Microsoft has joined up with Amazon to allow calling between Alexa and Skype. This integration enables Skype users to voice call any Echo device as well as video call the Echo Show. Alexa users can now also call their Skype contacts using the Skype out feature.

Alexa, call Smart Home Geeks on Skype

This feature has been rolled out globally and is available now in the UK.

To enable Skype calling on your Amazon Echo, open at the communication settings within the Alexa app.

This is an exciting integration and shows a closer relationship between tech giants Amazon and Microsoft.

The post Alexa can now Skype! appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

Today’s vacuum cleaners perform specialized jobs such as cleaning hard floors, vacuuming deep carpets and mopping hard and smooth surfaces. These particular gadgets share a lot of similar features since they operate using smart technology.

It is undoubtedly true that today’s robot cleaners are reliable and they can automatically perform cleaning tasks well. These devices consist of multiple sensors and rollers that enable them to map and clean a specific room in your home. However, robot cleaners still have some minor issues though there is a significant improvement compared to earlier gadgets.

When you want to buy a robot vacuum cleaner, you need to understand that there are many types of robot vacuum cleaners on the market. Therefore, you should know the proper functions of each device. There are common mistakes outlined below that you should avoid when you shop for a vacuum cleaner either online or in store.

Avoid a robotic vacuum cleaner without programmable cleaning time

Robotic vacuum cleaners use smart technology, and they operate without supervision. These devices can also run while you are away. All the same, your house needs regular cleaning whether you are away or around.

It is therefore essential to choose a robotic vacuum cleaner that has a specific function to program its cleaning time. It is possible to schedule your gadget to clean at a particular time of the day and can be programmable for more than a week.

Such a device is very convenient since you do not need to worry yourself about turning it on to start cleaning your work. You can also program it to clean the place when you are away in case your pets and kids are scared of it. You should make sure that you buy a device that you can program to do the work while you are not around. If you are not sure, read Robot Hoover reviews.

A Robot Vacuum Cleaner Does Not Think

No matter what amount of smart technology robot vacuum cleaners use, you need always to remember that these gadgets cannot think like human beings. Indeed, vacuums are smart and can perform intelligent moves like returning to the dock for recharging.  Robot vacuums work unattended, and you do not need to be around to plug the device to a source of power.

Their operations depend on the programs they run on. As such, a robot vacuum cleaner cannot be a permanent substitute of a maid. In one way or the other, human effort is necessary for cleaning the house. You must avoid a mistake of thinking that you can give your robot vacuum cleaner orders like what you can do to your maid. It cannot listen to you; it only performs tasks that you program it to do.

A vacuum cleaner is not perfect

Do not fool yourself to believe that a robot vacuum cleaner is excellent. Its cleaning cycle in a room in known by the manufacturer and it may not be perfect in some places. Some robotic vacuum cleaners are useful for cleaning small places like apartments.

Other vacuum cleaners function well in large rooms. For instance, it is easier for the robot cleaner to correctly clean the passage in your home because it is straightforward. The other mistake you should avoid is to believe that all robot cleaners are similar in all features.

Many people are often swayed by commercial messages in choosing their robotic vacuum cleaners. Each manufacturer emphasises some “unique features” on their product, but the truth is that such features may not be outstanding.

Almost all robot vacuums have sensors that prevent them from falling from steps. When you decide to buy a robot cleaner, look for other special features apart from these common ones. Almost all robot cleaners have a return function to the base station for recharging except for a few models.

You need to focus on the basic factors that make robot cleaners smart. For example, you should try to establish its ability to identify and clean stubborn stains on the floor. The main idea is to get a device that leaves your floor spotless clean even if you do not perform any work.

You should avoid cheaper robotic vacuum cleaners

While your budget determines the kind of robotic cleaner that you will buy, you also need to be careful in choosing a better device. Some cheap models lack some features that make robotic vacuum cleaners smart. For instance, other models of vacuum cleaners have poor navigation functions, and at times they get stuck in wires.

The other issue is that other cheap robotic vacuum cleaners cannot return to the base station for recharging when they run out of power. These devices cease to be smart as suggested by their name since you need to monitor them while they clean your place closely.

Other forms of cheap robotic vacuum cleaners have no side and central brushes. Such devices are not thorough in their cleaning. Other competitive models have low suction power meaning that they cannot do a perfect job in your house.

Some people confuse wet cleaning with washing the floor

Many people often make a mistake of thinking that wet cleaning and floor washing are the same. Floor mopping robots have an option of wet cleaning and suitable for places like the kitchen. A special container drips on the mop, and the robovac sucks then sweep the dirt.

