The 61 best last-minute Father’s Day gifts

Here are some last-minute Father’s Day gifts that should arrive on time

Here are some last-minute Father’s Day gifts that should arrive on time

/

We found deals on all sorts of gifts, including Sony’s noise-canceling WH-1000XM5s, a go-to Xbox controller, and Amazon’s latest Echo Dot.

By Sheena Vasani , a writer covering commerce, e-readers, and tech news. She previously wrote about everything from web development to AI at Inside.

UpdatedJun 15, 2023, 9:06 PM UTC |

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.See our ethics statement.

The second-gen AirPods Pro (left) and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds II (right) are just two of the many gifts you can still snag.

Photo: Chris Welch / The Verge

Father’s Day is swiftly approaching — and you know what that means. Everyone from The Home Depot to Amazon is hosting a Father’s Day sale in the run-up to the holiday this weekend, and some retailers are even offering better deals than those we saw during Memorial Day. You’ll likely have to pay extra to get gifts in time from Amazon if you’re not already a Prime member, sure, but retailers like Best Buy and Target will ship many of these items in time for the holiday free of charge.

We’ve scoured the web and rounded up some of the best last-minute gifts you can still buy, all of which are currently on sale. Take a look and be sure to also check out our main Father’s Day gift guide and our budget-friendly version for some extra inspiration.

Streaming device deals

The Chromecast with Google TV (4K) introduces a dedicated remote and new software. It brings together recommendations from all of your streaming services and supports 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10 Plus. Read our review.

• Amazon’s latest Fire TV Cube  is an Alexa-enabled smart speaker and a Fire TV streaming device in one. Right now, it’s on sale at The Home Depot, Amazon, and Best Buy for $124.99 ($15 off), nearly matching its best price to date. Read our review.
• Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is currently on sale for $34.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and Target. Best Buy also has it on sale, but you’ll have to pick it up in-store to get it in time for Father’s Day. In terms of specs, the excellent streaming stick offers access to a wide range of streaming apps, supports Wi-Fi 6, and integrates nicely with Amazon Alexa, making it a great fit for those already embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem. Read our review.

Earbud and headphone deals

With a fresh design, improved comfort, refined sound, and even better active noise cancellation, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones offer a compelling mix of features for their premium price. Read our review.

• Sony’s last-gen WH-1000XM4 headphones are also on sale right now for $278 (about $72 off) at Best Buy, Amazon, and direct from Sony. Although they’re not as impressive as the newer model, they still offer excellent noise cancellation and sound quality. They’re also foldable, unlike the XM5s, which allows for easier storage. Read our review.
• TheBose QuietComfort 45 headphones are down to $279 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. They also tout great noise cancellation and a foldable design like Sony’s aforementioned XM4s, but where they really excel is when it comes to comfort. Read our review.

Apple’s latest AirPods Pro take after the last-gen model but include swipe controls and a new H2 chip that allows for improved noise cancellation. They also come with a water-resistant charging case that offers support for Apple’s robust Find My network. Read our review.

• If you don’t need active noise cancellation or water resistance, Apple’s second-gen AirPods are down to $99 ($30 off) at Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy. While older, the entry-level earbuds still sound great, offer great ease of use, and remain incredibly reliable. Read our review.
• If you’re an Apple user looking for water resistance and better sound quality, however, you can still pick up the third-gen AirPods for around $149 ($20 off) from Amazon and Best Buy with a Lightning charging case. Read our review.

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds have integrated wing tips that help keep them secure during runs and workouts. They also have excellent noise cancellation, and their sound has just the right amount of bass and kick to keep you motivated. Read our review.

