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How To: Lutron Caséta Lighting Control System Review

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

Lutron’s Caséta sits at the entry point of a residential lighting control lineup that segments by device count, coverage area, and whether installation is DIY or professional. Based on our home deployment, we explain switch selection, installation, and integration with Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant. We also present an honest look at where the system’s device and range limits matter in practice. Continue reading How To: Lutron Caséta Lighting Control System Review

Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 2): Review of Voice Services Including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple Airplay 2

Mike ConnellyConnected Home, Music

Sonos speakers support Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri simultaneously, letting users mix and match voice assistants independent of their music source or smart home platform. Here, we explain how that flexibility works in practice and what it means for households split across competing ecosystems. A Sonos owner can run an iTunes library, a YouTube Music subscription, and Apple HomeKit controls from a single speaker while still asking Google a question. Continue reading Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 2): Review of Voice Services Including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple Airplay 2

Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 1): The State of Smart Speakers

Mike ConnellyConnected Home, Music

Amazon Echo and Google Home are designed primarily to deepen their makers’ advertising and data businesses, while Apple’s HomePod functions as a local iPhone extension. This article examines what each major smart speaker is actually optimized for, and why that distinction matters when choosing one. The Sonos One costs nearly twice as much as an Echo but delivers meaningfully better sound for listeners who prioritize audio quality. Continue reading Sonos One & Sonos Beam (Part 1): The State of Smart Speakers

Review of Allegro Coffee Beans (Another Trip to Whole Foods)

Mike ConnellyFood

Allegro Coffee’s whole-bean line at Whole Foods spans a range wide enough that roast selection materially changes the character of a milk-based espresso drink. This review tests several offerings against that specific use case. Organic Continental Blend earns our top recommendation; while some lighter roasts produced flat, grain-forward results that steamed milk amplified rather than softened. Continue reading Review of Allegro Coffee Beans (Another Trip to Whole Foods)

Nvidia Shield Android TV: 2017 Hardware & Shield Experience 5.1 Review

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

The Shield TV continues to be an anomaly: in 2017, it is by far the most powerful media streamer and a capable gaming platform though not as advanced as the Xbox One or Playstation 4, but costing nearly as much. While Google focuses on stripped down Chromecast devices and Chromecast-enabled TVs, Nvidia singularly showcases the advanced functionality of Android TV including DVR, media serving, gaming, and now smart home capabilities. Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV: 2017 Hardware & Shield Experience 5.1 Review

Nvidia Shield Android TV Review

Mike ConnellyConnected Home

The Nvidia Shield Android TV, released in May 2015, holds the title of the best Android TV set-top box and outperforms the Apple TV Gen 4, Amazon Fire TV 2, and the latest Roku in raw processing power. This article examines how the Shield stacks up against its main competitors across ecosystems, content libraries, and gaming performance. The Shield’s hardware advantage does not translate into a clear win for every buyer, and the case of who should actually purchase it hinges on a single practical distinction.
Continue reading Nvidia Shield Android TV Review