• About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tech News, Magazine & Review WordPress Theme 2017
  • Home
    • Home – Layout 1
    • Home – Layout 2
    • Home – Layout 3
    • Home – Layout 4
    • Home – Layout 5
  • Review

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    Fujifilm X-T2 review: The definition of a great camera

    The Analogue Nt Mini is the perfect NES console for video game lovers

    Using a mind reading device, ‘locked-in’ patients told researchers they’re happy

    Watch Cruise’s self-driving Bolt EV navigate smoothly to SF’s Dolores Park

  • Gaming

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    The Analogue Nt Mini is the perfect NES console for video game lovers

    GoPro’s Karma drone is back on sale after design flaw made them fall out of the sky

  • Gear
    • All
    • Audio
    • Camera
    • Laptop

    Apple Watch Series 2 Is Swimproof and Comes With Built-In GPS

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Jack Dorsey says he’ll continue running both Square and Twitter

    Fujifilm X-T2 review: The definition of a great camera

    The Warby Parker of hair color, Madison Reed, scores new funding and a CMO

    Shopify CEO attempts to defend continued hosting of Breitbart’s online store

    Trending Tags

    • Best iPhone 7 deals
    • Apple Watch 2
    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • iOS 10
    • iPhone 7
    • Sillicon Valley
  • Computers

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    Fujifilm X-T2 review: The definition of a great camera

    Shopify CEO attempts to defend continued hosting of Breitbart’s online store

    SpaceX targets February 18 for Dragon resupply mission to ISS

  • Applications

    Apple Watch Series 2 Is Swimproof and Comes With Built-In GPS

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    Jack Dorsey says he’ll continue running both Square and Twitter

  • Security

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    The Warby Parker of hair color, Madison Reed, scores new funding and a CMO

    Shopify CEO attempts to defend continued hosting of Breitbart’s online store

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • Home – Layout 1
    • Home – Layout 2
    • Home – Layout 3
    • Home – Layout 4
    • Home – Layout 5
  • Review

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    Fujifilm X-T2 review: The definition of a great camera

    The Analogue Nt Mini is the perfect NES console for video game lovers

    Using a mind reading device, ‘locked-in’ patients told researchers they’re happy

    Watch Cruise’s self-driving Bolt EV navigate smoothly to SF’s Dolores Park

  • Gaming

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    The Analogue Nt Mini is the perfect NES console for video game lovers

    GoPro’s Karma drone is back on sale after design flaw made them fall out of the sky

  • Gear
    • All
    • Audio
    • Camera
    • Laptop

    Apple Watch Series 2 Is Swimproof and Comes With Built-In GPS

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Jack Dorsey says he’ll continue running both Square and Twitter

    Fujifilm X-T2 review: The definition of a great camera

    The Warby Parker of hair color, Madison Reed, scores new funding and a CMO

    Shopify CEO attempts to defend continued hosting of Breitbart’s online store

    Trending Tags

    • Best iPhone 7 deals
    • Apple Watch 2
    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • iOS 10
    • iPhone 7
    • Sillicon Valley
  • Computers

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    Fujifilm X-T2 review: The definition of a great camera

    Shopify CEO attempts to defend continued hosting of Breitbart’s online store

    SpaceX targets February 18 for Dragon resupply mission to ISS

  • Applications

    Apple Watch Series 2 Is Swimproof and Comes With Built-In GPS

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    Jack Dorsey says he’ll continue running both Square and Twitter

  • Security

    To regain advertiser trust, Facebook is tracking ads by the millisecond

    National Academy of Sciences endorses embryonic engineering

    Google has been asked to take down over a million websites

    Watch Dogs 2 Update Coming This Week, Here’s What It Does

    The Warby Parker of hair color, Madison Reed, scores new funding and a CMO

    Shopify CEO attempts to defend continued hosting of Breitbart’s online store

No Result
View All Result
rTechnews
No Result
View All Result

An outdoor smart plug that could be better

gadgetnews by gadgetnews
September 12, 2020
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Smart home gadgets aren’t just for inside your home. There are smart grills, smart landscape lighting setups and even smart outdoor TVs. If you’re not keen on spending big bucks on fancy new smart things for your porch or patio, you can still bring some of that Wi-Fi magic into your space with an outdoor smart plug.  

LikeWorks with Alexa and Google AssistantWaterproof and weather-resistantCompact design

Don’t LikeOnly one outletNot HomeKit-compatibleSetup isn’t always easy

The Braumm Outdoor Smart Plug works with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for voice commands and integration with your favorite smart home platform. At $40 (but often on sale for less), it’s a midprice option for Google Assistant- and Alexa-powered homes. However, setup woes and an underwhelming app suggest it’s not the best plug on the market. 

Design

Outdoor smart plugs are a great way to connect holiday lights, decorations, bug zappers, electric lamps, speakers and pretty much any plug-in outdoor gadget you enjoy. By design, they are utilitarian and made to withstand the elements. That usually means design aesthetics aren’t high on the priority list. I take no issue with that. Let’s be honest, I just want an outdoor smart plug to work. If it also looks nice, that’s a bonus. 