• You can buy a pair of Jabra’s Elite 4 Active on Amazon for $84.27 (about $35 off) or from Best Buy for $89.99 ($30 off). The noise-canceling earbuds offer an IP57 rating but drop wireless charging and certain features found on the pricier Elite 7 Active. 
• TheEcho Buds with active noise cancellation are down to just $79.99 ($40 off) at Amazon with a wired charging case (a wireless case will run you $20 more). The last-gen wireless earbuds offer good noise cancellation for the price, along with IPX4 water and sweat resistance and support for hands-free Alexa. Read our review.
• You can also buy Amazon’s newEcho Buds, which launched less than a month ago, on sale at Amazon for $39.99 ($10 off). The wireless earbuds lack active noise cancellation but offer support for hands-free Alexa commands in addition to a new semi-open design, one that supposedly will allow for improved comfort.
• You can buy a pair of Skullcandy’s Jib True 2 on Amazon starting at $24.99. The wireless earbuds offer a lot of good features for their price, including an IPX4 water resistance rating, good passive noise cancellation, and built-in Tile integration.

Speaker and soundbar deals

The Sonos Arc is the company’s flagship soundbar, offering a plethora of drivers including upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers. This soundbar provides immersive, powerful sound, whether you’re watching movies or enjoying music. Read our review.

• The Amazon Echo Studio is on sale for $159.99 ($40 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. While it can’t compete with newer smart speakers from Sonos, it remains Amazon’s best-sounding Alexa smart speaker and can also double as a Dolby Atmos home theater system. Read our review.

• The second-gen Google Nest Hub is on sale for $74.99 ($25 off) at The Home Depot and Best Buy. The seven-inch smart display can act as an excellent digital photo frame and comes with a number of great sleep-tracking capabilities. Read our review.
• Amazon’s spherical fourth-gen Echo smart speakeris down to $74.99 ($25 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Although it’s from 2020, the Alexa-enabled speaker is still a good buy and offers loud, room-filling sound. Read our review.

Smart display deals

The Echo Show 8 is the midsize smart display in Amazon’s current Echo lineup and can be used to display the weather, news, calendars, grocery lists, and more. You can also use it to control your smart home devices, watch streaming video, or listen to music. It even supports video calling via Zoom and Amazon’s Alexa calling service. Read our review.

• If you’re in the market for a Google Assistant smart display that’ll integrate well with your other Google devices, the 10-inchGoogle Nest Hub Maxis on sale for around $189 ($40 off) at The Home Depot and Best Buy. The display offers a great camera you can use to make video calls, one that can recognize whoever is looking at the screen and deliver personalized information. Read our review.
• Amazon’s Alexa-equipped Echo Show 15  is on sale for $191.99 ($58 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The wall-mountable smart display features a 15.6-inch touch display that can be used as a family bulletin board or even as a TV of sorts thanks to its Fire TV interface. Read our review.

Outdoor tech and fitness tracker deals

The latest mainline smartwatch from Apple features watchOS 9 along with Crash Detection and temperature sensors that enable menstrual cycle tracking — something you won’t find on any other model. Read our review.

Google’s first in-house smartwatch has a beautiful domed display and native Fitbit integration for health tracking. It comes with six months of Fitbit Premium and three months of YouTube Music.

• If you can do without newer features like an always-on display, you can buy the first-gen, GPS-enabled Apple Watch SEstarting at $149 ($130 off) at Walmart. The entry-level wearable lacks blood oxygen monitoring and more advanced sensors but is otherwise a good watch for tracking basic fitness metrics. It’ll also be compatible with the forthcoming watchOS 10, so you’ll be able to use widgets. Read our review.
• Speaking of budget-friendly fitness trackers, the last-gen Fitbit Inspire 2 is another good one for tracking basics such as heart rate, steps, and sleep. It’s available for around $59 ($41 off) at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
• Amazfit’s Band 7 is also an excellent budget-friendly fitness tracker that offers a lot of value for the price, including abnormal heart rate notifications, an OLED display, and support for Alexa. Right now, you can buy it for $44.99 ($5 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Read our review.

• Although its battery life isn’t as great as that of the Galaxy Watch 5, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classicoffers a rotating bezel you won’t be able to find on any other Galaxy Watch. The 42mm, Bluetooth-enabled configuration is currently available starting at $129 ($221 off) at Walmart. Read our review.

Garmin’s palm-size inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator provides off-the-grid contact with subscription plans starting at $14.95 a month.

