Ben PattersonSenior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices.
The Super Bowl won’t be in 4K or HDR this year
CBS is blaming “production limitations” due to COVID-19 for its decision to stick with a 1080p Super Bowl.
Netflix's long-awaited shuffle button will arrive this year
After months of testing a “shuffle play” button, Netflix will roll out the feature in the first half of 2021.
Kami’s new video doorbell boasts on-device person detection and facial recognition
The Kami Doorbell Camera doesn’t need the cloud to detect people or recognize friends and family, although it does rely on cloud-based video storage.
Best of CES 2021: The smart home and home entertainment products that captured our attention
Attending a virtual tradeshow is a suboptimal experience, but these new offerings still made an impression.
The Denon Home series of wireless speakers will soon answer to Alexa
A firmware update this spring will add built-in Alexa to Denon’s HEOS-enabled Home speakers. Also coming soon from Denon: a new Dolby Atmos soundbar.
Philips Hue unveils new dimmer switch, wall switch module, and outdoor lights
The Hue dimmer switch boasts a revamped design, while the wall switch module makes dumb light switches smart.
The Ettie video doorbell takes your visitor's temperature before they cross your hearth
If you don’t pass the Ettie’s temperature check, a red LED on the doorbell tells you to keep out.
Google adds a privacy-oriented Guest Mode to its Home and Nest smart speakers and displays
Want to have an off-the-record chat with Google Assistant on your smart speaker? Now you can, thanks to Google’s just-launched Guest Mode.
Ring rolls out end-to-end encryption for select doorbells and security cameras
Available starting today, end-to-end encryption adds another layer of protection for your Ring video recordings, although implementing it also means giving up some key features.
Arlo and Alarm.com bow similar but different touchless video doorbells
The new video doorbells let visitors sound the door chime without having to touch a button, a prudent feature given the pandemic.
TP-Link adds its first video doorbell to its Kasa smart home lineup
The Kasa Smart Doorbell boasts 1080p resolution, people detection, and IP64 weatherproofing.
TCL’s latest soundbar connects wirelessly to Roku TVs
Also coming to TCL’s soundbar lineup: support for AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
LG unwraps the ultra-compact Éclair soundbar with Dolby Atmos and upfiring drivers
Also, LG’s high-end 2021 soundbars will support Alexa, Google Assistant, and AirPlay 2.
JBL’s Bar 5.0 MultiBeam soundbar delivers virtual Dolby Atmos on a budget
This affordable soundbar comes with an all-on-one design as well as AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Alexa multi-room audio support.
Your Lenovo laptop will soon double as an Amazon Echo Show
Lenovo’s upcoming Show Mode will bring the Alexa-powered Echo Show interface to Lenovo PCs and laptops.