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Amazon Alexa Voice Service

Acuity Brands Features New Partnership at IBS

Acuity Brands, Inc. announces that the Juno AI smart home downlight is now compatible with SmartThings, an industry leader for IoT technology and home connectivity. Juno AI is an advanced, patent-…
Hi-tech contemporary kitchen with smart refrigerator
Photo: Margaret Wright Photography

3 Takeaways from Houzz's 2019 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study

Next month, manufacturers, retailers and designers will head to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 2019 edition of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The event promises the latest…
Google Home speaker with copper base sitting on desk
Photo: Google

Okay Google, Why Should I Have a Smart Speaker in My Showroom?

Are you Team Google or Team Amazon? New research out last week found these two companies heavily competing in the smart home speaker race. As Canalys reports, Google beat Amazon for the first time…

2018: Year of the Smart Home, Part 2

Light + Building's “Smart Living in an E-House” exhibit was a mockup of an intelligent house, equipped throughout with cutting-edge smart products that provide greater comfort, safety and efficiency…
Person's hand holding a phone, person is shopping online
Photo by PhotoMIX Ltd. from Pexels

One Simple Way to Curb Showrooming

In the last year, showrooming has been a hot-button topic of conversation among retailers all over the country. In market halls, we've heard retailers swap stories about consumers with their noses in…
Two Amazon Echo dots on a blue background
Photo: Amazon

What Amazon's Alexa Blueprints Means for Smart Homes

When Amazon first released the Echo with its voice assistant Alexa, many consumers thought "Yeah, this is cool, but do I really need this?" While consumers can connect to their Echo via bluetooth,…
C by GE Sol lamp
C by GE’s Sol lamp is the industry’s first Amazon Alexa-integrated lighting product. It combines functional illumination, visual indicators for everyday tasks, and personal assistant capabilities without the need for a standalone Alexa device. www.cbyge.com

2018: Year of the Smart Home, Part 1

When you think about Amazon’s top sellers, you may consider books, or even a toy. Wait, maybe a video game?  Actually, during the 2017 holiday season, its top seller was none of the above. It was…
AdobeStock voice search
(Photo: naka - stock.adobe.com)

The Voice Search Revolution

Just when we were all designing responsive websites to meet mobile search demands, consumers have turned the tables on us again. Last year, Google announced that 20 percent of queries through its…
Cur8-Design-Actvism
Cur8

Cur8's Design Activism

In the home decor industry, colors and styles filter in and out every season, but most chandeliers, dining tables and mirrors at markets today function in the same general way they did 10, 20 and…
Amazon Echo in black on table
(Photo: MEDION Pressestelle via Flickr)

Alexa and Cortana have teamed up. What It Means for Home Automation

It's rare to see tech giants consider or even willingly work together, and yet, here we are. Today The New York Times announced Amazon and Microsoft would be joining forces in the digital assistant…
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