• You can buy a Coleman Classic Propane Gas Camping Stove, one of our favorite budget-friendly Father’s Day gifts, for $48 ($27 off) at Walmart. The basic stove doesn’t come with an igniter and only features two burners, but it cooks well and features a foldable design that makes it easy to pack into the trunk of a car.
• If you’re looking for a more unique wearable, the Oura Ring Gen 3 starts at $359 ($40 off) for the matte black colorway at Best Buy. Note that the price is for the Heritage design, which features a flat bump the more expensive Horizon model lacks. The same design in gold also starts at $409 (also $40 off) at Best Buy. Read our review.

Tablet and e-reader deals

Apple’s entry-level iPad from 2021 has a 10.2-inch screen, A13 Bionic chip, and a 12MP front camera that supports Apple’s Center Stage feature. It’s also compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard and is the only iPad that still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

• If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly tablet, a number of Amazon’s Fire tablets are on sale, including Amazon’s latest Fire HD 10. Compared to its cheaper siblings, the tablet offers a sharp display and good performance. It’s on sale with ads and 32GB of storage for $119.99 ($30 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Read our review.
• If you’d like to add wireless charging and some extra RAM, the ad-supported, 32GB Fire HD 10 Plus from 2021 is also available for $149.99 ($30 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.

Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch E Ink display with adjustable color temperature for nighttime reading. It also boasts a faster processor, additional battery life, IPX8 waterproofing, and a USB-C port. Read our review.

• If you want an even cheaper tablet, Amazon’s 2022 Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy in the 32GB configuration with ads for $89.99 ($30 off). Its display isn’t as high-resolution as the latest Fire HD 10’s, but it’s otherwise a decent entertainment device with good battery life. Read our review.

Smart security deals

The Ring Alarm Pro is a great security system, offering everything you need to easily set up your smart home as well as a built-in Eero Wi-Fi router and local storage for videos from Ring cameras. It doesn’t, however, offer 24/7 video recording, and it’s not compatible with Google Home, Apple Home, or IFTTT, either. Read our review.

• The battery-powered Ring Stick Up Cam is a 1080p security camera that’s easy to install within minutes and can either stand on a flat surface or be hung up indoors or outdoors. It features support for night vision as well as two-way communication and sends alerts when it detects motion. Right now, it’s available for $69.99 ($30 off) from Best Buy, Target, and Amazon. Read our review.
• The battery-powered Ring Video Doorbell is on sale at The Home Depot and Amazon for $69.99 ($30 off). The basic doorbell offers a 1080p camera along with support for motion detection and night vision.
• You can buy the budget-friendly Blink Video Doorbell at Amazon and The Home Depot for $35.99 ($24 off). The 1080p camera doesn’t offer bells and whistles like smart alerts or quick replies, but you get all the basics, including motion-activated recording and night vision support.
• The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is a new battery-powered Ring video doorbell with a head-to-toe view you can purchase for $139.99 ($40 off) from Amazon.
• The August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is our favorite retrofit door lock, one that is currently on sale for $169.99 ($60 off) at The Home Depot and Amazon. The reliable smart lock comes with Wi-Fi built in and doesn’t require you to get rid of your entire deadbolt.

Gaming deals

The Xbox Elite Series 2 is easily one of our favorite controllers at The Verge. It’s an improvement on the already excellent Elite controller, with deep customization, optional rear paddle buttons, a swappable D-pad, and analog sticks that allow you to tailor its layout to suit your play style. Read our review.

• If the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is out of your budget, Microsoft’s standard Xbox Wireless Controller is also on sale. The controller starts at $44 ($16 off) in white and red from Walmart as well as in other colors from Microsoft. While it lacks some premium features like extra customizable buttons, it’s otherwise an excellent controller that feels great to use.

Logitech’s G Fits are gaming-oriented wireless earbuds that mold to the shape of your ears for a custom fit. They feature both Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4GHz wireless, the latter using a USB-A transmitter for connecting to consoles and PCs.

• Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target are also offering various video game promos. Right now, for instance, you can buy the physical version of Octopath Traveler II for the PlayStation 5 for $44.99 ($15 off) at Amazon.
• Target, meanwhile, is offering a buy two, get one free promotion on select games, books, and other items, which extends to the PS5 versions of Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and many more titles.

