game. Of course, there was TNT — and that blew up, too. Could you flick Creepers into the abyss? I don’t really recall if “I” as a player was represented, meaning that I’m not sure if the perspective allowed by the HoloLens really allowed a “game,” per se. It was a fantastic demo, certainly, but that’s all it ever was. But that was part of what made the HoloLens (for the time) so cool; its ability to “scan” your surroundings and apply virtual reality to it. Microsoft did this with several HoloLens apps you likely never saw: a murder mystery that put “clues” in your vision, and a surprisingly fun version of the Conker platforming franchise that allowed you to basically send your character bouncing off desks and stairs. When I had my own HoloLens I literally snuck into an office building and tried playing Conker in an empty room with a staircase and other furniture. Then some lady came out and threatened to call the cops on me, ending that little adventure. Little did she know how close she was to a piece of computing history. The HoloLens would have been a great assistant What sticks with me as the second best demo was the integration of Skype into the HoloLens. Microsoft asked us to rewire a light switch — a real one, with live current flowing through it. As someone who had almost spot-welded a socket wrench while changing a car battery, I had and still have a healthy respect for electricity. What Microsoft had us do was connect to someone who knew what they were doing via Skype, allowing me to share what I was seeing. The remote person then visually highlighted what I needed to do and how to do it. Sure, it was child’s play for someone who knew what they were doing, but it validated all of the “remote assistance” business cases that Microsoft would promote throughout the life of the HoloLens and beyond. Today, how-to YouTube videos have basically replaced this idea, unfortunately, and if you still don’t understand, a handyman or plumber is always on call for a substantial fee. But a decade ago, it seemed like if I could call a call center for assistance, why shouldn’t they be able to remotely help me via the HoloLens? Objects in space may be cooler than they appear One of the people I saw this past weekend was former PCWorld games guru Hayden Dingman, who wrote a superlative series of articles on gaming and the emerging VR space. He and I both loved Tilt Brush, the “painting in space” application that both Hayden and I originally saw in 2015. Microsoft had its own take on Tilt Brush, known as Holo Studio, which allowed you to create 3D objects on the fly, basically allowing you to create them and then pin them various places in virtual space, if I remember correctly. Again, it lacked the emotional resonance that characterized Tilt Brush, and served more as an introduction to showing how the HoloLens could preserve objects in 3D space, even when you weren’t looking at them. Looking back, I’m not really sure why I loved the final demo so much, a HoloLens excursions across the surface of Mars. To be fair, the HoloLens “painted” the ground, preserving the illusion that you were walking on another planet. But peering at virtual rocks and landmarks seems less momentous now than it did at the time. (I still say — as I do every time I think about the HoloLens — that there’s still a fantastic opportunity to recreate Dream Park, the 2017 novel by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes where players LARP an augmented-reality game overlaid over real actors and objects.) Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair A year later, I was in a hotel room in San Francisco, getting an exclusive look at the HoloLens days before Microsoft allowed other reporters to test it out. In 2019, I couldn’t help but bring it out again for a night of playing with it in a darkened office and a retro review. What strikes me, of course, is that the HoloLens ultimately failed, probably doomed by the same lack of applications that ultimately led to the Windows Phone’s demise. Microsoft did produce a HoloLens 2, only to get rid of it, too. Windows Mixed Reality, the offshoot marketed at PC makers, bombed even harder. So did the metaverse. Alex Kipman, the creator of HoloLens, departed Microsoft after allegations of harassment. Ultimately, the HoloLens is the iconic product representing an entire generation of VR failure. I’ve seen early versions of smartphones and computers and consumer electronics, and even prototypes that I agreed not to talk about. One of the only other products that left me dumbfounded was the ability to “pause” live TV during the launch of TiVo and ReplayTV. But really, that was simply because of the instant, transformative effect on culture. The iPhone? No, not even that. For me, the single most mind-blowing tech demo I’ve ever experienced was the ability to peer into a coffee table, light a fuse, and launch skeletons into the air via a virtual block of TNT. I’d love to see something as cool as that yet again. Read...

By now, you’ve heard of the U.S.’s decision to levy tariffs on imports—all goods made in China, as well as select materials worldwide, like steel and aluminum. At the time of this article’s publishing, taxes on products coming from Canada and Mexico also were likely to begin early April, with additional tariffs proposed for more materials and products worldwide. I covered the details about these tariffs in a FAQ, as well as a set of highlights for a shorter way to get up to speed on the situation. I also created a breakout of sample cost increases so you could better see what actual purchases could look like. But most news has focused on the immediate dollars-and-cents effect of these new taxes. What’s been talked about less are the other ways tariffs will impact the tech industry—consequences that could dampen or even drive back certain aspects that we currently take for granted. At best, we’ll see a temporary blow. At worst, we could feel this hit for years to come. Harder to obtain Technology has become more available to the masses over time. Long ago, personal computers were a rare luxury, found only in homes of enthusiasts or the well-to-do. But as popularity rose, devices and hardware became easier to get. People wanted to spend their money on fresh gear—and so supply became more plentiful. Remember when EVGA made graphics cards? Yeah, they don’t any longer, after looking at the cost of that part of their business. Let’s hope the tariffs don’t cause other companies to make similar moves within tech.Brad Chacos / Foundry But when prices go up, demand goes down. Companies already have an incentive to slow the rollout of new products due to the economic instability brought about by the tariffs. If you add on a weakened appetite from consumers for discretionary purchases, vendors have reason to pull back on the production. They may become slower to release successors to products or even a wider variety of products. In particular, smaller companies decide to pause or stop product lines.  Industry insiders expressed this very sentiment to me when discussing the tariffs and their effect. Without the ability to make accurate forecasts, businesses have to proceed with more caution. They’ll either produce less of their usual devices or hardware—or opt out of selling certain items altogether. After years of ever-growing options for consumers, shrinking down to fewer choices will be a sad step backward. Price stagnation (or even increases) Intel’s Kaby Lake Core i7-7700X launched just a couple of months before AMD’s first-generation Ryzen CPUs, sporting a 4-core, 8-thread processor. By fall, its Coffee Lake Core i7-8700K successor had added two more cores and four more threads. Competition makes a difference.Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry Innovation and competition help lower costs for technology. Manufacturing becomes more efficient, growing demand spreads production costs over a wider field, and/or the tech is succeeded by something even fresher. But if tech gear becomes less varied and harder to get, those factors won’t be as dependable as an influence on price. How much you’ll pay for a laptop, phone, or piece of hardware will likely stick where it is—or go up. As my colleague Gordon Mah Ung loved to point out, Intel sold consumers 4-core, 8-thread CPUs for years, always at similar MSRPs. And when Team Blue launched its first 10-core processor, the suggested price was a staggering $1,723. Fast forward a year, after AMD released its first generation of Ryzen chips, and Intel’s top consumer chip had inched up in core count, with the $359 Intel Core i7-8700K sporting 6 cores and 12 threads. Its closest rivals? The $329 Ryzen 7 1700 and $399 Ryzen 7 1700X, both of which sported 8 cores and 16 threads. This history lesson shows that consumers get less value when fewer options exist. Companies can charge whatever they want when faced with less pressure to keep pushing the envelope. Slower release of new products Should early adopters become more reluctant to try out new gadgets, companies could stop trying novel new form factors, like this tri-fold smartphone.Luke Baker If you’re a company facing economic uncertainty, how much would you want to invest in different products? Likewise, if you’re a consumer looking at devices with fewer or smaller upgrades that cost as much as the previous model, will you want to buy anything new? It’s a bit of a standoff, and