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Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub review: Backyard grillmaster training
WiFi-enabled pellet grills are a backyard luxury for aspiring pitmasters. They not only allow you to remotely monitor temperature, but to adjust settings from your phone. However, they're a significant investment, and not everyone is keen on using compressed wood as cooking fuel. Plus, you might already have a grill you like. With the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub ($130), you can make any grill smart. It can monitor both food and ambient temperatures thanks to Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and guided recipes give beginners the sous chef they need to cook without fear.
Amazon's latest Blink camera costs just $35
Amazon's Blink is known for making affordable, easy-to-install cameras like the XT2. At $35, the Blink Mini is Blink's most affordable product at the moment and a close competitor to devices like the Wyze Cam Pan.
Peloton's workout app is now available on Android TV
Peloton might be best known for its connected exercise equipment (and that questionable TV ad), but it also produces a range of instructor-led workouts that can be done at home with no equipment at all. And from today, you'll be able to access them directly through Android TV -- perfect timing considering none of us can get out to the gym right now.
Sonos has a big sale on its Beam, One and One SL speakers
Sonos is currently offering a decent $50 off a number of its speakers, taking them down to some of the lowest prices we've seen since Black Friday. The Sonos Beam, Sonos One and Sonos One SL are all reduced, and with Sonos offering free shipping as standard, now's definitely a good time to buy if you're in the market for some new sound gear. Buy Sonos Beam on Sonos - $350 Buy Sonos One on Sonos - $150 Buy Sonos One SL on Sonos - $130
Social distancing is pushing esports into the mainstream
Industries around the globe have ground to a halt amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bars, restaurants, stadiums and factories have shuttered, and entire countries are on lockdown as citizens are ordered to stay home for weeks at a time in an attempt to control the disease's spread. With the streets empty, people are turning to their screens more than ever before. Viewership of streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Twitch, Mixer and Hulu has risen weekly since shelter-in-place orders began rolling out, and people are on the hunt for new forms of entertainment, ideally with a social twist. Something with a chat room, or dozens of forum posts to read through, or an active Twitter and Instagram presence. Something with stats and high stakes. Something live. Enter: Esports. As economic activity spirals downward around the world, the esports industry has been spun into overdrive. Leagues are ditching plans for in-person tournaments and pivoting to online-only matches, where they're finding a hungry audience.
After Math: Can't stop, won't stop talking coronavirus coverage
It's the new sensation that's sweeping the nation: the coronavirus! Maybe you've heard of it. This week's headlines sure have.
Tell us if the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is worth buying
The Garmin Forerunner 645 Music is nearing the ripe old age of two soon, but it's still one of our favorite fitness devices to recommend. Reviewer Cherlynn Low complemented its battery life and ability to lock-on to GPS fairly quickly, which is essential for accurately tracking a jog. However, the 645 Music's biggest drawback was actually its marquee feature, the music player. The watch often struggled to connect via Bluetooth and had limited app compatibility. At the time we couldn't recommend it for the price. However, there have been a few sales since it came out, making the watch a much better buy.
Home Depot's $179 Nest Hub Max deal is even better than Google's
If you're going to be spending a lot of time at home in the coming weeks, chances are you'll be looking for activities to help pass the time -- video calls, cooking inspiration, that sort of thing. The sort of things, in fact, that a smart display would be helpful for, and it just so happens that Home Depot is currently offering a decent discount on the Google Nest Hub Max. The website has it on offer for $179, which is about $20 cheaper than we've seen anywhere else (Google itself has the device on sale, but has reduced the price to only $199 from the usual $229). Buy Google Nest Hub Max on Home Depot - $179
Marshall's latest Alexa smart speaker is a compact cube
Marshall first brought its iconic stylings to smart tech back in 2018 when it launched a pair of chunky smart speakers with Amazon Alexa control. Now, it's introduced another model to the gang, in the form of the Uxbridge Voice speaker.
The best online STEM resources, according to a veteran teacher
After the schools shut down last week, my social media feeds and inbox lit up with color-coded homeschooling charts and agonizingly long lists of everything I should use to educate my kids. Fear, panic and an overwhelming sense of grief settled over me as I considered not only how I was going to explain what was happening to my curious kindergartener and second grader but also how we were going to manage working, schooling, living and staying sane and healthy in our tiny condo for the foreseeable future. As veteran teachers, my husband and I vowed to maintain normal as best we could. We'd stay virtually connected to family and friends and let the kids play and be bored and eat cookies and watch movies and attempt whatever work their school sent home. To calm myself, I composed my own non-exhaustive list of resources, called "Things I might actually use if the internet doesn't die" and sent bits of it to a few friends, who exhaled relief and gratitude. "Thanks," they said. "I might actually use these!" Here it is, reconstituted. I hope it lets you exhale too.
