T3 India

Smart Home

The new Lenovo Smart Clock Essential supports Hindi Language commands as well

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Lenovo have announced the launch of a Smart Clock Essential which is another addition to their smart device/smart home portfolio. Designed like a traditional alarm clock, this digital clock comes with a host of connected features and with the capability to display real-time information to make life easier for the users.

The Smart Clock Essential builds on its predecessor, the Smart Clock – which was primarily designed for the users’ bedrooms. The Smart Clock Essential looks to incorporate the same time-saving and hands-free features of its predecessor and expand it into something that can be seamlessly used throughout the users’ homes. Check out the video below:

Along with a 4” LED display which comes with an ambient light display that allows viewing from multiple angles through adjustable brightness (with a nightlight of 31 lumens), the Smart Clock Essential also supports Google Assistant and is Lenovo’s first smart device to support voice commands given in Hindi. That’s a big and positive step up the innovation ladder for Lenovo, opening this product up to a larger target audience.

The Smart Clock Essential has 2 microphone arrays and Lenovo claims that these microphones can ‘pick up questions from nearly anywhere in the room’. The new-age digital clock’s 3W speakers can also be paired with other compatible speakers and the sound quality can be amplified easily. Lenovo also states that “it also offers feature parity with other Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers and supports voice match for up to six users at a time”.

Lenovo’s Smart Clock Essential is powered by the Amlogic A113X processor and a 4GB RAM + Flash (eMMC) of 512MB. The clock weighs just 240g and utilises a Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity along with 2.4G/5G WLAN Dual Band. The Smart Clock Essential comes with one alarm button, one play button, one microphone mute toggle, and on +/- volume control button.

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is priced at Rs. 4,499 and is available on Flipkart and Lenovo’s website.

Upkeep Gadgets like a Pro!

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By A Dyson Engineer

The current health crisis has led to various changes and shifts in one’s lifestyle. The past year we have all had to adapt to new settings, surroundings and practices. As the pandemic continues, so does our dependence on gadgets, be it for work, recreation, staying in touch with our family and friends or to meet basic day-to-day needs. But did you know that prolonged usage of gadgets and electronic devices every day can also expose you to the hidden dust present around us? Hidden to the naked eyes, they are widely spread on various surfaces of our homes where we eat, sit, play and sleep, such as floors, sofas, beds, carpets and various electronic devices we use on regular basis, even after being cleaned regularly using the traditional methods.

Mini soft dusting brush

The air in your home can contain myriad substances, from particles like dust, allergens, gases, VOCs, NO2 and benzene. These particles can very easily travel from one place to the other and settle on the surface of our gadgets that we use constantly without even noticing. Delicate electronics like computer systems, speakers and amplifiers, tablets, smartphones, headsets, etc. are almost impossible to clean efficiently using traditional methods.

It is essential to minimize the impact of harmful particles and dust present on our gadgets to ensure the safety of ourselves and our families while reducing health risks. Therefore, users look for more innovative and hassle-free cleaning equipment to address these intense cleansing requirements of their electronic items.

Dyson has been researching the technology around moving dust and its particulate matter from homes for well over 15 years.

Up-top Adaptor

Years of expertise in studying the hidden dust and its impact on our health and environment has led Dyson to focus their efforts on designing vacuum cleaners that pick the dust up, have cyclones that are incredibly efficient to keep it in the machine, as well as filters and seals to make sure it doesn’t get emitted back into your home. It can be used by consumers to not just clean their carpets, sofas, mattresses, curtains etc. but and sofas but also their favourite gadgets and electronic devices to ensure a smarter living.

Here are a few tips that will help you keep your gadgets and electronic devices clean:

  1. Look for Vacuum Cleaners which comes with innovative cleaning heads as separate attachments to remove hidden dust from surfaces of different texture and size. For e.g. Combination Tool, Mini Soft Dusting Brush and Up-top Adaptor that can help you remove dust from the aloof gaps and corners of our gadgets
  2. Use attachments that have the ability to twist into different positions and angles, can also be used to clean fan blades, tube lights and lamps
  3. Some combination attachments can be quickly converted into a brush tool for dusting which will allow an individual to quickly scrape and drawn in dirt from AC vents, speakers, laptops, and other devices with ease.
  4. Use Angular and flexible heads to ensure easy high-reach cleaning.

Trifo Max Review

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Not just another robot vacuum cleaner
Rs. 21,990 (promotional price), amazon.in

Robot vacuum cleaners have been in demand in the last few months and Trifo is trying to kill two birds with one stone with its latest product. The Trifo Max not only works like any other robot vacuum cleaner but also comes with a camera at the top that can be used as a security camera.