one that the tariffs could spark. For example, let’s say you’re used to buying a replacement phone every two years. But if the features don’t change dramatically, and prices remain high (especially for flagship models), perhaps you’ll stick to what you’ve already got in your pocket. Companies might then not push novel form factors as hard, like tri-fold phones and other variants. Similarly, Nvidia and AMD could continue to delay their attention to budget gamers, instead choosing to focus on graphics cards that will bring in more cash. Sure, Intel is the lone holdout for the budget range, but its market share remains low, and its launches aren’t as regular. Budget gamers might then continue to hold out, biding their time with progressively lower graphics settings and frame rates. (But real talk, if your GTX 970 still does it for you, keep rocking that GPU until its well-deserved retirement.) So while engineers will continue to announce newer protocols and standards (think Wi-Fi 7 or PCIe 7.0), the time to an actual launch may be much further in the future than we’re used to. And that pace change could feel like a screeching halt compared to the boom of the past couple of decades, depending on how big a slowdown is. Unpredictable pricing A close up of a circuit board. Copper is often used in circuit board traces.Michael Schwarzenberger / Pixabay Until recent years, technology’s progress also often resulted in a predictable routine for prices, too. Current devices got cheaper, and the stuff that replaced them often stayed the same price or even lowered, thanks to improved manufacturing or higher demand. Before the tariffs, that reliability in pricing trends started to waver due to factors like rising production costs. And now with these additional taxes dropped on top, we consumers may no longer be able to trust in steady pricing. First, as companies shift manufacturing locations, their logistical costs will increase. But how much is still to be determined, based on resources (e.g., new staff hiring, training, etc.) and the ability for a business to absorb current tariff costs. Some larger corporations may take a hit in an effort to keep their part of the industry more stable, for example. Additional tariffs could also cause sudden changes to MSRPs. Given how the current U.S. import tariffs were enacted, more could be announced very suddenly as well, with a notice of just a few days. Graphics cards enthusiasts (and just PC gamers in general) know how painful supply shortages can be, especially when it comes to street prices.EVGA The prospect of new tariffs looms large, too—in February, the U.S. executive branch proposed a 25 percent tariff on all semiconductors, with the intent to sharply raise the tax over time. More recently, a 25 percent tariff on copper was suggested. (You’ll find copper in circuit boards, wiring, and a lot more related to tech.) If these tariffs stack on top of the existing 20 percent on all Chinese-made goods, you could see a sharp rise in costs for products with multiple components affected by these additional taxes. Another wrinkle: When I last spoke with industry insiders, multiple sources told me they were still learning exactly how the tariffs would be applied. So they themselves are scrambling to adjust and adapt. Finally, if costs go up and availability decreases (as discussed above), you may have more trouble predicting actual retail prices. Street prices could go a bit wild, too. We can look at the GPU market for a glimpse into that chaotic, terrible universe: Few cards are available at the announced price, and any remaining stock is higher due to partner cards adding on extras. Any other cards are only available through resellers at huge markups. Before the pandemic, you could easily shop for devices and hardware, with the expectation of regular sales or discounts. Now surplus budgeting may be a requirement whenever you’re preparing for a new purchase. Read...

Researchers are always developing better battery technologies, hoping to find ones that last a long time and never need to be recharged—and this month, we have yet another exciting breakthrough. South Korean scientists from the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology recently presented a prototype battery that works according to the betavoltaic principle. As the researchers explain: “Nuclear batteries generate power by harnessing high-energy particles emitted by radioactive materials. Not all radioactive elements emit radiation that’s damaging to living organisms, and some radiation can be blocked by certain materials. For example, beta particles (also known as beta rays) can be shielded with a thin sheet of aluminum, making betavoltaics a potentially safe choice for nuclear batteries.” This betavoltaic battery prototype is based on carbon-14, an unstable and radioactive form of carbon called radiocarbon. Although this carbon isotope is radioactive, it only produces beta radiation, which can be easily shielded to prevent harm. Radiocarbon is already a byproduct of nuclear power plants and is therefore cheap, readily available, and easy to recycle, according to the researchers. And since radiocarbon degrades very slowly, a battery powered by radiocarbon could theoretically provide energy for decades, centuries, or even thousands of years. According to the researchers, the latest prototype of this radiocarbon battery has a significantly higher energy conversion efficiency, which has increased from 0.48 to 2.86 percent. This kind of nuclear battery would only be the size of a finger, and such long-lasting nuclear batteries could enable numerous applications, says Professor Su-Il In. For example, a pacemaker powered by such a battery would last a lifetime and make surgical replacement unnecessary. At present, however, this betavoltaic battery only converts a tiny proportion of the radioactive decay into electrical energy, which results in lower performance compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Researchers still need to carry out further development work in this area. Betavolt’s mini nuclear battery The Chinese company Betavolt New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., based in Beijing, previously presented a diamond nuclear battery at the beginning of 2024, which is slightly smaller than a coin and is supposed to be capable of supplying electricity for 50 years without needing to be recharged in between or requiring maintenance. The company said its battery was in the pilot phase and prepping to be launched on the market in mass production. Betavolt claimed that its atomic energy batteries could meet the needs for long-life power supply in various scenarios, such as aerospace, AI devices, medical devices, MEMS systems, advanced sensors, small drones, and micro robots. Betavolt’s diamond nuclear energy battery.Betavolt According to the manufacturer, the miniature atomic energy battery combines nickel-63 nuclear isotope decomposition technology and China’s first diamond semiconductor module (fourth-generation semiconductor). In this field, and in the development of miniature atomic energy batteries, China is “far ahead of European and American scientific research institutions and companies,” according to the claim. Betavolt describes the structure of its mini nuclear battery as follows: “Betavolt’s team of scientists developed a unique single-crystal diamond semiconductor with a thickness of just 10 micrometres by placing a 2-micrometre-thick nickel-63 film between two diamond semiconductor converters. The decay energy of the radioactive source is converted into electric current, which forms a self-contained unit. Core batteries are modular and can consist of dozens or hundreds of independent unit modules and can be used in series and parallel, allowing battery products of different sizes and capacities to be manufactured.” Betavolt still needs to increase the performance of its mini nuclear battery to, say, provide a mobile phone with a permanent power supply. Betavolt’s first ready-to-use battery is the 15mm x 15mm x 5mm BV100, with an output of 100 microwatts and a voltage of 3 volts. This will be followed in 2025 by a mini nuclear battery with an output of 1 watt. The batteries can be connected in series and in parallel. More on nuclear batteries Nuclear batteries, also known as radionuclide batteries, have been around for a long time and are by no means a Chinese invention. Back in 2019, Russian researchers reported a breakthrough in nuclear mini-batteries with a 50-year service life. Small nuclear batteries have been used in space travel since the 1960s, and there were even nuclear-powered pacemakers in the 1970s. These nuclear batteries obtain their energy from the radioactive decay of Ni-63, but unlike conventional radionuclide generators, the energy is not obtained from the heat generated during radioactive decay. Instead, the beta radiation of Ni-63 is converted directly into electrical energy with a diamond semiconductor. Over the years and decades, however, the amount of emitted energy decreases. In addition, such a battery can supply comparatively little energy. Due to the use of radioactive material, the use of this energy generation method in everyday devices—such as mobile phones—is unlikely in the longer term. It’s also important to note that this method does NOT result in a dangerous chain reaction, as is the case with a nuclear reactor. Read...