The robovac then wipes the floor at the same time. The microfiber mops can clean the tiniest dust particles on the floor. The process of spraying water on the floor and then wiping it by the robot vacuum is not floor washing. It is known as a simple wiping of the floor. You need to wash the microfiber mop regularly.

Do not think robot cleaners have the same design and construction

Some people believe that all robotic vacuum cleaners have the same structure and composition, but that is not true. The majority of robot cleaners have a plastic dustbin and others release dust into a paper bin found at the charging base.

The sizes of dustbins differ depending on the model of the cleaner. Other models do not have a central cleaning brush, and some have suction provisions on their sides. The suction power of different models of robotic vacuum cleaners also differs significantly.

While most of the robotic vacuums can perform the same functions, most expensive ones are complicated than the others. Their navigation system is complicated, and they carefully build a room map for effective cleaning. Costly devises do not move randomly around the room, and they also use their batteries efficiently.

Avoid ignoring the height and shape of a robotic vacuum cleaner

A robovac’s height is critical since it determines its ability to move under furniture like sofas freely. The thinnest models have a height of about seven to eight centimetres. A robot cleaner needs to leave a gap of about 0,5 cm to make sure that it does not hit furniture with low clearance gap.

The issue of the height of the robotic vacuum cleaner goes along with the aspect of its shape. Many people tend to make a mistake of thinking that a round shaped vacuum cleaner is better than a square shaped one. However, a square-shaped robotic vacuum cleans the corners better than a round one.

The cleaner with a square shape has round corners, therefore, cleans better than the round one. However, the suction power of the robot cleaner and the length of the brushes determine its cleaning power. If you want to make the corners of your home perfectly clean, you better do it yourself with a regular mop.

Likewise, the shape of a robotic vacuum cleaner does not necessarily spell its effectiveness. These devices have their shortfalls, and they are not perfect in their functions. You need to perform the task of manual cleaning of your home regularly to maintain it in a good state.

Robotic vacuum cleaners are reliable, but you should never make a mistake of thinking that they are better than human beings. It is tiresome to clean the floor manually, but you also need to complement the work of the robotic vacuum cleaners.

Choosing a robot vacuum with a UV lamp

A UV lamp is believed to kill bacteria and microorganisms on the floor, but the process takes a very long time. The primary challenge of this device is that it discharges the battery the battery quickly and it may be problematic to operate. It may also be wise to turn off the light to save power.

In other words, a UV lamp is just another additional feature on the robotic vacuum cleaner that however does not make it so special. You need to avoid this mistake when you decide to buy a robot cleaner.

Robotic vacuum cleaners are smart in that they do not need supervision when they perform their cleaning tasks. They share many similar features and also achieve the same functions. However, the vacuum cleaners significantly differ. You need to be careful when buying a robot vacuum to avoid some common mistakes highlighted above. Visit here to find the latest reviews about the best robot vacuum cleaner.

Author Bio: As the Sr. Researcher & Writer for RobotsInMyHome.com, Vicky spends most of her time covering the real-world impact of the latest technologies on consumers’ lives around the world. She writes full-time for a number of leading review and editorial publications around the web.

The post Top Tips when buying a Robot Vacuum Cleaner appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

Sonos is one of the ultimate Smart Home speakers, allowing you to connect your entire home and play almost unlimited music sources.  In this How To we are looking at how to connect the Smart Speakers to IFTTT, the home automation service.

If you are now aware of IFTTT it connects any integrated tech together in appletts, using the principle of If This Then Do That. This becomes very useful the more Smart Tech you have, for example If someone presses your Ring doorbell, mute your Sonos music.

How to connect Sonos to IFTTT

(Required: IFTTT account, Sonos Speaker)

Step 1. Make sure you Sonos system is up to date, to do this open the app and select:

More > Settings > Online Updates

Step 2.  Check your Sonos system is signed into your account, open the app and check:

More > Settings > Account Settings

If you are signed in it will show as Logged in and your username. Make a note of the username and password as it is required later.

Step 3. Visit the IFTTT dedicated Sonos page:  https://ifttt.com/sonos once there click connect.

Step 4. Sign into Sonos – don’t worry you are not giving IFTTT your Sonos credentials, just giving it limited access to the functionality.  If you look at the URL you will see the login is done with “API.Sonos.com” not IFTTT.

Step 5.  Confirm you give permission, this is so it can send commands to your speakers and system.Step 6. IFTTT is now connected to Sonos. You can now choose one of the 28 pre-made appletts or make your own.