Trifo Max looks like any other robot vacuum cleaner in the market. The circular robot vacuum features a bumper on the front, whereas the top hosts a camera along with physical buttons. The upper lid can be pulled up to reveal status lights for the Wi-Fi, reset button, a USB port (to charge gadgets!) and the dustbin. At the bottom is the side brush that sweeps everything towards the large main brush, which vacuums the dirt in the dustbin. The wheels let the Trifo Max roam around while it cleans the surface and even features sensors so it does not topple down from the stairs or higher ground.

The easy setup requires the use of the Trifo Home app, which also acts as a gateway to all the other things Trifo Max can do. Although vacuuming can be initiated by pressing the power button on the Trifo Max, using the app is preferable because you can use features like adjusting the suction power that goes up to 3,000 Pa. The suction power also determines how loud the robovac will be, so you can adjust it accordingly. The app allows manual control of the Max and even turn on the surveillance camera, which is a nice feature to have but feels inadequate compared to a proper home security camera. The motion detection works well, but the images seen from the camera are at an angle that makes looking at the feed a little impractical. The only advantage with it is that you get the mobility if you need to see something and talk via the 2-way chat feature.

The first couple of cleaning sessions seem like a bump-into-every-obstacle session, but what Trifo Max is doing is creating a virtual map of the room, which you can see in real time on the app. The robovac is learning the environment for a more efficient cleaning route. In short, the more it cleans the room, the better it gets. It’s handy, but only if you keep it docked in the same area. The app does not allow any geo-fencing (requires a physical obstacle) or naming different rooms in the house which means if you move the charging station to a new place, say, to another floor of the house, the Max needs to learn the new room and previous room again. Trifo has confirmed to us that the memorising feature will come, but no idea when.

Regarding its vacuuming performance, Max leaves the floor spick-and-span. It even comes with mopping pads and a tiny water tank that makes mopping possible, but in our experience, it was underwhelming.

Despite some of its shortcomings, Max is a formidable robovac that does its job well with the ability to adjust the suction power, up to 2 hours of battery life and controllable via Amazon Alexa.

RATING 4/5
WE’RE IMPRESSED Vacuum performance, easy to set up
WE’D IMPROVE App experience, camera
THE LAST WORD Trifo is pitching Max for its security camera feature, we prefer Max for its cleaning performance and adjustable suction power.

This review was originally published in the November edition of T3 India. Subscribe here.

AX Pro is a wireless alarm solution by Prama Hikvision

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Prama Hikvision has introduced a new generation of wireless alarm system – AX Pro. This comprehensive solution is targeted towards homes and businesses with its wide range of compatible devices.

Equipped with a panel hub, the AX Pro can talk to Hikvision’s variety of products ranging from PIR-Glass Break detector, safety detectors, door contacts, smoke sensor, water-leak detector, etc. In all, the AX Pro hub can wirelessly connect to up to 210 devices, thanks to several wireless protocols and ensures secure transmission of data to move on a different wireless channel for minimal interference. Moreover, the AX Pro supports Hikvision’s proprietary Hik-Connect app that allows users to remotely control and monitor their alarm systems.

The price is available on request only as it’s completely customisable, depending on the user’s requirement.

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Amazon launches a voice-controlled smart plug

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With rapid advances in natural language processing, an increasing number of appliances are now integrated with powerful AI tools which make them obey the user’s voice. Now, Amazon has launched the Smart Plug that enables users to have hands-free control over the power switch of the appliance used through the Smart Plug.

The Smart Plug can control compatible home appliances that have a physical power on/off switch. However, one should note that it does not support heavy appliances such as AC, geysers, water pumps, or heaters.

The Amazon Smart Plug, evidently, is compatible with Alexa and can be easily set up. Users have to just plug it into an electrical socket and set it up using the Alexa app on their smartphones. “Once connected, customers can ask Alexa on any Echo, Fire TV or Alexa built-in device or the Alexa app to turn on/off the power. For instance, just ask, ‘Alexa, turn off the fan’ or ‘Alexa, turn on mosquito repellent’.”

The Smart Plug has a 3-pin socket design, and a 6A power rating. The built-in state retention feature also ensures the appliances go back to their last state in case of a power outage and resumption. Through the settings option on the Alexa app, users can also create customized routines like scheduling the device to turn on or off at a particular time of the day.

Users can also control devices while they are away too. This surely requires the smart plug to remain connected at all times. The Amazon Smart Plug is priced at Rs 1,999 and is also available for Rs. 999 on Amazon when bought as a part of the Echo Dot bundle.