Robot vacuum deals

The Roomba j7 is an AI-powered robot vacuum that detects and avoids common robot traps, such as cords, cables, and pet waste. It works with a stylish clean base that will clean the dirt out of its bin so you don’t have to. Read our review.

The j7 Plus is good at avoiding obstacles, features good battery life, and includes an auto-emptying docking station. Additionally, iRobot will replace the vacuum for free if it runs over pet waste within the first year of ownership. Read our review.

• If you’d like a more budget-friendly robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba i3 Evo cleans just as well as the j7 but lacks obstacle avoidance and keep-out zones. You can also buy the iRobot Roomba i3 Plus Evo with an auto-empty base for around $379 instead of its typical list price of $549.99 at Best Buy.

Miscellaneous tech deals

Chipofy’s USB-C cable dons an LED display that shows the wattage being delivered to your gadgets. It can charge at up to 100 watts, too, which is enough for many devices to quickly recharge.

Hoto’s electric screwdriver is perfect for making small to medium-sized repairs around the house. In addition to a USB-C port, the screwdriver comes with a case and 12 steel bits.

• You can buy the latest Tile Mate for around $19.79 ($5 off) from Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. The convenient Bluetooth tracker is capable of tracking personal belongings from up to 250 feet away and, unlike Apple’s AirTags, works well with both Android and iOS.
• Google’s third-gen Nest Learning Thermostat is down to $199 ($51 off) at The Home Depot. Not only is the smart thermostat capable of learning your habits, but it also features an energy-saving mode that activates when you’re not home.
• If you have a MagSafe-compatible iPhone, you can wirelessly power up your smartphone with Apple’s official MagSafe Charger. It offers a maximum of 15 watts of power and is currently available for $31 ($8 off) at Amazon and Walmart.

Source

Apple Home, Google Home, or Amazon Alexa? How to pick the right smart home platform for you

One connected lock does not a smart home make. If you want to get serious with home automation, start with a smart home platform.

By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy , a smart home reviewer who's been testing connected gadgets since 2013. Previously a writer for Wirecutter, Wired, and BBC Science Focus.

Jun 12, 2023, 12:30 PM UTC |

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.See our ethics statement.

When you first get started with home automation, you’ll quickly find that your smart gadgets do even more when they work together. Yes, it’s great that your smart lights can turn on automatically at sunset and your smart lock will lock itself, but what’s even better is saying “Good night” to a voice assistant and having the shades lower, the lights turn off, the door locks lock, and the alarm system arm. For this, you need a smart home platform.

As a smart home reviewer, I am often asked which is the best platform to use. Is it Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, or something else? I tend to tread carefully when making a recommendation. Picking a smart home platform is a commitment. This is something you’re bringing into your home and will live with every day. I know from experience that it will make you both very happy and also drive you up the wall.

So, similar to how a therapist might guide you to the right decision, I’ll help you choose the smart home platform for you by providing the tools you need to make that decision. I’ll go over exactly what a smart home platform is, whether you need a hub, and give you my top tips for how to pick the best smart home platform for you.

What is a smart home platform, and do I need one?

Google Home is a smart home platform you can use to control and manage multiple connected devices from a smartphone or tablet.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

A smart home platform is a software framework that controls and manages multiple devices from multiple manufacturers, usually through a smartphone or tablet app. Most smart home platforms have a hardware component, such as a hub and / or a smart speaker / display (more on hubs in a bit). Of course, if you have a smartphone, you already have a smart home platform in your hand, although you’ll want to add a hub or smart speaker for the fun stuff.

A smart speaker adds hands-free voice control to your smart home, and the voice assistant you choose will likely dictate the platform you use. A smart display also adds touch controls for smart home devices.

To avoid frustration, my advice is to pick one platform and stick with devices that work with it.

The main advantage of a smart home platform is organization. It allows you to put all your connected devices in one app where you can organize them by groups. This makes controlling things much easier. For example, grouping all the lights in the kitchen into a “Kitchen” group means you can hit a smart button or say, “Turn on the kitchen lights” and have all the lights turn on. 