After Math: We're not ready for the new normal
We're in uncharted waters here, folks. The new reality that we're collectively facing really began to sink in this past week as ever-greater numbers of Americans have been told to practice social isolation and stay away from public gatherings as much as possible. Here are some of the headlines from the past week that I, for one, never thought this outlet would ever write.
Google’s updated Home app will show Nest Cam events in its feed
iOS release notes reveal that Google is making a couple changes to its Home app. Once updated, the Feed tab will show important activity from supported devices, like your Nest Cam. Last year, Google said users would be able to watch full video clips or listen to audio clips in the Feed tab, and this update could enable that.
Ring temporarily pauses most third-party data collection
Ring promised to give users more control over their privacy -- and the company seems to be making an honest effort. After The Electronic Frontier Foundation discovered that Ring's apps were sharing data with third parties, Ring allowed users to opt out of certain data sharing practices -- as well as police video requests. Now, the company is pausing its use of "most third-party analytics services" for the Ring apps and website while it works on a better solution.
Of all the smart speakers, what made you choose the Echo Show 5?
If you're in the market for a smart display, you have a lot of choices right now. If you need something small that works great as a bedside timekeeper, the Lenovo Smart Clock is ideal. For the kitchen, something bigger like an Echo Show 8 or Nest Hub Max will do. And somewhere in the middle is the Echo Show 5, a connected display that's big enough for watching videos but not so big that it takes up too much space on your kitchen counter. At $90 with a 5-inch screen, this Alexa device really hits a sweet spot.
Ring's latest doorbells feature a three-camera array
Over the weekend, a leak revealed the latest smart doorbells from Ring. The product pages -- which were quickly taken down from Ring's website -- highlighted the addition of a 5GHz wireless connection and a "Pre-Roll" feature that shows users the four seconds of video that happened before an alarm was tripped. Today, the company officially revealed the Video Doorbell 3 and Video Doorbell 3 Plus, and elaborated on the technology behind the Pre-Roll feature. While the Video Doorbell 3 seems to be an incremental upgrade, the 3 Plus may pique the interest of existing Ring users as well as new customers.
Arlo will require two-step sign-ins for its smart home devices
Arlo is following the leads of Nest and Ring in requiring tighter security for its smart home devices. It's warning customers that it'll require two-factor authentication for accounts by the end of 2020. As it explained in a support guide, you'll have to either respond to a push notification or a less secure text message whenever you sign in with a new device. Email security codes will be available as an "automatic back-up option."
SoulCycle's $2,500 home-fitness bike is almost ready for pre-order
There is plenty of high-tech home-fitness equipment on the market -- like Peloton bikes and treadmills, the Echelon rowing machine and Mirror. But if you've been holding out for the official SoulCycle bicycle, the wait is almost over. Beginning March 13th, select markets can pre-order SoulCycle's at-home bike and training programs.
Ring's next Video Doorbell will show what happened before an alert
You don't have to wonder how Ring will build on the Video Doorbell 2 -- the company has already spoiled its plans in advance. Zatz Not Funny spotted a briefly available product page (you're looking at the cached version) for a Video Doorbell 3 series that promises a few noteworthy upgrades. If you get the higher-end Plus model, you'll get a "Pre-Roll" feature that shows four seconds of video from before a motion alert -- it'll be in black and white, but still helpful if you want to identify a would-be burglar or rambunctious animal. While the concept isn't completely novel (Arlo's Foresight does the same), Ring's model will supposedly be the first battery-powered doorbell to ship with the feature.
Philips Hue is ending support for the first-gen Bridge on April 30th
The first-gen Philips Hue Bridge, which was released back in 2012, will lose access to the system's online services on April 30th. Signify, the company that used to be known as Philips Lighting, has also mentioned in a tweet that Bridge version 1 won't be getting any more software updates after that day. In other words, Signify will no longer support the device by May, though you can still control the Bridge locally via the dedicated app for it.
The Morning After: The Nintendo PlayStation prototype sold for $360k
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. The word for the week is "canceled." As additional cases of the new coronavirus continue to pop up, companies and event planners took steps to try and avoid creating environments where it might spread rapidly. On Friday evening the city of Austin declared a local disaster and called off the 2020 SXSW festival, making it just the latest on the list. Other companies scaled back on travel and encouraged employees to work from home, while some delivery firms like Instacart and Postmates unveiled new no-contact options. -- Richard

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