Smart Home

HomePod mini is a bite-sized smart speaker for your home

Launches along with the iPhone 12

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Besides the much-awaited iPhone 12 series, Apple also complemented its home ecosystem during today’s online event. The company’s biggest addition (and the show’s opener) is the new HomePod mini. Touting a smaller frame, the new HomePod mini is a bite-sized smart speaker for your home.

Complementing the HomePod family, the recently announced HomePod mini stands at just 3.3 inches tall. As you’d expect, the new smart speaker integrates with Apple Music to fulfill the “speaker” side of “smart speaker.”

The speaker sports the Apple S5 chip, an audio processor that detects and optimizes performance based on the music played. Owing to its engineering, the HomePod mini also directs sound effectively into a 360-degree experience. A three-microphone array can listen for the “Hey, Siri” trigger from anywhere in a room.

Speaking of Siri, the new speaker comes with all the functionalities of Apple’s voice assistant. It can integrate seamlessly with other devices in Apple’s ecosystem, including iPhones, Macs, and Apple TVs.

For new functionalities, the HomePod mini comes with a new Intercom feature. Users can send audio messages from one HomePod to another in one household. The feature also works with iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, AirPods, and CarPlay.

After some recent controversies, Apple is now assuring users that the HomePod mini will not record or ship any conversations without the user’s permission.

The HomePod mini will ship in either black or white. It retails for only US$ 99.

Luxury Smart Home

TCL enters RGB-Mini LED race with RM9L series

New flagship promises brighter, more precise color on ultra-large screens

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TCL has officially unveiled the RM9L, its first RGB-Mini LED TV, signaling a serious push into the next phase of premium display technology.

Announced in New York, the RM9L positions itself as TCL’s most advanced Mini LED offering yet. It leans heavily into color performance, using dedicated red, green, and blue LEDs instead of traditional white backlighting. The result: more precise color reproduction and support for up to 100% BT2020 color space, a benchmark often associated with high-end cinematic displays.

At the core of the RM9L is TCL’s CSOT UltraColor Filter paired with a new 30-bit by 3 backlight controller system. Together, they form a 120-bit color system designed to deliver finer control across each RGB channel. TCL says this enables better shadow detail, improved uniform brightness, and more consistent color across massive screen sizes.

The TV also packs a CSOT WHVA 2.0 Ultra panel, enhanced halo control for local dimming, and over 3,800 dimming zones. Peak brightness can reach up to 6,000 nits, putting it among the brightest TVs announced so far. Powering everything is the TSR AI Pro processor, which handles scene-by-scene optimization across color, contrast, clarity, and motion.

Built for big-screen immersion

The RM9L is clearly designed for larger-than-life viewing. It supports a native 144Hz refresh rate, with Game Accelerator 288 VRR and four HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming setups. TCL is also leaning into audio, with built-in sound tuned by Bang & Olufsen and support for Dolby Atmos FlexConnect for expandable home theater setups.

On the smart side, the TV runs on Google TV with Gemini integration, adding AI-powered assistance and content discovery.

An upcoming OTA update will bring support for Dolby Vision 2 Max, which introduces features like Content Intelligence, a new Imagine Engine, and Authentic Motion. TCL says this update will improve HDR brightness while preserving the creator’s original intent through bi-directional tone mapping.

Subheading: Pricing and availability

The TCL RM9L series is now available for pre-order in ultra-large sizes:

  • 85-inch – $7,999.99
  • 98-inch – $9,999.99
  • 115-inch – $29,999.99

With the RM9L, TCL is making a clear bet: bigger screens demand better color. And with RGB-Mini LED, it’s aiming to lead that shift.

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Convenient Smart Home

TCL expands SQD-Mini LED lineup with QM8L, QM7L

New premium TVs push color, contrast, and accessibility across price tiers

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TCL is doubling down on premium TV tech with the launch of two new SQD-Mini LED series: the QM8L and QM7L.

Announced in New York, the new lineup builds on TCL’s push to make high-end picture quality more accessible. The company is positioning SQD-Mini LED as a “no-compromise” display technology. It’s tech that delivers both high color accuracy and deep contrast without forcing buyers to choose between the two.

At the center of this is TCL’s Deep Color System, which enables up to 100% BT2020 color coverage while minimizing issues like color crosstalk and inconsistent saturation. Combined with more precise local dimming zones, the result is deeper blacks, brighter highlights, and improved HDR performance across a wide range of content.

Flagship-level performance, broader reach

Leading the new additions is the QM8L, positioned as TCL’s “Ultimate Choice” just below its flagship X11L. It features a CSOT WHVA 2.0 Ultra panel, offering high contrast ratios, wider viewing angles, and an anti-reflective layer for better clarity in bright environments.

The QM8L also introduces TCL’s updated Halo Control System, which reduces blooming while improving shadow detail and overall picture accuracy. It supports up to 4,000 local dimming zones and reaches peak brightness levels of up to 6,000 nits. Like TCL’s higher-end models, it runs on the TSR AI Pro processor for scene-by-scene optimization.

Meanwhile, the QM7L targets a slightly more accessible segment without stripping away core visual upgrades. It still benefits from the Deep Color System and enhanced local dimming, offering up to 2,100 zones and peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits—figures TCL claims can outperform premium OLED brightness in certain scenarios.

Subheading: Smart features and audio upgrades

Both models come equipped with audio tuned by Bang & Olufsen and support expandable setups via Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, including optional wireless subwoofers and speakers.

On the software side, TCL continues its partnership with Google TV, now enhanced with Gemini integration. This enables more conversational voice controls, content discovery, and even upcoming features like AI-generated video clips through Veo on Google TV.

An over-the-air update will also bring support for Dolby Vision 2 Max. It introducea features like Content Intelligence and improved tone mapping for brighter HDR visuals that stay true to the creator’s intent.

Pricing and availability

The TCL QM8L series is available now, while the QM7L is up for pre-order:

QM8L pricing:

  • 65-inch – $2,499.99
  • 75-inch – $2,999.99
  • 85-inch – $3,999.99
  • 98-inch – $5,999.99

QM7L pricing:

  • 55-inch – $1,199.99
  • 65-inch – $1,499.99
  • 75-inch – $1,999.99
  • 85-inch – $2,499.99
  • 98-inch – $3,999.99

With the QM8L and QM7L, TCL is widening its premium lineup. It’s offering more ways to get high-color, high-contrast performance without jumping straight to flagship pricing.

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Luxury Smart Home

Spotlight: Amazon Ember Artline TV + New Fire TV Stick HD

Amazon Just Fixed the Biggest Problem with TVs

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In this video, THE Michael Josh dives into the all-new Amazon Ember Artline — their first-ever lifestyle TV.

Moreover, there’s the newer Fire TV Stick HD — the slimmest Fire Stick ever made. Now with USB-C and Alexa+ built in.

And through it all: He sat down exclusively with Aidan Marcuss — VP of Fire TV at Amazon and talked about how Alexa+ is Amazon’s answer to content paralysis. 


PRE-ORDER NOW!

Amazon Ember Artline — ships April 22, 2026

New Fire TV Stick HD — ships April 29, 2026

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