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.
Amazon’s next Echo display might be a wall-mounted control panel
An upcoming and slimmed-down Echo smart display might act as a “command center” for your smart devices, according to an unconfirmed report.
Yamaha SR-B20A review: This all-in-one soundbar boasts great audio for the price
If you can do without Wi-Fi streaming, the swell-sounding SR-B20A is an excellent value.
Sylvania’s Wi-Fi-enabled A19 color smart bulb boasts powerful customization features, but its app can be difficult to navigate.
5 things I learned while setting up my first media server
Sure, you can spend a fortune setting up a media server for your music and videos, but it turns out you don’t have to.
Wink users head for the exits following a week-long outage
Wink started charging for its formerly free service last summer, and now this.
Nanoleaf Essentials A19 review: A Thread-enabled smart bulb with 120 sides
The first standard light bulb from Nanoleaf, the Essentials A19 connects to Thread networks and will support a variety of nifty features—eventually, anyway.
Wyze’s budget security cams now detect vehicles and packages at a price
The new car and package detection features will be included in Wyze’s paid Cam Plus plan.
Amazon’s new Echo Show 10 and its rotating display will finally ship on Feburary 25
Better late than never, the third version of Amazon’s biggest smart display has a 10-inch screen that follows you around the room.
Ring's $60 Video Doorbell Wired aims to take on Wyze
The new Video Doorbell Wired marks Ring’s smallest doorbell yet, and at $60, it’s also its least expensive.
Polk Audio’s $250 React soundbar packs Alexa
The all-in-one Polk React can be upgraded with a wireless subwoofer and a surround speaker kit, and it comes with built-in Alexa.
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.