Here is selection of our favourite pre-made appletts:

• Reduce the volume when someone rings my Ring doorbell 
• Stop all music if a Nest Protect smoke alarm emergency
• Stop my music when my Uber arrives

Step 7. To make your own applett, click ‘New Applett’. You will now see an empty applett. Click plus to add any trigger, currently Sonos cannot be a trigger only an action.

Here are some ideas we had:

How to connect Ring to Sonos

In this example we are going to make an applett that plays a doorbell sound over Sonos if someone presses our Ring doorbell.Now click + and select Sonos and choose the action:
For this example click Play Favourite.

Step 8. Open the Sonos app and search songs for ‘Doorbell sound effect‘. We found a good selection on Spotify.
Choose the song you select and select ‘Add Song to My Songs’.

Step 9. Refresh the IFTTT page and in the drop down you will now see the Doorbell sound. Select the speaker to play on and press Create action.
Now when anyone presses your Ring doorbell a doorbell sound will sound over your Sonos speaker!

Other ideas we had:

Connect Next Protect to Sonos

In this example we connect Sonos to Nest Protect, in the event of an emergency an alarm is played over Sonos.  To do this simply select Nest Protect as the trigger, selecting Emergency.

Then as above but this time choose an alarm sound and add it to your My Sonos.

Good luck creating your own appletts, let us know what you created in the comments!

For more helpful hints tips and Smart Home news don’t forget to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

The post How to connect Sonos to IFTTT appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

If you own a robot vacuum cleaner you will agree the most frustrating part is emptying it. It also really limits the cleaning time as if the robot is full you need to empty it before it can carry on.

However now the geniuses at iRobot® have invited something to solve this headache. The invention is a special charging dock that connects to the Roomba® i7+ and incorporates its own dustbin!

We know what you are thinking, how often do you need to empty the charging stations bin? The answer is not that often, it can contain 30 full robot bins full. Meaning you can leave it vacuuming for weeks without thinking about it. Just when we thought Robot Vacuum cleaners could not get any smarter they just did!

“iRobot is addressing a long-standing customer call by giving Roomba the ability to empty its own bin after each cleaning,”

said Christian Cerda, COO of iRobot.

“This enhances the customer experience by eliminating the dusty and dirty mess often associated with emptying vacuum canisters. With the ability to remember the home, clean specific rooms and empty itself when its finished, the Roomba i7+ with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal quite literally frees customers from every aspect of vacuuming – from start to finish – for weeks at a time.”

iRobot Roomba Release Self Emptying Robot Vacuum

The Roomba i7+ is also packed with smart features, it learns the layout of a room with its new and unique Smart Mapping tech. This then integrates into Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa allowing you to clean a room just by asking your assistant:

“Alexa, ask Roomba to clean my kitchen,” or “Hey Google, clean the living room. 

The Roomba i7+ robot vacuum with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal is available for pre-sale in the US now. We have asked about UK shipping and will update when we find out.

Prices start at $949 USD / £725~ at time of writing.

The post iRobot® Roomba® release self emptying Robot Vacuum! appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

Imagine if you could play with your pet from your work, throw them a treat and even talk to them?! Step up the Pawbo Life Pet Camera and treat dispenser that lets you do exactly that.

What does the Pawbo Pet Camera and treat dispenser do do?

It is a small camera specifically designed for you to interact with your pet, its packed with the standard camera features:

• 720P HD video with 4x digital zoom
• 130° wide-angle lens
• Two way audio
• WiFi connectivity (2.4 GHz only)

However also these pet friendly features:

• Treat dispenser
• Laser pointer with auto play mode
• Connect up to 8 Pawbos – allowing multiple rooms
• Connect additional play accessories
• Instant social sharing to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

All recorded video or photos are stored locally on your phone, there is no subscription required.

How easy is it to setup?

Setup was easy and done via the app. During each part of the process you are guided by a voice telling you when a stage is complete, ‘WiFi setup complete’.

It took under 10 minutes from unboxing to fully setup.

What’s the connectivity?

Pawbo does not connect to anything else in your smart home. However Pawbo is designed to be used when you are not home so smart connectivity is not really required.

How much does it cost?

£149 direct from Amazon.

---

Pawbo Pet Camera

Check the Price on Amazon UK Check the Price on Amazon US

---

What’s it like living with the Pawbo Pet Camera?

We tested Pawbo with a cat and a dog,  the dog was not interested in the Pawbo, even the laser did not get a reaction. However the cat loves playing with the laser, the auto mode is great.

One frustration is the range of the laser, it only goes a short distance in front of Pawbo – it would have been better if it went further.

