Michael BrownExecutive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor and covers the smart home and home entertainment markets. He built his own smart home in 2007, which he uses as a real-world test lab when reviewing new products. Michael also reviews routers and networking products for TechHive and PCWorld.
Best Bluetooth speakers: Reviews and buying advice
We'll help you find the best wireless speakers for pairing with your smartphone or tablet—whatever your budget, and whatever music floats your boat.
Wired or wireless, this audio system can accommodate nearly any source: high-res streaming services, a local server, a TV, Bluetooth, even an old-school turntable.
How to buy the right-sized TV (the only problem is that it might not exist)
Quality over size is our usual mantra, but vendors don't generally offer their best technology in TVs smaller than 55-inch class.
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 Owl Wired could be the ultimate smoke detector
That’s because it can also sense carbon monoxide, analyze sound and motion, and track humidity and temperature.
Samsung SmartThings, Google Nest partnership kicks off
Smart home products from two of our favorite brands now work together.
The Sense Energy Monitor gets two new and valuable upgrades—at no added cost to the buyer
The system can now analyze the quality of a home’s incoming electrical power and alert homeowners to potentially hazardous wiring faults.
Sonos announces new artists contributing to its Sonos Radio services
Both the free Sonos Radio and subscription-based Sonos Radio HD will feature contributions from the likes of Björk, D’Angelo, and FKA twigs.
Hex Home Security monitors Wi-Fi radio waves to detect intruders
The system analyzes how Wi-Fi radio waves are disrupted as people move around your home and is supposed to be smart enough to ignore pets.
Sonos introduces a replacement battery kit for its Move portable smart speaker
Updates to the Sonos Radio service are also in the works.
The first Linksys Wi-Fi 6e router is a mesh network model
The Linksys AXE8400 Wi-Fi 6E System is aimed at smart home enthusiasts and is backward compatible with earlier Linksys Intelligent Mesh products.
Netgear has one of the first Wi-Fi 6e routers: The Nighthawk RAXE500
The router taps the newly opened 6GHz frequency band and promises to deliver massive bandwidth with little latency. Netgear also unveiled a new cable modem.
Lutron adds its first outdoor smart home device to its Caséta product line
The Caséta Outdoor Smart Plug lets you control and automate landscape lighting and other outdoor gadgets.
Roku rescues Quibi’s entertainment content
Quibi’s business model turned into a joke, but there was nothing wrong with much of its content.
Roku has developed a soundbar reference design specifically for Roku TVs
The company is also trumpeting its number one position in smart TV operating systems, as determined by the market-research firm NPD Group.
Articles by Michael Brown
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