Pricey smart appliances might only last two years

Expensive smart appliances such as dishwashers and fridges could become obsolete after as little as two years if manufacturers stop providing vital software and security updates, consumer group Which? said.

Standard appliances can last for up to 10 or 11 years, and of the consumers surveyed, 69% said they would expect smart appliances to last the same length of time.

However, "many manufacturers are failing to give clarity about the length of time their products would be supported with important security updates - without which they would potentially be rendered a security risk," the report stated.

Smart appliances allow users to control them remotely with a phone. Without regular updates they could leave data on the owner's home network open to hackers. This is not only a huge security risk but could be terrible for the environment if it means machines that still work will be replaced and end up in a landfill.

READ MORE: Fake reviews 'twice as likely' to dupe shoppers into buying poor-quality products

The majority of manufacturers, including Samsung (BC94.L) and LG (066570.KS) said they would offer updates for "the life of the product" but did not say how long that would be. Only Miele was definitive, stating it would support its smart appliances with 10 years of security updates.

Which? also said around six in 10 people (61%) surveyed who do not already own a smart appliance said they would not consider buying one.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: "Until manufacturers are clear and upfront about how long they will support these products for, consumers could be better off avoiding smart appliances that might turn 'dumb' after only a few years and stick to more reliable and significantly cheaper non-smart alternatives."

Meanwhile, a report by Infoholic predicts that the global smart home appliances market will grow at a CAGR of around 32% in the period 2019 to 2025.

Demand is expected to increase due to several factors such as increased digitalisation, growing consumer awareness of smart hubs, rising living standards and an uptick in consumer purchasing power. 

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YouTuber Rudy Mancuso Buys All-New Modern Home

New Jersey native and popular YouTuber Rudy Mancuso has followed the lead of scores of his social media-famous peers, having invested his earnings by setting down some residential roots in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. Modern, clean-lined and built new in 2020, the just-sold Mancuso estate lies in the desirable Studio City neighborhood and offers four beds and 3.5 baths in more than 3,000 square feet of living space. For those amenities, and many more, Mancuso shelled out $2.26 million.

From the street, a concrete walkway interspersed by thin strips of grass leads past the attached two-car garage, to the blocky structure's towering front door, which swings into the public living areas.

The home's entire ground floor is essentially one giant room, with dedicated areas specifically for dining, cooking and living. There's a large kitchen with center island and top-notch appliances, plus cabinets and countertops bathed in a deep Prussian blue. An adjacent family gathering space has a fireplace, built-in bookshelves and glass sliders providing access to the back patio.

All four of the home's bedrooms are upstairs, and the master suite offers a private balcony overlooking the backyard. The requisite luxe amenities are all accounted for — the master bed sports another fireplace; the ensuite bath has dual vanities, a soaking tub and steam shower.

While the .14-acre lot isn't particularly huge, it's well suited for large-scale entertaining with a loggia for alfresco dining, a full outdoor kitchen containing a BBQ and bar seating, plus an L-shaped patch of lawn and a pool with inset spa. A wall and some ficus hedges lend the property some privacy from the neighbors, many of whom have strikingly similar-looking and equally new houses.

Mancuso, still in his 20s, first came to public attention on the now-defunct app Vine. Today, he's probably best-known for his musical comedy sketches on YouTube and Instagram, and for his frequent collaborations with other high-profile social media comedians like Lele Pons, plus his work with Australian actor Maia Mitchell, his longtime girlfriend. Over the last four years, Mancuso's YouTube channel has amassed more than 7.2 million subscribers and 1.3 billion lifetime views.

Kobi Costa and Kayla Laws Schulman of Coldwell Banker held the listing; Scott Behrle of Compass repped Mancuso.

Aladdin & Jasmine | Anwar Jibawi & King Bach

Colorado shipping-container home on 35 acres comes with vaulted bunker for $1.65M

LOCATION: Carbondale, Colorado — This small town of 6,500 at the foot of the Rocky Mountains has emerged as flashy Aspen's slightly lower-key but increasingly hip counterpart, drawing a slew of new restaurants and boutique lodging options in recent years (including Izakaya Carbondale, an offshoot of popular Aspen sushi spot Kenichi, and Way Home, a restaurant, bar, and inn rolled into one century-old brick house. A horse ranch with 35 acres, 1122 County Road has sweeping views of the snowy twin peaks of Mount Sopris and Roaring Fork Valley's pastures. Horses graze by the fence lines daily and elk families migrate through the area. It's remote, in other words—but there's a Whole Foods-equipped shopping center in the nearby town of Basalt, only a ten-minute drive away.