When you start viewing the video the Pawbo makes a doorbell sound, the idea to alert your pet to come over. After two weeks of testing our pets did not get used to it but I’m sure after a while they will.

Another reason this is great for cats is because Dreamies, every cat owner will know what were talking about, fit perfectly! Dog treats are generally too big.

Being able to add additional toys to the Pawbo is a good idea, this way we can keep our cat entertained with new stimulation, when they get bored of the laser.

What are our final thoughts?

If you are looking for a cat pet camera with treat dispenser this is for you! It beats competitors with the automatic laser toy and option to add additional toys.

For more information you can visit their website: https://www.pawbo.com/uk/

The post Pawbo Pet Camera Review appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.

Robots are supposed to make our life’s easier doing the tasks no one likes to do. A perfect example is hoovering and mopping.  ILIFE’s V8s does exactly that, robot vacuuming and mopping automatically – but just how good is it?!

What does the ILIFE V8s do?

ILIFE is a robot manufactures based in, yep you guessed it, China. They manufacture robot vacuum’s and mops for the budget end of the market. If your familiar with Robot robot vacuum’s you will be aware these can easily cost thousands, most ILIFE’s robots cost hundreds but are still packed with features.

The ILIFE V8s is their latest model. It is a 2-in-1 robot that can automatically vacuum and mop your floor.  The robot is best suited to hard floors or short pile carpets.

Robot vacuum often jam or get tangled by pet hair, not the V8s. The brushes and nozzle have been specially designed to prevent tangling.

It has an internal HEPA filter and includes a spare filter. ILIFE recommend regularly changing this.

The v8s is packed with sensors to overcome issues:

• Obstacle to move around furniture or items on the floor
• Cliff detection to detect edges where it could fall
• Corner sensor to adapt its movement for corners
• Recharge sensor to return home when it needs a recharge

It has thick wheels to overcome uneven floors and change between floor type without issue. They claim up to 12mm obstacles.

The V8s has four different cleaning modes:

• Automatic to automatically clean the full room
• Max a super power mode
• Edge mode to clean the edges of the room
• Spot mode to spot clean, great for mopping

Navigation is done by an internal gyro.

---

ILIFE V8S Robotic Vacuum Cleaner With Floor Mopping

Check the Price on Amazon UK Check the Price on Amazon US

---

How easy is it to setup?

Simple assembly is required, clicking the brushes onto the body and inserting the filter. No complicated setup or instructions to follow.

What’s the connectivity?

It comes with a simple remote control allowing you to control all the functions you need.

It does not have any other connectivity however at this price point its not very surprising.

The interface does however allow scheduled cleaning. The drawback with this is you cannot schedule a vacuum then a mop as the head unit needs to be switched.

However if you have a smart hub that can send IR you can easily clone the remote codes and add connectivity. We easily added it to our home hub Homey and then Alexa.

How much does it cost?

The RRP is £299 direct from Amazon – this is a great price for a gadget that does so much.

What’s it like living with the ILIFE V8s?

Great! The hoovering function is very good, especially if you set the mode to max mode – it easily compares to a standard upright manual hoover. One drawback is the size of the container, 750 ml, however if you set it to come on daily it should not get full.

Navigation wise it does an impressive job of covering the entire room. A system they call i-move.

The mop function is also good, we tested it on tile and wood floor. On both it did a good job of cleaning the floor. The mop head contains 300 ml water, good enough to clean a few rooms. One big innovation in the V8s is the way the water is dripped onto the pad, making it wet enough but not to soak the floor. This is aptly named the ‘i-Dropping intelligent water dispensing system’.

It is slightly annoying the head unit needs to be changed to allow moping but understandable. The robot would need to be very large to allow them both at the same time and probably cost a lot more.

The size of the unit is a plus, it can easily glide under the sofa, chairs and cabinets. Unlike a lot of robot vacuum’s that are too tall. The wheels do an impressive job of changing between floors surfaces and even over mats and rugs.

Like most vacuum’s it does make a fair amount of noise, especially when on max mode – 68 dB normal mode / 72 dB max mode. However, as it is easy to schedule you don’t need to be in so will not hear it.

The battery lasts for up to 2 hours depending on the mode being used – in testing we got just under this. When the battery is low it automatically returns home to charge, however we found sometimes it can take a while for it to get home. Almost as if it got slightly lost.

What are our final thoughts?

This is smart tech to make your life easier! The hoover does an impressive job and for the price the best robot vacuum we have seen.

The post ILIFE V8s Robot Vacuum & Mop Review appeared first on Smart Home Geeks.