A smart home platform is also essential for creating automations (also known as scenes and routines) that make your home “smart.” These can run devices automatically based on certain triggers, such as time of day, when an action happens (motion in a hallway, a door locking), or a command to a voice assistant. Automations can do one task or many. For example, at 9PM every night, lock the back door; or, when the front door unlocks between 5PM and 8PM, have the smart speaker play a playlist, turn the lights to full brightness, and adjust the thermostat.

You don’t need a platform to use smart home devices. If you have a couple of smart gadgets that largely look after themselves, such as a smart thermostat and a smart door lock, and you don’t mind using a couple of different apps, then don’t sweat it. But if you want to manage all your devices with one app, control them in groups using your voice, and maybe connect them all together into smart home automations, then picking a platform is pretty important. 

Many devices can work across multiple ecosystems — for example, Nest security cameras work with Alexa smart displays, Ring doorbells work with Samsung smart fridges, and Ecobee thermostats work with every platform. But cross-platform compatibility is still complicated. Despite the new smart home standard Matter that’s designed to fix this (more on this later), we’re sadly still a long way from the point where you can buy any smart device and plug it in, and it will just work with your smart home. 

Many devices can work across multiple ecosystems, but cross-platform compatibility is still complicated

To avoid frustration, my advice is to pick one platform and stick with devices that work with it. I would also consider buying Matter devices when available, which work with all the major platforms. This means if Matter does succeed in making interoperability a nonissue, migrating to another platform will also be easier. 

Four things to consider when picking a smart home platform

If you have Amazon’s smart thermostat, then the Alexa smart home platform will be a good choice.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

For most people, one of the four mainstream DIY smart home platforms — Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, or Samsung SmartThings — is the best place to start. There are other options — the open-source Home Assistant, professionally installed solutions like Crestron, Savant, and Vivint, and smaller DIY platforms like Hubitat and Homey. But these are largely specialized, and unless you know one of these will fit your needs, I’d recommend starting with one of the generally less expensive, more mainstream options.

To help choose which one will work for you, ask yourself these questions:

Which smartphone do you use?

Your smartphone comes with a smart home platform built in. If you use an iPhone, then Apple Home is an excellent option. Samsung Galaxy users will find SmartThings integrates really well with their devices — the same with Google Pixel and the Google Home platform. While Amazon doesn’t have a phone (its Alexa app works on iOS and Android), if your family uses Amazon’s Fire tablets or already has an Echo Dot, Alexa will fit in well. But keep in mind that while you can easily use Alexa, SmartThings, or Google Home with an iPhone, you can’t use Apple Home with Android.

In short, the more personal computing devices you already have in an ecosystem — smartwatches, tablets, laptops, plus media devices like speakers or streaming sticks — the better that dedicated ecosystem will work for you. If you’re in a household with multiple different smartphone ecosystems, you’ll need a platform or platforms that works with everyone’s devices.

Which devices do you already own?

The next thing to consider is which smart devices you already own. All of the major players have key pieces of hardware that allow their platforms to do more in your home. If you have a smart speaker or streaming device from Apple, Amazon, or Google, you’ve got a good foundation for building your smart home on that platform. These add voice control and can act as a hub for controlling your devices when you’re away from home. 

If you already have a smart device like an Amazon smart thermostat or Google Nest video doorbell, you should consider that platform first. Similarly, if you already have some smart lights, a smart lock, or maybe a smart security system, check to see which platforms your existing devices are compatible with before picking your platform. However, remember that many smart devices work across multiple ecosystems, so you aren’t necessarily stuck with the one you started with. 

Which is your favorite voice assistant?

Do you love Alexa’s fart jokes? Are you a Google search addict? Do you like your voice assistant to be pretty but not so smart (*cough* Apple)? The three main voice assistants are Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant (sorry, Bixby!), each of which has a distinct “personality.” The one you get along with best will be key to picking the platform you want to use. (Samsung SmartThings works with both Alexa and Google Assistant),

All three work well for smart home management, letting you control connected devices with your voice. “Hey Siri, turn on the lights.” “Hey Google, turn on the TV.” “Alexa, lock the door.” All can be used with a smartphone or tablet, but for smart home control, they work better with a smart speaker or display so that anyone in your house can summon them. 

