Smart Home

Can the Echo Dot (4th Gen) control a minimalist smart home without sending data to the cloud?

Quick answer: the Echo Dot (4th Gen) can control parts of a minimalist smart home without sending every command to Amazon’s cloud, but only with important caveats. I’ve tested compact setups and...

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Minimalist smart home: five affordable devices that add automation without a visible hub

I’ve been chasing compact, unobtrusive ways to make a home smarter without turning my living room into a router-and-hub shrine. If you want automation that quietly fades into the background—no...

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