PRICE: $1,650,000

SPECS: 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,351 square feet, 35 acres — Built in 2016, this custom shipping-container home has massive floor-to-ceiling windows in nearly every room (and decks—the master bedroom has two). The sleek and minimal interior features dark, locally sourced wood floors and white corrugated steel walls, a nod to the structure's industrial origins. A high-contrast kitchen mixes black cabinets with stainless-steel appliances (and a farmhouse sink) and a large handmade butcher-block countertop. Nearby, spiral stairs lead up to the two bedrooms and down to a basement with enough space for laundry and an office or art studio.

NOTABLE FEATURE: The owner, an inventor, snuck in an architectural Easter egg: A secret opening built into the living-room floor reveals a subterranean vaulted space that stretches 50 feet. It can be used as a safe room, wine cellar, or slightly dystopian basement lounge.

The high-contrast open kitchen features a stainless-steel farmhouse sink and a handmade butcher-block counter. Wake up to a view of horses grazing in the pastures. Each side of the house has an outdoor space; the largest deck faces a snowy mountain peak. Sign up for the Curbed Daily Newsletter

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$1,650,000 Luxury Container Home from Colorado

These 'awesome' smart home plugs and light switches are up to 32 percent off today

Yahoo Life is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

Want a smart home? We do too! Having the ability to control your household appliances and lights with your phone or the sound of your voice is flat-out amazing. But making your home "smart" can get expensive. Not today!

Amazon's Deal of the Day is on select Gosund and Nitebird products. Today only, you can save up to 32 percent on smart home plugs, light switches and more starting at just $16. It's the perfect time to upgrade since we're spending more time hunkering down at home.

But act fast, these sales expire at midnight. Shop the sales below and save:

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to convert your everyday appliances into smart home appliances, a good and reliable smart plug is the way to go. Luckily, this four-pack of Gosund Wi-Fi Smart Plugs are on sale for just $22, or $11 off. That's just $5.50 per smart plug and the lowest price we've ever seen on this four-pack.

Here's how they work: Just plug them into a wall outlet and plug in the appliance you'd like to "make smart" like a lamp or TV. Sync the plug to your home's Wi-Fi network and the Gosund app for Android or Apple iPhone, and that's it. You can now use the app to control your appliance or even Alexa or Google Assistant.

"These little mini sockets are awesome," shared a five-star reviewer. "All I did is download the app, open it, plug the socket in, waited a few seconds for the little blue light to flash...then the app asks me to accept and I can change the name of the socket, then click, bam, boom! Done! They can be up and running in literally seconds. Amazing."

The Gosund Smart Dimmer Switch is a hardwired solution to converting your home's lights into smart lights—and this four-pack is on sale for just $57, or $19 off. This is the lowest price we've ever seen on this four-pack, breaking down to $14 per switch.

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Working like traditional light switches with off and on functions, these Gosund Smart Dimmer Switches can also dim the lights to your needs. Simply control them with your phone via the Gosund app. They can even be used to control ceiling fans.

"The switch was easy to install, and the directions were clear. The Gosund app is very easy to use and set up schedules," added another Amazon shopper. "It linked easily to my Google Home. The dimming switch works well and looks sleek also. The switch remembers the last dim setting, too."

Want to give your TV some pizazz? This clever smart LED strip—which is on sale for $16, or $4 off—offers a colorful and bright light show that installs behind your set. These LEDs can be adjusted with the Nitebird smartphone app (or Alexa and Google Assistant), so you can turn them up or down to set the mood for movie night.

Since these LEDs can soften your TV's brightness, they're a great solution to eye strain. You can also sync music to them, so the beat and rhythms of your favorite songs will go along with the pulsing and colorful light.

"These are quick to set up and look really nice," shared a delighted five-star reviewer. "The music sync is cool but I think they work better just as ambient lighting. The app takes a few minutes to setup, but then it's really simple to adjust the light especially if you have it connected to Google Home."

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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✅Smart Light Switch: Best Smart Light Switch 2019 (Buying Guide)

Chinese Giants Baidu And Midea Launch Joint Smart Appliance Push

Share Share Share Share Print Email Homeowners in China and beyond will soon be able to use smart speakers to turn on the lights and control the microwave under a new partnership between Chinese search and artificial intelligence giant Baidu and smart device manufacturer Midea Group.