Smart speakers and their screen-toting siblings also have more functions. They can work as home intercoms, listen for things happening in your home when you’re away (such as smoke alarms or glass breaking), and function as a chime for a video doorbell. With a screen, they can also show livestreams from a security camera: “Hey Google, show me who is at the front door.”

Which features do you want?

Along with automating your gadgets, a smart home platform can add new abilities to them. Deciding what you want your smart home to do for you will help you choose which platform will fit your needs. We have deep dives into each platform coming this week, but here are some examples of features each platform does well: 

• Apple Home’s HomeKit Secure Video platform provides a secure way to use connected cameras in your home, with all the processing done locally on an Apple TV or HomePod before being securely stored in your iCloud account.
• Samsung’s SmartThings Energy is an energy management system that monitors your home’s energy use (through compatible devices — largely Samsung appliances for now) and provides proactive tips to help you save energy. 
• Amazon’s Alexa Hunches feature uses AI to learn your routines and suggest helpful actions — such as reminding you if you’ve left your door unlocked at night. 
• Google Home’s presence-sensing feature can automatically adjust your home based on whether there is anyone in it.

What’s a smart home hub, and do you need one? 

The Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi + Ethernet is an Apple Home Hub, a Matter controller, and a Thread border router. 

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

You don’t need a smart home hub to run a smart home, but it can do more with one. A smart home hub is the brains of your smart home platform, managing and controlling your devices in your home. While the smart home app on your phone largely does the same thing, when you leave the house with your phone, your smart home has to rely on the cloud to operate. With a hub in your home, everything on the platform can still run automatically and, in some cases, run locally on your home network. This means your lights will still turn on even if the internet is down. 

The traditional smart home hub has been a small plastic box packed with home automation radios that you plug into your router and which acts as a translator for devices that use different smart home protocols, such as Z-Wave, Zigbee, Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Wi-Fi. But the concept of a hub has changed in the last few years, and that type of multi-radio hub is more suited for advanced setups, particularly if you want to use Z-Wave devices. Some options include Hubitat, Homey, and the Aeotec Smart Home Hub.

What is Matter?

Matter is a new smart home interoperability standard that provides a common language for connected devices to communicate locally in your home without relying on a cloud connection. Developed by Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, Matter uses Wi-Fi and Thread wireless protocols and, in its first rollout, supports smart sensors, smart lighting, smart plugs and switches, smart thermostats, connected locks, and media devices including TVs. 

All of this means that if a smart home gadget you buy has the Matter logo, you can set it up and use it with any Matter-compatible device and any Matter-compatible platform. Matter devices are becoming available, and we expect more to arrive this year.

Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple Home are some of the major platforms that support Matter, and they have all updated their compatible hubs to be Matter controllers.

Today, hubs have become more general-purpose, and all four platforms have variations on the concept. The Apple TV and HomePods are Apple Home Hubs, Samsung SmartThings has hubs built into its TVs and other devices, and Google’s Nest Hubs are smart displays that support Thread. Amazon Alexa’s Echo (fourth-gen) speaker and Echo Show 10 (second-gen) smart display are smart home hubs because they support Zigbee, unlike the company’s other smart speakers and displays. If you use any of these platforms, having one of these hubs will expand the functionality of your smart home. 

It’s worth quickly mentioning bridges here, which are sometimes called hubs, just to confuse things further. Generally, a bridge controls one protocol and is manufacturer-specific — such as Philips Hue’s bridge which controls its Zigbee-based smart lighting system, or Aqara hubs which control its smart home devices. Bridges can connect to smart home hubs to add their devices to that platform.

All the major platforms have added Matter controller functionality to their existing hubs, meaning you may already have one in your home. Matter controllers do the same thing as a smart home hub — they connect devices (specifically, Matter devices) to each other and to the internet and allow you to control them through a smart home platform. A key benefit of Matter is that it works locally in your home over Wi-Fi and Thread protocols.   