I bet you there’s something you need on your desk that you probably didn’t realize you needed. I’m talking about this 6-in-1 Baseus Blade charging station that’s compact, practical, and only $59.49 on Amazon with this Prime deal plus the extra 15% off promo code on the product page. (Be sure to apply code JF8DVF7C at checkout, and grab a free 30-day Prime trial if you aren’t a member!) The Baseus Blade charging station features two AC outlets, three USB-C ports, and a USB-A port. The whole thing is about the size and shape of a typical smartphone, so it can easily slip inside any bag, making it great for travel. (The detachable 5-feet cord is a lovely bonus.) But it’s also perfect as a home office desk accessory for keeping all your things charged. Since it uses modern GaN technology, the Baseus Blade is not only smaller in size but also more power efficient, allowing it to charge faster and give off less heat. And with its 7-point safety system, your devices are protected against over-voltage, over-current, and short circuits. This charging station delivers a maximum of 140W through the right-most USB-C port, with power throughput being split when multiple ports are in use. You can see exactly how much power each port is delivering by checking out the on-device LCD display. Don’t miss this awesome price! Get this Baseus Blade 6-in-1 charging station for $59.49 on Amazon while you can. Make sure to redeem promo code JF8DVF7C at checkout, and sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime for this deal and extra perks if you aren’t Prime yet. Save 41% on this multi-device AC and USB charging stationBuy now at Amazon Read...

Before we know it summer will be here, but don’t wait for the hotter days to arrive to realize that your pool is in a state of disarray. The Aiper Scuba X1, priced at $1,399, is an ideal solution to help get your pool ready for action. The Scuba X1 is essentially the full package when it comes to cleaning your pool, taking care of everything for you. Aiper’s robotic pool cleaner can provide everyday maintenance, saving you countless hours and money spent on other solutions. Each morning or evening, you can automate the Aiper Scuba X1 to scrub the pool bottom and walls free of algae and dirt, and scrub the waterline for any hair, leaves, sticks, and any other grime that blew into or otherwise ended up in the water. Smart and easy cleaning Aiper’s Scuba X1 uses a dual jet system to provide 6,600GPH suction. This glues the robotic pool cleaner to the pool floor or walls, and ensures it does a thorough job of picking up anything that shouldn’t be there, including sand and tiny pebbles. The robotic pool cleaner collects all the debris into a basket where it will stay–the industry’s first MicroMesh™ ultra-fine filter system makes sure none of it gets back into the water, where it could potentially clog the pipes. View Aiper Scuba X1 It’s not just the pool walls and floor that get the Aiper’s attention, but also its waterline. The Scuba X1 features WaveLine™ 2.0 technology to provide continuous horizontal scrubbing along the waterline, which is the exact spot where you tend to find a build-up of grease, algae, and dirt. Much like a robot vacuum does in your home, the Scuba X1 uses a ton of sensors to map out the pool and work out the best route to complete the cleaning job. It can even detect and avoid obstacles, whether that’s the pool drainage system, steps, or any weighted diving toys. Aiper Multiple cleaning modes are available, including Floor, Wall, Waterline, and Standard. You can use the dedicated Aiper app to schedule cleaning jobs and automate maintenance when you know you’ll not be using the pool. The Scuba X1 can clean up to 70,000 gallons of water per hour, and is ideal for pools up to 2,150 square foot in size. When the job is done or the battery is running low, the Scuba X1 will cleverly park itself at the waterline. You can scoop it up and place it on the wireless charging dock for a while. Better yet, you don’t need to worry about wiping it dry before recharging the robotic pool cleaner. Accessories that make the Scuba X1 even more useful A couple of Aiper accessories are available that will make pool cleaning even easier. For instance, the HydroComm Series, which includes the HydroComm Pure, HydroComm and HydroComm Pro, is a revolutionary pool product line that establishes a seamless connection between underwater pool robots and users while delivering accurate water quality data. The HydroComm Pure is a smart underwater communication device that will float in your pool and allow the robot to communicate with you even when it’s underwater. This means you can change the cleaning mode while it is submerged. Another accessory you’ll love is the $249 caddy that will make transporting the Scuba X1 from one spot to another that much easier. Where to buy Aiper Scuba X1 So there you have it — the perfect summer helper can be yours! Save $400 on Aiper Scuba X1 View Offer Read...

You’ll need to make a raft of decisions before you choose which smart switches to install in your home, and your choices will be influenced by everything from the type of wiring in your walls to what flavor of smart home system you have now or plan to install later. Here’s what you need to know in roughly the order you’ll need to decide. Is there a neutral wire in the box? Many smart switches and dimmers require the presence of a neutral wire in the electrical box inside the wall, in addition to the line (power from the circuit-breaker panel), load (power to the light to be controlled), and ground (a low-resistance path for electricity to flow to the ground in the event of a malfunction) wires. Smart switches have radios that must be constantly powered, and the neutral wire is usually what supplies that juice. While all homes have neutral wires, many older homes don’t have a neutral wire in every box. If you’re not sure if there’s a neutral wire at the location you want to install a smart switch, this how-to story will help you figure it out. If you don’t have a neutral wire, Lutron’s Caséta and Diva smart dimmers and the GE Cync Dimmer (3-wire version) are among the few smart switches that do not require one. Most smart switches depend on the presence of a neutral wire to supply energy to their radios, but many homes built prior to the 1980s don’t have a neutral wire in every box. GE Cync and Lutron Caséta are among the few smart switches that don’t depend a neutral wire. GE Lighting Can the light be controlled from more than one location? If the light you wish to control is connected to just one switch, then you’ll need to replace it with a single-pole smart switch. If more than one switch controls that load—switches on opposite sides of a room, for example—then you’ll need to replace it with a multi-pole (aka 3-way) smart switch. This typically means that you’ll also need to buy a companion switch or switches for the other end(s) of the circuit. There are a few exceptions to this rule, so check the documentation accompanying whichever smart switch you decide to buy before you install it. Which control system do you want to use? You’ll undoubtedly want to control your smart lighting with your smartphone or tablet, and most people will also want to turn lights on and off with voice commands spoken to a smart speaker, such as an Amazon Echo or a Nest Hub. But to do that, the smart switch you buy must have some way of connecting to your home network (which explains why Bluetooth smart switches can’t talk to smart speakers). Some smart switches connect directly to your Wi-Fi network, while others require a bridge to your router. If you’ve invested in a smart home system—Samsung SmartThings, Hubitat Elevation, Vivint Smart Home, or any other ecosystem—you’ll want to make sure that the smart switch you buy is compatible with it. These are the most common communication protocols you’ll encounter. Bluetooth smart switches are controlled directly by an app on your smartphone or tablet. Bluetooth smart lighting is simple, because you don’t need a hub or a connection to your home network. That isolation also makes it secure, because you must be within about 30 feet of the switch to pair with it. On the other hand, authorized users also must be within 30 feet of a Bluetooth switch to control it, and you can’t control the switch when you’re away from home (although most Bluetooth switches can be controlled according to a pre-programmed schedule). The other major limitation of Bluetooth switches is that they can’t be controlled by smart speakers or smart home hubs, which generally rely on one of the other wireless protocols described here. As a result, Bluetooth-only switches have become relatively rare. Lutron Clear Connect is a proprietary wireless protocol used by Lutron Caséta Wireless smart home devices, including switches, dimmers, ceiling fan controllers, occupancy sensors, motorized blinds and shades, and battery-powered remote controls. You can also control a limited number of third-party devices with Lutron’s