Replace all those remote controls with . . . nothing. The “Harmony Hub’’ by Logitech connects your Amazon Echo or Google Home voice assistant to all of your electronic entertainment gear for true hands-off mastery of your living room. You can use your smartphone or tablet for fine-tuning things, and add in a slick handheld remote, if you really like buttons. $99 ($149 with remote) at logitech.com
Amazon’s Alexa isn’t the only voicebot game in town anymore. Google is selling a line of powerful home voice assistants, starting with the bagel-sized “Google Home Mini.’’ Use it as an alarm clock, homework helper, and kitchen companion. Or splurge and get the bigger and better-sounding “Google Home’’ or the “Google Home Max.’’ These devices are magic. And that makes them great gifts. Google Home Mini: $49, Google Home: $129, or Google Home Max: $399 (there’s a wait list) at store.google.com
Photo displays are addictive for grandparents. Install this one, the “Aura Digital Photo Frame,’’ in your parents’ living room, configure it to pick out good pics of your kids automatically from your cameraphone, and wait for the happy phone calls. This Aura is expensive, but the frame is beautiful and the software just as elegant. $399 at auraframes.com
Possibly the smartest home-security camera on the market, the “Lighthouse Camera’’ uses custom sensors to pick specific people and pets out from the background. Beyond-smart alerting and reporting lets you speak commands to its smartphone app, such as “Show me activity in the kitchen between midnight and 3 a.m.,’’ or even “Alert me if Elizabeth does not come home by 4 p.m. on weekdays.’’ $299, plus $100 for one year of online service (it’s $10 a month after that) at light.house
Improve your TV experience with full-bodied audio from Sonos’s soundbar speaker, the “PlayBar.’’ Bonus: It also plays all the music from your phone, iTunes, and Spotify. You can control it from a smartphone app or, as of very recently, from an Amazon Alexa device. $699 at sonos.com
“Tile Pro Series’’ trackers clip onto keys, backpacks, and other things you’re likely to misplace, letting you ping them from a smartphone app. Your phone can turn on its beeper to help you locate your item in the couch cushions. Or turn the item-finding around: Press the button on a tile fob to turn on your phone’s locator sounds. And if an item goes really missing (if you leave it in a cab, for example) you’ll get an alert with its location if it passes near anyone else with a Tile app. $35, or $100 for a four pack, at thetileapp.com
Free your TV from the cable company with the “Roku Streaming Stick,’’ a connected device that receives Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, YouTube, and dozens of other high-quality video channels. The fantastic on-screen interface makes it a joy to use. $49 at roku.com
Rafe Needleman has been reviewing technology products for more than 20 years and offers tech etiquette advice at www.CallerCallsBack.com. Follow him on Twitter @rafe. Send comments to rafe@rafeneedleman.com.
