Samsung releases an impressive new Wi-Fi system but initially limits it to Galaxy S8 users, Burger King and Dominos try to play tricks with your digital home assistants, and Molly Wood joins us for a spirited discussion about how so many smart devices just seem plain dumb. Are the devices really dumb…or maybe just too complicated for most consumers?
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Show Links
- New Samsung mesh router has a SmartThings hub built into it
- Advertisers think it’s fun to set off digital home assistants
- Amazon added color support for lighting control from the Echo
- Sonos PlayBase now available
- Brilliant Control switch
- Why Does Smart Lighting Seem So Dumb?
- Listen to Make Me Smart at Marketplace
- Follow Molly Wood on Twitter
Home: On is listed at Technology.FM, a curated collection of technology podcasts, including great shows like The Smart Kitchen Show, The HomeTech Podcast, and The NextMarket Podcast.
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Great episode with Molly Wood. I am a big fan of Sonos. I have a Sonos device in almost every room and our patio. That said, it is a difficult debate between a home theater system and the Playbar/Playbase. You can definitely get better and more dramatic sound from a home theater system, but the ease of use and family acceptance of Playbar/Playbase is huge. There is one other issue to be aware of with Playbar/Playbase, unfortunately many new TV’s do not pass through surround sound on the optical port. Sonos has resources to help determine if your set does:
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1931/~/television-compatibility-with-the-playbar-or-playbase
Even if your set does not pass surround sound, Playbar/Playbase still sounds good, but if you buy a Playbase and a Sub and two Play1’s for back channels I think you would want to be sure your TV sends Dolby 5.1 out the optical port. Great podcast!
Thanks for the resource and information, Kevin. Glad you enjoyed the episode!
Thanks for the information and resource, Kevin. Glad you enjoyed the show! I, too, have Sonos around the house, but not for my home theater. I’m eager to hear others’ impressions of this new product.