app—ranging from thermostats to Wi-Fi speakers—and incorporate them into smart home “scenes.” Clear Connect operates independently of your Wi-Fi network, but you must hardwire a Lutron Smart Bridge to your router to use it. You can control Lutron Caséta devices via Lutron’s app, with voice commands spoken to smart speakers, and from mobile devices anywhere you have broadband access. Some smart home systems, including Samsung SmartThings, can also incorporate Lutron’s smart home products. Matter is the most recent smart home standard. It aims to be an overarching standard incorporating several other smart home standards, including Thread, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee. Matter’s promise is that it will one day unite all the various smart home ecosystems: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings among them. Matter could become more important over time, but we don’t consider the absence of Matter support or compatibility to be a reason to avoid any smart home product today. Thread is a low-power networking technology that’s a core element of the Matter smart home standard. It’s similar to Z-Wave and Zigbee in that Thread devices can talk directly to each other; unlike those standards, Thread doesn’t depend on a central hub. Matter devices can use either Thread or Wi-Fi, but battery-powered devices are more likely to use Thread because of its low power requirements. To access Thread devices from the internet, you’ll need to have a Thread border router, such as the Aqara Hub M3, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub; several models of Amazon Echo smart speakers and Echo Show smart displays; an Apple TV 4K (2nd-gen and up), an Apple HomePod or HomePod mini; some later-model Eero routers; a Nest Wifi or Nest Wifi Pro; or a Samsung SmartThings Station. This is not a complete list. Wi-Fi has gained a foothold in smart lighting thanks to the rise of mesh routers that blanket your home with network coverage. The attraction of Wi-Fi smart switches is that they generally don’t require a hub or a bridge to connect to your router (although Leviton does have some Wi-Fi products that communicate over a proprietary network with a plug-in bridge that connects them to Wi-Fi. While Wi-Fi is incorporated into the Matter smart home standard, that doesn’t mean every Wi-Fi device is automatically Matter compatible. Z-Wave This is a wireless mesh network technology in which each node on the network is also a repeater that can forward commands to other Z-Wave devices nearby. It operates in the unlicensed 800- to 900MHz radio spectrum (specifically, 908.42MHz in North America). Its low power requirement means it can be incorporated into battery-operated devices that cannot be plugged directly into an electrical circuit, including door/window sensors, smart locks, water leak detectors, and motion sensors in addition to smart dimmers and switches. You’ll need a smart home hub, such as a Samsung SmartThings, to act as a bridge to your Wi-Fi network. There are fewer Z-Wave products available today, compared to the standard’s heyday, and some of the Z-Wave dimmers and switches we’ve reviewed from Jasco and Leviton are no longer in production, but some other brands are still available. Note that Z-Wave Long Range (LR) family of chips that was introduced in 2020 do not operate on a mesh network. They use a star network topology in which each Z-Wave LR node communicates directly with the Z-Wave hub that’s connected to your router for internet access. Zigbee This wireless mesh network technology is very similar to Z-Wave, but it operates in the unlicensed 2.4GHz radio spectrum (same as single-band Wi-Fi). Like Z-Wave, Zigbee has a lower power requirement and can be incorporated into both battery and line-powered devices, ranging from sensors to smart switches. And as with Z-Wave, you’ll need a smart home hub or some other kind of bridge to connect Zigbee devices to your home network. This could be something as simple as an Amazon Echo Plus, which has an integrated Zigbee radio, or it could be on the order of a Samsung SmartThings hub, which has both Zigbee and Z-Wave radios onboard. Like Wi-Fi, Zigbee is part of the Matter smart home standard; also like Wi-Fi, not every Zigbee device is automatically Matter compatible. Lutron’s Aurora Smart Dimmer prevents a conventional toggle switch from shutting off the power to any Philips Hue smart bulbs that are connected to the switch. It can also wirelessly control those bulbs, including dimming them by rotating the knob. Lutron Which design aesthetic do you prefer? Since most people control smart switches and dimmers with voice commands, they soon discover that they rarely physically interact with the devices in their walls. But you’ll want to consider the type of mechanism the smart switch uses if for no other reason than to ensure its aesthetic matches the rest of your home. These are the most common types you’ll encounter. Relatively few manufacturers make smart switches that look like this type of old-fashioned toggle switch. Michael Brown/Foundry Rocker (aka paddle) This type of switch has a wide plastic panel that rocks back and forth when pressed to turn the controlled load on and off (one side of the switch raises when the other is depressed). These modern-looking switches hug the wall and are very easy to operate. Since a command issued over the air will override whatever physical state the switch is otherwise in, smart rocker switches typically don’t physically flip, so there’s no confusion when you see a lit bulb when the switch is ostensibly in the “off” position. A smart dimmer switch might have a secondary control—a vertical slider or a horizontal rocker—for adjusting brightness Toggle A toggle switch operates by moving a lever up and down (flipping the lever up turns the controlled light on, and flipping it down turns it off). These types of switches tend to look more old-fashioned than rocker switches, but you can find smart versions of them if you want something that at least resembles the other switches you have in your walls. As with smart rocker switches, they generally don’t completely change physical appearance when switched on or off. Touch High-end smart switches and dimmers feature touch-sensitive surfaces. Typically made of glass, touch-sensitive smart switches and dimmers are usually backlit by one or more LEDs that can be multiple colors. The touch sensitivity can be as simple as touch to turn the switch on and touch again to turn it off, or it can be as complex as displaying a user interface that supports finger swipes for calling up different lighting scenes or control elements. Needless to say, these types of smart switches and dimmers cost considerably more than simple plastic devices. Brilliant’s touchscreen panel lets you see and talk with a person at your door when a visitor activates your Ring Video Doorbell. Christopher Null/Foundry Which wiring connection do you prefer? Smart switches and dimmers tend to be larger than their dumb counterparts, so you should consider how the new switch will fit in your existing electrical box. This is particularly important if you’re installing multiple smart switches next to each other in a single box. Remember that there will typically be at least four wires to deal with—line, load, neutral, and ground—and that there will also be a traveler wire if you’re dealing with a multi-pole circuit. It can be challenging to stuff all those wires and the new switch back into the box. These are the most common types of electrical connections you’ll encounter in smart switches. Backstabs These are holes in the back of the switch into which you’ll push (“stab”) the appropriate solid copper wires coming out of the wall. Pigtails Some switches have short electrical wires emerging from the back of the switch that you’ll attach to the wires coming out of the wall, using wire nuts to secure them. This is generally the easiest technique, but if the switch is deep, it can be a challenge to pack the extra wires and the wire nuts tightly enough into the box so that the switch mounts flush against the wall. It can be particularly difficult if the box has other devices in it. Terminals With this type of switch, you’ll wind the wires coming out of the wall around flat screws on the sides of the switch and then tighten the screws down. This technique presents less of a challenge when it comes to pushing the wires and the switch back into the box, but the wires can be stiff and you’ll need to be careful to ensure the stripped wire doesn’t come into contact with stripped wires connected to adjacent switches in the box or the box itself, if it’s metal. Pigtails and wire nuts are one common way to connect a smart switch to your existing in-wall wiring.Christopher Null/Foundry The final step Once you’ve answered these questions, the next step is to decide which smart dimmer or switch you want to install in your walls. To help answer that question, read our picks for the best smart dimmers and switches. Read...

