Setting up routines or automations is half the reason to get into smart hubs and assistants. Every major hub, from SmartThings to Alexa, lets you create routines, in which you use triggers to cause ...

Dim the lights, lock the door, and play some tunes with a simple voice command (or even your dog’s bark). Dim the lights, lock the door, and play some tunes with a simple voice command (or even your ...

If you’re unfamiliar with Alexa routines, they’re a series of tasks that Alexa can do by only saying one phrase. For instance, instead of telling Alexa to turn off lights, turn on music, and turn on ...

I have a morning Alexa routine that gives me a weather report, some good news, and (of course) a rooster crow when I say “Alexa, good morning.” The only problem? I rarely use it, and it’s my own dang ...

If you're old enough to remember cartoons like The Jetsons, you probably remember a vision of the future where our lives are fully automated. All it takes are a few verbal commands, and your whole ...

Dale Smith is a former Associate Writer on the How-To team at CNET. Admit it. You're curious about Alexa routines. Maybe your friends or family sometimes show off their own home-brewed Alexa ...

Have you crafted a useful Alexa Routine that helps you get out of bed, remember to finish certain tasks or have a more effective workout? Have you wanted to share that Routine with a friend? Or maybe ...

My neighborhood's pretty safe. Crime isn't really a thing here. But I'm still not leaving my front porch open season for package thieves, and I'm definitely not rolling the dice on a break-in. The ...

Amazon announced today that Alexa Routines can be sent to friends and family members through shareable URL links. The new capability is now available only to customers in the U.S. To share a Routine, ...

Amazon Alexa is more than just an omnipotent voice that lives inside your household's Echo speakers. The all-knowing, all-powerful voice assistant can control and manage most, if not all, of your ...

Alexa can respond to snoring, coughing, a baby crying or a dog barking. Here's how to set up sound detection, plus why you'd even want to. Dale Smith is a former Associate Writer on the How-To team at ...

Ever since the pandemic, when so many people were cooped up, out of work or otherwise left to their own devices, I’ve heard ...