Matter is not a smart home platform, nor is it technically a protocol. Rather, it’s a new communication standard designed to make it easier for smart home devices to work together and with every platform. You can use Matter devices with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, and others. This is designed to make it easier to buy connected devices because if something works with Matter, it should work with all of the major smart home platforms.

The smart home can be a daunting prospect, and a smart home platform makes it easier to get started with connected devices and to get the most out of them. Whether you choose Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, or another option, picking a platform can take your home from automated to smart. 

Source

Quick fixes: have Google Recorder add speaker labels on your Pixel phone

Quick fixes: have Google Recorder add speaker labels on your Pixel phone

Quick fixes: have Google Recorder add speaker labels on your Pixel phone

/

If you have a Pixel phone and Recorder isn’t adding speaker labels, that’s because of a weird requirement.

By Barbara Krasnoff , a reviews editor who manages how-tos. She’s worked as an editor and writer for almost 40 years. Previously, she was a senior reviews editor for Computerworld.

Jun 15, 2023, 12:17 PM UTC |

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge

The issue

Even though my Pixel 6 was supposed to be able to add speaker labels to conversations in its Recorder app, I couldn’t make it work.

Quick fix

Enable backup on your Google account, and you’ll get a prompt to turn on speaker labels.

The full story

I like being able to record and transcribe conversations — it not only helps me keep records of meetings at work but also lets me save important conversations from doctors and relatives.

One very useful feature of most for-pay transcription apps is the ability to use speaker labels to keep track of who is saying what. As a result, I was thrilled when I learned that Google’s free Recorder app had added that feature (at least, for the Pixel 6 and later). It also made me wonder whether, as a Pixel 6 owner, I could substitute Recorder for my for-pay Otter app, which recently raised its prices and downgraded the features it was offering for those prices. While Otter has allowed existing subscribers to use their features for a limited time without paying more than they had, I’ll eventually have to decide whether I can afford to stick with that service. Having an alternative that isn’t only less costly but actually free would be a real help.

So I thought it was time to try Recorder out and see how it compared to Otter. However, during a couple of test recordings, the app did not show any speaker labels — and when I went to the app settings, I could not find any options to turn it on. It was enormously frustrating.

As Recorder records, you can watch the audio levels, or...

You can watch the transcript. However, without enabling the label feature, you can’t distinguish between speakers.

The full fix

I finally found the answer in a discussion on Google’s community help site for the Pixel. It turned out that, in order to enable the speaker labels feature, you had to first choose which Google account you were using and agree to back up your transcriptions to that account.

So, if you have a Pixel, are using Recorder, and want to add speaker labels, here’s what you have to do:

• In the Recorder app, tap on your personal icon in the upper-right corner.
• If you haven’t yet associated the app with a Google account, you’ll see a list of your accounts and a request that you pick one for backup. Pick the one you want to use.
• You’ll get a pop-up offering to start adding speaker labels to your transcripts. Hit Continue, and you’ll see a more thorough explanation of what is involved. Tap Yes, enable.
• If you didn’t get the pop-up or missed it the first time, just tap on the personal icon again, select Recorder settings, scroll down to Speaker labels, and toggle it on.

Once you’ve enabled backups, you can then start labeling speakers.

It’s nice to have labels for the speakers. You can edit the names of the speakers, but you can’t yet edit the text itself.

Interestingly, once I had used this method to enable speaker labels, I was able to stop the backup by tapping on the personal icon and Backup complete, which took me to the Back up & sync page, where I could then toggle backup off (for the entire account, not just for the Recorder). Even though it was no longer being backed up, Recorder still added speaker labels to recordings.

However, if I removed my account from Recorder (by tapping on the personal icon, selecting the downward arrow next to my account name, and tapping on Use without an account), then the next recording did not have any labels. So if you’re going to add speaker labels to your recordings, you can’t do it anonymously.

And incidentally, while it’s nice to have the ability to add speaker labels to the recorded transcripts, it would be nicer to be able to edit and correct the transcripts. You can copy and paste it into Google Docs, where it can obviously be edited, but unfortunately, the speaker labels don’t come with the transcript. So I think my Otter subscription may still be necessary — for now.

Source