Looking for the easiest path to smart lighting? Screw a smart bulb into a socket. Done! If you’re looking for something with more elegance and sophistication, however, you should replace the switches in your walls. Besides, the most common drawback of relying on smart bulbs with conventional switches is that someone inevitably turns the switch off. Boom! Your expensive smart bulb is now a dumb bulb that can’t be controlled with voice commands or be included in any lighting automations you’ve set up. If there’s a downside to converting to smart in-wall dimmers and switches, it’s installing them. Don’t worry, it’s an easy DIY project. Be aware, however, that most–but certainly not all–smart controls depend on the presence of a neutral wire in the box. The neutral wire will supply constant power to the device’s radio, even when the load it’s controlling is turned off. If you’re not comfortable dealing with high-voltage wiring, hire an electrician for the job. Now, don’t think we’re besmirching smart bulbs. They have their place, too; if for no other reason than being able to change the color of the lighting in a room. I’ve lived with smart lighting in my home for more than 15 years, and I can’t imagine turning my lights on and off without the options of using a voice command, in response to motion, on schedules, or with a smartphone app. You won’t be disappointed in the results. Need more information before you choose a specific product? We can answer all your questions about choosing the right type of smart dimmer or switch at the preceding link. Why you should trust us TechHive’s editors and contributors have been testing smart switches and dimmers for more than that 15 years, installing them in our own homes to gain truly real-world experience before we commit to our opinions. We continuously test the latest smart dimmers and switches, along with the apps that control them. We blend those experiences with our general knowledge of smart home devices, so we’re able to assess how well these products integrate with other smart devices you’ll want to use in your home. TechHive’s favorite smart dimmers and switches Best smart dimmer overall — Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer (and the Lutron Caséta ecosystem) Pros Part of the robust Lutron Caséta smart home ecosystem Broadly compatible with other smart products and systems Doesn’t depend on a neutral wire Cons You must have Lutron’s Caséta Smart Hub wired to your home network Lutron’s uncertain stance on Matter Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $69.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $69.95 at Amazon Why we like the Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer (and its Caséta ecosystem) Lutron built its own smart home ecosystem based on its proprietary Clear Connect technology. By definition, proprietary standards far less open than standards like Matter, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, or Z-Wave; however, the Caséta Smart Hub you’ll need to connect Caseéta products to your home network supports Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, and Sonos speakers, and more. And all that is in addition to Lutron’s own lighting products, smart shades and smart blinds, ceiling-fan controllers, motion sensors, and other products. With that degree of compatibility, it’s difficult to imagine a complex smart home routine that couldn’t be accomplished. Who should buy the Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer (and its Caséta ecosystem) Anyone looking to incorporate lighting controls into a robust smart home network should consider the Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer and a Caséta Smart Hub. Lights can switch on when someone rings a doorbell or automatically turn off when you leave home. If you have a Sonos speaker, you can automatically play music when you return home. While Lutron’s technology is not Matter compatible today, Lutron is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance that is responsible for developing Matter, so it’s possible that Caséta could be Matter compatible one day. Given the broad compatibility the Caséta ecosystem already enjoys, that ultimately might not make a difference. Lutron’s original Caséta dimmer switch is an equally good product and costs slightly less, but it looks a bit busier. Read our full Lutron Diva Smart Dimmer review Best budget-priced smart dimmer — Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch, Motion-Activated (model ES20M) Pros Endlessly tweakable motion-sensing options Wiring design makes for easy installation Attractive design aesthetic Cons Requires a neutral wire Kasa app needs to be modernized Motion sensing range is a bit weak Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $22.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $22.99 at Amazon Why we like the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch (model ES20M) TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Wi-Fi dimmer switch is remarkably inexpensive, and its Wi-Fi support means that it doesn’t require a smart hub to work. Users have immense control over how its motion- and light-sensing features work, with full support for fade-in/out options, motion sensing, and ambient light detection. Who should buy the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch (model ES20M) The low price makes the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer an attractive alternative, but buyers will need to have access to a neutral wire at the installation point. This dimmer will not work with Apple HomeKit or 3-way circuits, but if you don’t need either of those functions, the Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer is an absolute bargain. Don’t have a neutral wire in the box where you want to install a motion-activated dimmer? Consider the GE Cync Dimmer, below. Read our full Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Dimmer Switch, Motion-Activated (model ES20M) review Best Wi-Fi smart switch/dimmer — GE Cync Dimmer + Motion Smart Switch Pros Motion sensing works great Very easy to set up Can control Cync smart bulbs even if they aren’t wired to the switch Available in a version that doesn’t require a neutral wire Cons Ugly industrial design Motion sensing settings aren’t always intuitive Pricey for this category Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $52.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $52.99 at Amazon Why we like the GE Cync Dimmer + Motion Smart Switch This isn’t the prettiest dimmer on the market, but GE Lighting’s Cync Dimmer + Motion Sensor Switch sure packs the features. An onboard motion sensor can turn the light switch on when the room is occupied, and an ambient light sensor will stop that from happening if there’s enough daylight that the extra light isn’t needed. The switch can also control GE Lighting’s Cync smart bulbs, even if they’re not physically wired to the dimmer. Who should buy the GE Cync Dimmer + Motion Smart Switch The GE Cync Dimmer + Motion Sensor Switch doesn’t require a smart home hub, and GE now offers users a choice of a cheaper version that does require a neutral wire at the installation location, and a 3-wire version that doesn’t depend on a neutral wire. The technology is still up-to-date, but the Cync Dimmer + Motion Sensor Switch has seen a substantial price drop since its introduction in 2020. Read our full GE Cync Dimmer + Motion Smart Switch review Best Zigbee smart switch/dimmer — Jasco Enbrighten Zigbee In-Wall Smart Dimmer Pros SimpleWire technology effectively eases installation hassles Slim profile might help some users with space management in the electrical box Smooth installation and no operational trouble Cons Requires a neutral wire Broadsheet user manual will cause your eyes to glaze over Dependent on a third-party smart home hub with a Zigbee radio Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $40.49 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $40.49 at Amazon Why we like the Jasco Enbrighten Zigbee In-Wall Smart Dimmer The Jasco Enbrighten Zigbee In-Wall Smart Dimmer is perfect for less-experienced homeowners who want to DIY their smart lighting. The slimline design isn’t tough to shove back into the box when you install it, and Jasco has given the Enbrighten enough onboard intelligence to distinguish the line wire from the load wire, so you don’t need to worry about mixing them up. You will, however, need a neutral wire at the installation location. Who should buy the Jasco Enbrighten Zigbee In-Wall Smart Dimmer You’ll need a smart home hub that supports the Zigbee protocol. Several models of the Amazon Echo and Echo Show are well-known examples, but there are dozens of options, including the Samsung SmartThings Station, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub, or the Hubitat Elevation. You should be aware, however, that Zigbee support does not automatically mean Matter support. This device is not Matter compatible. Read our full Jasco Enbrighten Zigbee In-Wall Smart Dimmer review Most sophisticated smart switch/dimmer — Brilliant Smart Home Control