Braumm definitely didn’t make efforts in the looks department, and that’s okay. The chunky black box that houses the smart outlet is there to keep things weatherproof. That said, the Braumm Outdoor Smart Plug is compact, and comes with mounting holes to secure it to your wall. It’s rated to operate safely in temperatures from -4°F to 113°F. 

The Braumm Outdoor Smart Plug comes with one covered outlet. 

Molly Price/CNET
Smarts

Braumm’s model only works with Google Assistant and Alexa for voice commands. If you’re looking for a HomeKit-compatible outdoor smart plug, I’d direct you to the iDevices Outdoor Switch. You’ll get a HomeKit-compatible plug with two outlets for $49. 

Molly Price/CNET

You can control the Braumm Outdoor Smart Plug via Wi-Fi with the Braumm mobile app for iOS or Android. There you’ll find options for a timer (oddly named “Left Time”), scheduling and creating scenes with any other Braumm devices. You can also enable notifications if the plug goes offline for any reason.  

In addition to status, timers, scheduling and scenes, the app also provides weather information, a handy addition for any outdoor device. You can add family members via email if you’d like someone else to be able to download thei Braumm app and share control of the outlet. 

Once you’ve set up an account and your device is online, connect to your Alexa or Google Home app by adding the Braumm skill for Alexa or log in to your Braumm account via the Home app. For me, it took a few attempts with resets for everything to connect correctly. The plug took a few attempts to connect to my 2.4GHz Wi-fi and a few more to be correctly discovered by Google Assistant and Alexa. 

Close, but not quite

When it was connected, the plug was responsive to voice commands and app control. It powered on and off correctly. The timer and scheduling options worked as expected, too. Still, I was left feeling underwhelmed by the Braumm Outdoor Smart Plug. 

The app is fine, though some phrasing and instructions are less than intuitive in English. The performance was acceptable, but I wished for two outlets and a shorter cord. A finicky setup experience, less-than-stellar aesthetics and the borderline pricey $40 MSRP left me on the hunt for a better option. 

I’ve seen the $40 Braumm on sale for as little as $18. If you catch a sale like that and need an outdoor outlet in a jiffy, this one will do. However, I’d still pick the $50 dual-outlet iDevices Outdoor Switch over this one. It’s also worth looking at the popular $25 TP-Link Kasa Outdoor Smart Plug. We haven’t reviewed TP-Link’s outdoor plug yet, but we’ve been more than pleased with many of the Kasa smart home products, including indoor outlets and plugs. 



Source link

gadgetnews

gadgetnews

Next Post
Best GoPro 2020: Action Cameras and Alternatives

Best GoPro 2020: Action Cameras and Alternatives

Please login to join discussion

Recommended.

2021 Chevy Trailblazer review: Reborn SUV is a hit-or-miss proposition

2021 Chevy Trailblazer review: Reborn SUV is a hit-or-miss proposition

July 13, 2020
Toys & Games Sale at Belk: Up to 60% off + extra 10% off w/ pickup     – CNET

KiwiCo Sale: Up to 4 months free + free shipping – CNET

December 16, 2020

Trending.

Samsung Q70T Review: QLED with 4K 120fps

Samsung Q70T Review: QLED with 4K 120fps

October 13, 2020
Samsung Galaxy Note 21 Release Date, Price & Specs Rumours

Samsung Galaxy Note 21 Release Date, Price & Specs Rumours

January 15, 2021
Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 projector review: Laser-powered picture cube

Epson EpiqVision Mini EF12 projector review: Laser-powered picture cube

December 27, 2020
PS5 by Black Friday? Check for restocks at Walmart, Amazon, GameStop and Target

PS5 restock update: When to expect inventory at Best Buy, Walmart, GameStop, Amazon, Target, more

January 2, 2021
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Review: Excellent All-Rounder

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Review: Excellent All-Rounder

December 28, 2020
rTechnews

We bring you the best Premium WordPress Themes that perfect for news, magazine, personal blog, etc. Check our landing page for details.

Follow Us

Categories

  • Apple
  • Applications
  • Audio
  • Camera
  • Computers
  • Gadget Reviews
  • Gaming
  • Gaming News
  • Gear
  • Laptop
  • Latest News
  • Microsoft
  • Photography
  • Review
  • Security
  • SmartPhone News

Tags

Apple Watch 2 Best iPhone 7 deals Buying Guides CES 2017 iOS 10 iPhone 7 Nintendo Switch Playstation 4 Pro Sillicon Valley

Recent News

How To Recall An Email In Outlook

How To Recall An Email In Outlook

January 28, 2021
2021 Mazda CX-5 review: Fun at the forefront

2021 Mazda CX-5 review: Fun at the forefront

January 28, 2021
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2021 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Review
  • Apple
  • Applications
  • Computers
  • Gaming
  • Gear
    • Audio
    • Camera
  • Microsoft
  • Photography
  • Security

© 2021 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.