Looking to skip the hassle of wall-mounting a security camera in your backyard and wiring it for power? If you have an available outdoor light socket, this new Wyze cam and smart bulb combo can be screwed right into it. Available now, the Wyze Blub Cam ( 49.98) is pretty much what it says: a smart bulb with an integrated security camera. Screw-in security cameras are plentiful on Amazon, but they typically come from no-name brands and (generally speaking) offer only iffy quality. But we're starting to see light socket-compatible cams from more reputable companies, including a recent 2K model from Lorex, and now we have Wyze's entry in the market.

AI-powered video descriptions are the new hotness when it comes to security cameras. Amazon's Ring cameras and Google's Nest cams are already doing them, and now Wyze is joining the party. Available now as part of a new–and pricey–"Cam Unlimited Pro" plan, Wyze's "descriptive alerts" serve up AI-generated captions for video events captured by your Wyze cams, complete with "important details and contextual information." So, rather than getting Wyze alerts that just say "Driveway" or "Bedroom," subscribers to the new plan will get AI descriptions with details such as "Three babies are helping each other climb out of their cribs," or "Front Door caught a suspicious person walking up to the porch and picking up a package." Besides the AI-powered video alerts, Wyze users are also getting AI search, meaning you can find clips in your video history using natural-language queries.

It sure took long enough for Wyze Labs to unwrap a color smart bulb, but the Wyze Bulb Color was worth the wait. Available in a four-pack for $35, the Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled Bulb Color doesn't need a hub, and it packs features that most color smart bulbs in this price range don't, including sleep/wake routines and a vacation mode. The new Wyze bulb is also unusually bright given its price range, while the slick, intuitive Wyze app makes it easy to group multiple bulbs together. Tempering our enthusiasm is the fact that one of the Bulb Color's most enticing features--the ability to change color depending on triggers from the Wyze Cam, Wyze Lock, and other Wyze Labs devices--is a work in progress. This review is part of TechHive's coverage of the best smart LED bulbs, where you'll find reviews of the competition's offerings, plus a buyer's guide to the features you should consider when shopping this category.

Since introducing its paradigm-shifting home security camera a few years ago, Wyze has steadily improved its flagship product, even adding an outdoor version, while keeping its insanely low $20 price tag. Now it has effectively combined the best of those two cameras into the Wyze Cam v3, its first indoor/outdoor camera (it's rated IP65, meaning it's dustproof and protected from water jets that might come from a nozzle attached to garden hose. You can read more about IP codes here.) At first glance, it looks like little has changed from one version to the next, but the camera has received a modest makeover. This third iteration is still a roughly 2 x 2 x 2-inch cube, but its corners have been rounded off and its black face is now a square instead of a circle.

The notion that you need to pay more to get more from a Wi-Fi security camera no longer seems as true as it did just a year ago. I offer the Hoop Cam Plus as evidence. It offers Full HD (1080p) video, several types of smart detection, geofencing, and other goodies in a unique design for less than $100. Together with the Wyze Cam and the Xiaomi Mi Home Security Camera, it makes clear that "budget" doesn't need to be synonymous with "bare bones." The popular Wyze Cam has sparked a trend toward squat, boxy designs, and the Hoop Cam Plus literally doubles down on short.

We were wowed by the original $20 Wyze Cam and its modest update, so we couldn't wait to try out Wyze Labs take on a pan-and-tilt camera, the Wyze Cam Pan. As expected, it's a mind-blower, delivering top-shelf features like automated scanning, motion tracking, and more for a ridiculously low $30. Much as the cube-shaped Wyze Cam broke the webcam aesthetic that many DIY security cameras are modeled on, the Wyze Cam Pan rethinks the pan-and-tilt design. Typically, these types of cameras place a ball-shaped camera module in a rotating carriage. It works, but it leaves them with a quaint retro-future look that doesn't blend easily in most modern homes.