Pros Touchscreen and built-in camera adds incredible flexibility Alexa onboard; plus great third-party integrations, including Ring and Apple HomeKit Impressive build quality Cons Devilishly complex to set up properly (at least in my house) Very expensive: $399 for single switch panel, $449 for a 2-switch panel, $499 for a 3-switch panel Why we like the Brilliant Smart Home Control The touchscreen and the touch-sensitive sliders on the Brilliant Smart Home Control smart switch/dimmer gives it some impressive capabilities, including the capacity to stream video from Ring and Google Nest video doorbells and control Sonos multi-room audio systems. Don’t want to mess with the wiring inside your home’s walls? The company offers a model that you can hang on the wall and plug into a nearby electrical outlet. Who should buy the Brilliant Smart Home Control As you’d expect, all those sexy Brilliant Control features come at a price—both in terms of cost and installation complexity—but if you want the most sophisticated smart home controls on the market, this is it. Read our full Brilliant Smart Home Control review Best multi-function smart switch/dimmer — Leviton Decora Smart Voice Dimmer with Amazon Alexa (model DWVAA) Pros Alexa with no footprint, exposed power cord, or wall wart No smart home hub required Lots of options for lighting control and integration with other smart home devices Cons Wi-Fi dependent, so range could be an issue Operates on 2.4GHz networks only Doesn’t support Alexa’s whisper mode Tinny speaker, and it can’t be paired with a Bluetooth speaker No HomeKit or Google Assistant support Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $49.07 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $49.07 at Amazon Why we like the Leviton Decora Smart Voice Wi-Fi Dimmer with Alexa Just how many features can you cram in a single-gang light switch? Leviton squeezes a Wi-Fi radio, a dimmer switch, and an entire Amazon Alexa-compatible smart speaker into this device. Yes, Ecobee pulled off a similar trick much earlier, but with an on/off switch, not a dimmer. Leviton also has a deeper catalog of other Wi-Fi components—switches, dimmers, ceiling fan controllers, multi-button controllers, and more—to go with it. Who should buy the Leviton Decora Smart Voice Wi-Fi Dimmer with Alexa If your home revolves around Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, installing this dimmer in your wall will eliminate the need to put an Echo smart speaker in the same room. Leviton has added Google Home support since we first reviewed this product; Apple Home users, however, should look elsewhere. Read our full Leviton Decora Smart Voice Dimmer with Amazon Alexa (model DWVAA) review How to choose the right smart dimmers and switches for your home You’ll need to make a raft of decisions before you choose which smart switches to install in your home, and your choices will be influenced by everything from the type of wiring in your walls to what flavor of smart home system you have now or plan to install later. Here’s what you need to know in roughly the order you’ll need to decide. Neutral wire requirement: Many smart switches and dimmers require the presence of a neutral wire in the electrical box inside the wall, in addition to the line (power from the circuit-breaker panel), load (power to the light to be controlled), and ground (a low-resistance path for electricity to flow to the ground in the event of a malfunction) wires. Smart switches have radios that must be constantly powered, and the neutral wire is usually what supplies that juice. While all homes have neutral wires, many older homes don’t have a neutral wire in every box. If you’re not sure if there’s a neutral wire at the location you want to install a smart switch, this how-to story will help you figure it out. If you don’t have a neutral wire, Lutron’s Caséta and Diva smart dimmers and the GE Cync Dimmer (3-wire version) are among the few smart switches that do not require one. Most smart switches depend on the presence of a neutral wire to supply energy to their radios, but many homes built prior to the 1980s don’t have a neutral wire in every box. GE Cync and Lutron Caséta are among the few smart switches that don’t depend a neutral wire. GE Lighting Single- or multi-pole: If the light you wish to control is connected to just one switch, then you’ll need to replace it with a single-pole smart switch. If more than one switch controls that load—switches on opposite sides of a room, for example—then you’ll need to replace it with a multi-pole (aka 3-way) smart switch. This typically means that you’ll also need to buy a companion switch or switches for the other end(s) of the circuit. There are a few exceptions to this rule, so check the documentation accompanying whichever smart switch you decide to buy before you install it. Control protocol: You’ll undoubtedly want to control your smart lighting with your smartphone or tablet, and most people will also want to turn lights on and off with voice commands spoken to a smart speaker, such as an Amazon Echo or a Nest Hub. But to do that, the smart switch you buy must have some way of connecting to your home network (which explains why Bluetooth smart switches can’t talk to smart speakers). Some smart switches connect directly to your Wi-Fi network, while others require a bridge to your router. If you’ve invested in a smart home system—Samsung SmartThings, Hubitat Elevation, Vivint Smart Home, or any other ecosystem—you’ll want to make sure that the smart switch you buy is compatible with it. These are the most common communication protocols you’ll encounter. Bluetooth smart switches are controlled directly by an app on your smartphone or tablet. Bluetooth smart lighting is simple, because you don’t need a hub or a connection to your home network. That isolation also makes it secure, because you must be within about 30 feet of the switch to pair with it. On the other hand, authorized users also must be within 30 feet of a Bluetooth switch to control it, and you can’t control the switch when you’re away from home (although most Bluetooth switches can be controlled according to a pre-programmed schedule). The other major limitation of Bluetooth switches is that they can’t be controlled by smart speakers or smart home hubs, which generally rely on one of the other wireless protocols described here. As a result, Bluetooth-only switches have become relatively rare. Lutron Clear Connect is a proprietary wireless protocol used by Lutron Caséta Wireless smart home devices, including switches, dimmers, ceiling fan controllers, occupancy sensors, motorized blinds and shades, and battery-powered remote controls. You can also control a limited number of third-party devices with Lutron’s app—ranging from thermostats to Wi-Fi speakers—and incorporate them into smart home “scenes.” Clear Connect operates independently of your Wi-Fi network, but you must hardwire a Lutron Smart Bridge to your router to use it. You can control Lutron Caséta devices via Lutron’s app, with voice commands spoken to smart speakers, and from mobile devices anywhere you have broadband access. Some smart home systems, including Samsung SmartThings, can also incorporate Lutron’s smart home products. Matter is the most recent smart home standard. It aims to be an overarching standard incorporating several other smart home standards, including Thread, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee. Matter’s promise is that it will one day unite all the various smart home ecosystems: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings among them. Matter could become more important over time, but we don’t consider the absence of Matter support or compatibility to be a reason to avoid any smart home product today. Thread is a low-power networking technology that’s a core element of the Matter smart home standard. It’s similar to Z-Wave and Zigbee in that Thread devices can talk directly to each other; unlike those standards, Thread doesn’t depend on a central hub. Matter devices can use either Thread or Wi-Fi, but battery-powered devices are more likely to use Thread because of its low power requirements. To access Thread devices from the internet, you’ll need to have a Thread border router, such as the Aqara Hub M3, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub; several models of Amazon Echo smart speakers and Echo Show smart displays; an Apple TV 4K (2nd-gen and up), an Apple HomePod or HomePod mini; some later-model Eero routers; a Nest Wifi or Nest Wifi Pro; or a Samsung SmartThings Station. This is not a complete list. Wi-Fi has gained a foothold in smart lighting thanks to the rise of mesh routers that blanket your home with network coverage. The attraction of Wi-Fi smart switches is that they generally don’t require a hub or a bridge to connect to your router (although Leviton does have some Wi-Fi products that communicate over a proprietary network with a plug-in bridge that connects them to Wi-Fi. While Wi-Fi is incorporated into the Matter smart home standard, that doesn’t mean every Wi-Fi device is automatically