The two Beijing-based companies have announced a "strategic partnership" through which users can control Midea's array of smart home appliances through Baidu's lineup of smart Xiaodu speakers, according to a press release sent out by Baidu.

The partnership, in turn, will bring "smart home comforts to tens of millions of users and provide a full smart home ecosystem," the companies said.

Under their new partnership, the two companies will also sell bundles of their products, featuring Midea appliances and Xiaodu smart speakers. Midea touts itself as China's largest smart device manufacturer, with 70 million smart appliances on the market.

China's smart speaker market is growing explosively, with $235 million in sales during the first quarter, according to All View Cloud, a data analytics firm. China saw a 23 percent jump in smart speaker shipments in the first quarter, even with the shutdowns and quarantines triggered by the coronavirus.

Baidu's Xiaodu devices, which utilize a cloud connection or infrared, will now enable homeowners and others to use voice commands to control an even wider array of smart appliances than was previously possible.

Under technology previously deployed by the two companies, Xiaodu smart speakers can be used to control a range of other smart appliances made by Midea, from the kitchen to the furnace in the basement.

With help from Xiaodu products and DuerOS, a voice assistant, homeowners and apartment renters alike can turn on the rice cooker, set the temperature of their refrigerator or start the dishwasher.

In addition, voice commands can also be used to switch on the Midea robo vacuum cleaner, the air conditioner, heat, the washer, water heater, water purifier, gas water heater and kitchen hood, the companies noted in their press release.

Last August, Baidu overtook Google in home assistant sales, taking over second place behind Amazon.

Shorewood Home For Sale Has New Kitchen

SHOREWOOD, WI — Take a look inside a desirable four-bedroom in a great Shorewood neighborhood. This home boasts a remodeled kitchen with granite countertops and new appliances, tons of cabinet space, hardwood floors throughout, grand entryway, new carpet in family room, back up generator, natural fireplace, upstairs laundry.

This home has all the charm of the north shore.

This listing originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.

502 Herath Lane, Shorewood, IL 60404 - Residential for sale

Chinese home appliance maker AUX rolls out washable air conditioning unit with removable core

Creating a new environment for indoor health

NINGBO, China, June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AUX, a Chinese home appliance maker with air conditioner sales ranked among the world's top three for both 2018 and 2019, rolled out a solution on June 1. On that day, AUX formally debuted its washable air conditioner with removable core during its online event themed "keeping your air conditioner's core clean and creating a healthy indoor environment" at which the company's new product lineup was announced.

At the event, Gu Tangtang, Vice President of Home Appliances at AUX, said, "The washable air conditioner is the fruit of AUX Japan R&D Center's two years of research and development. AUX incorporated the concept of 'building blocks' into the air conditioner assembly and leveraged the futuristic technology behind some 1,300 patents to make the core removable and, hence, washable. Disassembling one air conditioner can easily be done by just one person in five easy steps with the entire process being completed in 30 seconds."

AUX Japan R&D Center engineer Yasuaki Miyama added, "AUX has completely overturned the structural design of the air conditioner, breaking away from the entire concept of how a traditional cooling device was designed, by fully deconstructing and re-imagining the entire internal composition of the cooling unit. We finally made a breakthrough in the structure after countless technological iterations with the result being the washable air conditioner with a removable core. The new design has overcome the challenges that air conditioner owners faced when it came to how to wash and clean the unit."

Besides the removable core feature, the new model comes with a wind-free mode and 56 °C high temperature sterilization. AUX has set the sales price for the highly customizable and configurable unit with the highest rating in terms of energy efficiency at 3999 yuan for the 1.5P version, an excellent cost for value when compared with quality products of the same class.

The launch of the new washable air conditioner with removable core will undoubtedly promote the rapid development of the world's HVAC industry and give a much-needed boost to manufacturing in general.

This year, the spread of COVID-19 has forced everyone to think of the importance of maintaining one's respiratory health and the importance of indoor air quality. When using an air conditioner to cool or ventilate a space, keeping the cooling unit clean is a common pain point due to the structural problems associated with traditional equipment. Air conditioner cores, including the air duct, the wind wheel and the tubes that transport the water are all areas where massive amounts of dirt and other pollutants collect. Especially in the cooling unit's core, these are all areas that can easily turn into breeding grounds for germs as well as the source of indoor air pollution, turning the air conditioner into the "invisible killer" that endangers human health.

 

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinese-home-appliance-maker-aux-rolls-out-washable-air-conditioning-unit-with-removable-core-301067636.html

SOURCE AUX

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