Podcast #1019: Amazon Product Announcements andValue Electronics TV Shootout

This week we take a look at the latest product announcements from Amazon. There are a slew of smart home products and a new FireTV that's actually TV! Then there is the Value Electronics TV Shootout where they pick the best TV in three categories. As usual we look at the week's news and read your emails.  Amazon Product Announcements Amazon announced a bunch of new products this week. Here are a few that caught our attention: Amazon Smart Thermostat ($60 November 4th) - Amazon Smart Thermostat is ENERGY STAR® certified. Certified thermostats are required to save an average of $50 on yearly energy bills. Alexa does the programming for you, automatically adjusting the temperature to suit your preferences. The thermostat can even be set to your preferred temperature if Alexa has a hunch you're home, away, or asleep. Echo Show 15 ($250 coming soon)- Reimagine how your family stays organized and entertained with a personalized smart display that helps keep everyone on track and in sync. You can mount it on a wall or display it with a compatible stand (sold separately) in portrait or landscape orientation.  Leave each other sticky notes, update shopping and to-do lists, and see your shared and individual calendars. Family members can create profiles and use visual ID and voice ID so Alexa can recognize who's who and show the right information to the right person—like appointments, reminders, recently played music, and more.  Catch up on the news, watch shows and movies, cook along with demo videos, and more. Enjoy Amazon Music with lyrics you can see on the screen, plus podcasts, radio stations, and audiobooks. For a multi-room music experience, you can connect to other compatible Echo devices. Amazon Glow, Interactive Projector + Video Calling ($250 request invitation to buy) -  The Amazon Glow is a new interactive projector and video-calling device designed to build rich family connections by transforming the way children bond with remote loved ones. A new way to connect - Glow uniquely fuses projection, video, and sensing technologies to create a virtual experience that feels like being together in-person, no matter how far away you are. Halo View fitness tracker ($80 coming soon) - Essentially a FitBit for $80 Ring Alarm Pro, 8-piece - built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router and optional 24/7 monitoring ($299 November 3rd) - This kit includes one Alarm Pro Base Station, one Keypad, four Contact Sensors, one Motion Detector, and one Alarm Range Extender. Built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router creates a secure network for our strongest protection yet. Arm and disarm Ring Alarm with your voice and get mobile alerts about the sound of broken glass or smoke alarms with Alexa Guard. Call trained agents from your Echo who can request the dispatch of emergency responders with Alexa Guard Plus, included with an eligible Ring Protect Plan ($100 a year) Ring Always Home Cam | Flying indoor cam ($250 request invitation to buy) - The Ring Always Home Cam is a first-of-its-kind flying indoor security camera for your home that flies along custom flight paths so you can see what's happening around your home no matter where you are. See what's going on in 1440x1440 HD video, with a built-in LED that automatically lights up the path when recording at night or in dim environments. Left a window open or the stove on? Create flight paths ahead of time so you can manually check in with the Ring App from anywhere. If your Ring Alarm contact sensors or motion detectors are triggered, Always Home Cam will automatically fly to see what's happening. Always Home Cam's camera never records when the device is docked and only records during trained flight paths. Amazon Astro, Household Robot for Home Monitoring ($1000 equest invitation to buy) - Meet Astro, the household robot for home monitoring, with Alexa. Amazon Astro uses advanced navigation technology to find its way around your home and go where you need it. When you're not using Astro, it will hang out close by at the ready. Remotely send Astro to check on specific rooms, people, or things. Plus, get alerts if Astro detects an unrecognized person or certain sounds when you're away. Activate your 6-month free trial of Ring Protect Pro subscription and have Astro proactively patrol, investigate activity, save videos in Ring's cloud storage for up to 60 days, and more. Astro comes with a detachable cup holder and can carry other items (sold separately) like a Ziploc container, the OMRON blood pressure monitor, and a Furbo Dog Camera that tosses treats to your pet. Amazon Fire TV 65" Omni Series 4K UHD smart TV with Dolby Vision (55" $560, 65" $830, 75" $1100 October 27) - Get true-to-life picture quality and rich, brilliant colors with support for 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Plus, and control the TV hands-free with Alexa. Dolby Vision brings spectacular color, contrast, clarity, and brightness to your screen. With built-in microphones, just ask to turn on the TV, and find, launch, and control content, no remote needed. HDMI eARC lets you add audio equipment for enhanced sound. Judges at the Value Electronics TV Shootout declare 3 winners On Sunday and Monday, September 12 and 13, 2021, Scarsdale, NY retailer Value Electronics brought together calibrators, cinematographers, and other video professionals to evaluate flagship TVs and—for the first time, ultra short-throw (UST) projectors—to determine which model was the best of the best. I discussed the annual event in detail last week, including how the evaluations were carefully set up and provided links to the live stream of each day. Full article here…