Matter compatible. Z-Wave This is a wireless mesh network technology in which each node on the network is also a repeater that can forward commands to other Z-Wave devices nearby. It operates in the unlicensed 800- to 900MHz radio spectrum (specifically, 908.42MHz in North America). Its low power requirement means it can be incorporated into battery-operated devices that cannot be plugged directly into an electrical circuit, including door/window sensors, smart locks, water leak detectors, and motion sensors in addition to smart dimmers and switches. You’ll need a smart home hub, such as a Samsung SmartThings, to act as a bridge to your Wi-Fi network. There are fewer Z-Wave products available today, compared to the standard’s heyday, and some of the Z-Wave dimmers and switches we’ve reviewed from Jasco and Leviton are no longer in production, but some other brands are still available. Note that Z-Wave Long Range (LR) family of chips that was introduced in 2020 do not operate on a mesh network. They use a star network topology in which each Z-Wave LR node communicates directly with the Z-Wave hub that’s connected to your router for internet access. Zigbee This wireless mesh network technology is very similar to Z-Wave, but it operates in the unlicensed 2.4GHz radio spectrum (same as single-band Wi-Fi). Like Z-Wave, Zigbee has a lower power requirement and can be incorporated into both battery and line-powered devices, ranging from sensors to smart switches. And as with Z-Wave, you’ll need a smart home hub or some other kind of bridge to connect Zigbee devices to your home network. This could be something as simple as an Amazon Echo Plus, which has an integrated Zigbee radio, or it could be on the order of a Samsung SmartThings hub, which has both Zigbee and Z-Wave radios onboard. Like Wi-Fi, Zigbee is part of the Matter smart home standard; also like Wi-Fi, not every Zigbee device is automatically Matter compatible. Lutron’s Aurora Smart Dimmer prevents a conventional toggle switch from shutting off the power to any Philips Hue smart bulbs that are connected to the switch. It can also wirelessly control those bulbs, including dimming them by rotating the knob. Lutron Switch mechanism: Since most people control smart switches and dimmers with voice commands, they soon discover that they rarely physically interact with the devices in their walls. But you’ll want to consider the type of mechanism the smart switch uses if for no other reason than to ensure its aesthetic matches the rest of your home. These are the most common types you’ll encounter. Relatively few manufacturers make smart switches that look like this type of old-fashioned toggle switch. Michael Brown/Foundry Rocker (aka paddle) This type of switch has a wide plastic panel that rocks back and forth when pressed to turn the controlled load on and off (one side of the switch raises when the other is depressed). These modern-looking switches hug the wall and are very easy to operate. Since a command issued over the air will override whatever physical state the switch is otherwise in, smart rocker switches typically don’t physically flip, so there’s no confusion when you see a lit bulb when the switch is ostensibly in the “off” position. A smart dimmer switch might have a secondary control—a vertical slider or a horizontal rocker—for adjusting brightness Toggle A toggle switch operates by moving a lever up and down (flipping the lever up turns the controlled light on, and flipping it down turns it off). These types of switches tend to look more old-fashioned than rocker switches, but you can find smart versions of them if you want something that at least resembles the other switches you have in your walls. As with smart rocker switches, they generally don’t completely change physical appearance when switched on or off. Touch High-end smart switches and dimmers feature touch-sensitive surfaces. Typically made of glass, touch-sensitive smart switches and dimmers are usually backlit by one or more LEDs that can be multiple colors. The touch sensitivity can be as simple as touch to turn the switch on and touch again to turn it off, or it can be as complex as displaying a user interface that supports finger swipes for calling up different lighting scenes or control elements. Needless to say, these types of smart switches and dimmers cost considerably more than simple plastic devices. Brilliant’s touchscreen panel lets you see and talk with a person at your door when a visitor activates your Ring Video Doorbell. Christopher Null/Foundry Wiring connections: Smart switches and dimmers tend to be larger than their dumb counterparts, so you should consider how the new switch will fit in your existing electrical box. This is particularly important if you’re installing multiple smart switches next to each other in a single box. Remember that there will typically be at least four wires to deal with—line, load, neutral, and ground—and that there will also be a traveler wire if you’re dealing with a multi-pole circuit. It can be challenging to stuff all those wires and the new switch back into the box. These are the most common types of electrical connections you’ll encounter in smart switches. Backstabs These are holes in the back of the switch into which you’ll push (“stab”) the appropriate solid copper wires coming out of the wall. Pigtails Some switches have short electrical wires emerging from the back of the switch that you’ll attach to the wires coming out of the wall, using wire nuts to secure them. This is generally the easiest technique, but if the switch is deep, it can be a challenge to pack the extra wires and the wire nuts tightly enough into the box so that the switch mounts flush against the wall. It can be particularly difficult if the box has other devices in it. Terminals With this type of switch, you’ll wind the wires coming out of the wall around flat screws on the sides of the switch and then tighten the screws down. This technique presents less of a challenge when it comes to pushing the wires and the switch back into the box, but the wires can be stiff and you’ll need to be careful to ensure the stripped wire doesn’t come into contact with stripped wires connected to adjacent switches in the box or the box itself, if it’s metal. Pigtails and wire nuts are one common way to connect a smart switch to your existing in-wall wiring.Christopher Null/Foundry How we evaluate smart dimmers and switches How easy are the dimmers and switches to install? Can a relatively inexperienced homeowner handle the wiring, or will they need to hire a professional electrician? What smart home platforms does the device support? The more protocols an individual switch or dimmer can work with, the more flexible it will be as smart home technology evolves in the future. Is there an app? If so, how polished is the interface and how easy is it to use the app to control the dimmers and switches. If they’re motion-activated, how reliably do they respond to movement in a room. If the dimmer and switch have added features like cameras or speakers, we look at how those features perform when compared to standalone devices that perform those functions. Other smart dimmers and switches we’ve reviewed Eaton Wi-Fi smart universal dimmer: Eaton is a very big name in the electric market, but this device failed to impress. GE Cync Smart Dimmer Light Switch: This is a decidedly odd-looking smart dimmer, but it’s a great choice if you don’t have a neutral wire in the box where you want to install it. It connects directly to your Wi-Fi network, so there’s no smart home hub requirement. Leviton Decora Smart Zigbee dimmer (model DG6HD): This is a Zigbee dimmer, but not a Matter-compatible one (to be fair, it predates Matter by several years). It’s a solid product, but its size gave us installation trouble. It’s worth noting, however, that it appears to be out of production at Leviton. Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi (model DW6HD-1BZ): This was the first generation of Leviton’s Decorea Smart Wi-Fi products; as such, it has been discontinued. We have not yet reviewed the second-generation product that replaced it. Treatlife Smart Dimmer: This incredibly inexpensive connects to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, but its performance is commensurate with its price. Treatlife 3-way Smart Dimmer (model DS02): This Treatlife product is much better than the one reviewed above. Its primary claim to fame is that it can be installed on a 3-way circuit without needing matching (aka companion) switches on the other ends of the circuit. Sinopé Smart Adaptive Phase Dimmer (model DM2550ZB): This Zigbee dimmer is very expensive, but the company’s smart adaptive phase dimming all but eliminates the risk that a connected load–LED lighting in particular–will flicker or turn off prematurely as it’s dimmed. Wemo Smart Dimmer with Thread (model WDS070): Wemo’s dimmer supports Thread, so it must support Matter, right? Well, no it doesn’t; and while you’ll still find this product available at Amazon and a few other places, it seems Belkin has discontinued it. Read...

