Welcome to Smart Home on the Range!
Follow us as we step through the design and construction process of our new smart home and other content.
The Latest Smart Home On The Range Blog
Alexa+ - A Smarter, More Capable Assistant?
Amazon’s Alexa, as well as other voice assistants, has long struggled with both basic and complex tasks. Now, Amazon is introducing Alexa+, a revamped version of its assistant powered by generative AI, designed to be smarter and more conversational. While Alexa has always promised to learn your preferences, manage tasks, and provide information, its actual performance has often fallen short. With Alexa+, Amazon is doubling down on making these features truly effective. Better late than never.
Follow Our Home Build Week By Week
Week 1
Week 1
Week 1
Here are Debbie and I standing at what will be our front door. Click below for details on Week 1 as we finally get started with our home build project.
Week 2
Week 1
Week 1
All of the dirt that was dropped on our lot last week has been neatly leveled where the foundation will be poured. The foundation is the most important part of any construction design. But footings are next and an essential part of the foundation.
Week 3
Week 1
Week 3
The trenches for the footings were dug over the weekend and the rebar to support the concrete was dropped on the lot. Thanks to warm, sunny weather moving in, Tuesday morning crews were onsite to pour the footings and it looks like we may have a foundation by the end of the week.
Week 4
Week 3
This has been a huge week with the preparation for pouring the foundation. The entire complexion of the lot has changed as the forms are in place, along with a lot of other foundation prep. So lots of content to share this week.
Week 5
Week 5
Coming Soon!
Smart Home Product News
Need a Robot Vacuum That'll Pick Up After You?
With the launch of Roborock's Saros Z70, the first ever robot vacuum with a mechanical arm, your next home helper may be able to pick up stuff scattered about the room instead of simply cleaning around them. It features a first-of-its-kind five-axis robotic arm that emerges from the bot when it encounters items. It lifts any items weighing less than 10.5 ounces and deposits them in a single pile or designated basket, so it can continue to clean unobstructed.
Sunseeker Robot Mowers Cover Yards (Very) Large and Small
Sunseeker is bringing its excellent onboard intelligence to three new robot mower models, including a new top-of-the-line model that’s capable of handling spreads of up to 3 acres.
The brand announced the entry-level X3, the mid-range X5, and the X7 Pro with a 3 acre due to being equipped with two 10Ah batteries.
The rear-wheel-drive X3 carries a 4Ah battery. It can handle up to 0.2-acre yards.
xBloom Studio Coffee Machine
xBloom Studio Coffee Machine
The new xBloom Studio Coffee Machine combines the grinder, brewer, and scale into one sleek design. This device caters to all levels of coffee drinkers, providing fully automated, semi-guided, and fully manual brewing experiences. You can set your brew preferences on either the xBloom app or the device's compact LED matrix display. It's the ultimate home-brewer for coffee drinkers dedicated to consistency and precision.