Aston Martin and Curv Racing Simulators have unveiled the AMR-C01-R, an exclusive carbon fiber racing simulator rig that combines motorsport technology with advanced graphics and stylish design. Only 50 will be made and the price starts at—wait for it—about $75,000. The new model builds on the first AMR-C01 that launched in 2020, but has been upgraded with a new seating design inspired by the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar. Improved ergonomics allow taller drivers to sit comfortably, while a repositioned button panel and improved grille provide better usability and cooling. As for the gaming hardware, here’s what you’ll find inside: 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G95C curved display (with 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and HDR10+) Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card Intel 14th-generation processor 32GB of DDR5 RAM 2TB of M.2 SSD storage All of this is built into a carbon fiber monocoque with Aston Martin’s iconic front grille. The steering motor feels like a real racing car with its precision feedback and high torque response, and the steering wheel itself has 9 rotary dials, 12 push buttons, an LCD display, dual-clutch paddles, and carbon fiber gear shifter paddles. This is as close as it gets to hopping in a Formula car and driving it around without actually hopping into one. Former F1 driver Darren Turner describes it as “the ultimate racing simulator for those who demand the very best.” I reckon so. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros File, partition, and drive imaging to common VHD format Full-fledged partition manager Disaster recovery Optional retro command-line and character-based recovery interface Cons Needs to properly vet destination space Minor visual bugs and workflow peccadilloes Our Verdict R-Drive Image offers a ton of great backup features, including disaster recovery and newly expanded support for all the most popular online storage services. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price R-tools Technology $44.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: R-Drive Image Retailer Price R-tools Technology $44.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket I’ve truly enjoyed reviewing the various iterations of R-Drive Image — it’s been my go-to imaging/backup utility for nearly two decades. It’s a great program, and has still never created a bad backup in my hands. However, bugs, while rapidly fixed once reported, have reared their head in my last few looks. Including one that created an endless failure loop in 7.3. Come on now… What are R-Drive Image 7.3’s features? The big news for this dot upgrade is expanded support for cloud storage services — including the Amazon S3 and S3-compatible repositories, something I bemoaned the lack of in my review of version 7.2. Okay, bemoaned is a bit strong. Wished for? R-Drive Image’s main page. Also new in the cloud arena is support for Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, though only in R-Drive’s pricier Technician and Corporate tiers. Most end-users will be more interested in Dropbox, OneDrive, and the cheaper S3 and S3-compatibles, which the consumer program supports flawlessly. The salient R-Drive Image features include: file, folder, partition, and whole drive imaging in both proprietary and non-proprietary VHD/VHDX formats; copying and cloning discs; a full-featured partition editor; and a bootable recovery disk with a choice between the modern and old-school, character-based interfaces. The R-Drive Image boot disk interface. The character-based interface (shown below) on the recovery disk is still my favorite for freaking out my friends and IT customers. Its appearance is as dated as my own, but it too is a hoot. Most users will prefer the modern interface shown in the previous image. You don’t have to use this retro-interface on the recovery disc. I do, but most users will use the one that mimics the Windows version. There are also Tasks, R-TT speak for jobs. These feature very granular scheduling and even media rotation in the pricier versions. Scripts are the same thing as tasks, but for command-line use. Yes, you can use R-Drive the old-fashioned way. Another feature I love in R-Drive Image 7.x is its replications. These are copies of the image saved to other destinations. In other words, you can define one data set to back up, and back it up to multiple locations using the same “script,” aka job. The R-Drive Image task schedular. If you’re looking for the ability to back up non-Windows computers, the recovery disc allows you to image FAT/exFAT, NTFS, ReFS / ReFS2+ (Resilient File System, Windows 2012/2016 Server), HFS/HFS+/APFS, XFS, Little and Big Endian variants of UFS1/UFS2 (FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD/Solaris), and Ext2/Ext3/Ext4 FS (Linux). Whew. That said, Apple, a tough-to-love company, makes it nearly impossible to boot from unsigned media these days, so backing up your Mac using R-Drive Image no longer works. I mention this because I tried and was disappointed that the FAT32 USB boot stick didn’t even show up. One R-Drive Image complaint is that while the program supports mounted network drives, WebDAV, and FTP, there’s no way to add files from a network location that’s not mounted as a drive letter by Windows. You can type in a network URL in the file name field for the destination though, and R-TT was asking me how to ameliorate this lack as I wrote this article. Expect this addition soon. My only other complaint is that the program will mildly warn you, but not stop you from trying to write an image to a destination that doesn’t have room for it. The latter became particularly apparent as a flaw during testing. More on that in the performance discussion below. You can define one data set to back up, and back it up to multiple locations using the same ‘script,’ aka job. How easy to use is R-Drive Image 7.3? For basic operations, R-Drive Image is quite easy to use. It walks you wizard-style through selecting files/folders, drives, or partitions, then where you want to write the resulting image. Creating recovery discs is simple as well. Where the program could use a bit of work is in the Tasks/Scripts area. The way they’re portrayed in the interface, it’s not immediately apparent that tasks are for the GUI and scripts are for command-line use. Yes, RTFM. You can specify media rotation options for any task. But only in the pricier professional versions of the program. I certainly appreciate that you can save ad-hoc jobs as command-line scripts, but it would be nice if you could save them as a task as well. Tasks, or recurring jobs, can only be created in the Tasks pane. This is also where you’ll find the retention options and scheduling. I’d also like to see an “Execute” button in the task bar. As it stands, you must right-click over the task to run it. R-Drive Image doesn’t make heavy use of right-click context menus, so this wasn’t something I immediately thought of. Double-clicking starts editing. I would’ve reversed those choices. How much is R-Drive image 7.3? The end-user version of R-Drive Image, good for one computer is $45. The transferrable-seat Technician version is $299, the Corporate version I tested is $189, and there are multi-seat and transferrable-seat versions for $500 and $900, respectively. You can see the full list and the feature differences at this link. How does R-Drive Image 7.3 perform? You may notice that this section of the review isn’t titled “How fast is…?” That’s because reliability and bug-free operation are every bit as important as how quickly backups are created. I’ve touted R-Drive Image as the most stable and reliable backup program I have ever used, and until version 7 — it was. It still is, when operations complete, but I discovered a couple of small visual glitches plus a rather large bug in testing 7.3 (7304) that I actually traced back to 7.0. The company fixed the issues within two days, which is fantastically responsive, but they should’ve been caught by the company before release. It’s not this error message that was disturbing, it was that clicking on cancel just brought it up again. Ending the program via Task Manager was required. Basically, before the fix, if R-Drive Image ran out of room on the destination media during a file imaging task it went into a closed loop with the error dialog that you couldn’t cancel out of. I had to end the program using Task Manager. Drive and partition imaging jobs showed the error dialog, but you could cancel out of it. Then there were the overlapping buttons shown below. Anyone using the program could spot them, which tells me that this version was likely rushed out the door. These overlapping buttons indicate that not enough people at the company are kicking the tires of new releases before they go public. Aside from the one fatal operational glitch and mis-drawn buttons, R-Drive Image performed as I’ve come to expect — admirably. Around a dozen operations to and from internal and external storage, NAS boxes, and online storage services (Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive) went off without a hitch. The recovery media also booted just fine and backup/restore operations were glitch-free. This is more what I’m used to with R-Drive Image. In the final analysis, while the program had some issues with not enough space, all backups that succeeded retained their integrity and were mountable and restorable. That’s the most important aspect. Should you buy R-Drive image? Despite the glitches, which didn’t affect the ultimate sanctity of the backups, I still trust R-Drive Image’s backup engine. Additionally, with the new online support and multiple destinations per job, it’s one of the most complete backup solutions available at the price. I will continue to use and recommend it, but stop letting these faith-challenging bugs out the door, R-TT. Read...