The smart home was once a far-flung pipe dream, but it is now a reality. Wherever you live, your home is ground zero for some of the most interesting tech available right now, and tech that’s yet to come. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get your home up and running with smart hardware and services.
Home security and monitoring solutions can alert you to a burglary, smoke, fire, or just simple motion activity. There are plenty of options with a range of capabilities, from smart doorbells and smart locks to indoor and outdoor cameras that can see in the dark.
Smart speakers, like the Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod each play a big role in helping you out, too. In the kitchen, they can read out recipes, or if you’re cleaning, you can call out to them to change the song on the fly. If you buy smart light bulbs, for instance, you can turn them on and off by using your voice.
It offers customizable color-changing lighting, Matter support, and up to 30 hours of battery life.
Navigating the maze of platforms, ecosystems, protocols, and gadgets on your way to a smarter home is a full-time job. (I should know; it’s mine.)
The $169 Smart LED Monitor Stand includes a white front LED light strip with adjustable color temperature and an addressable RGB rear light strip. It’s also Matter-compatible and has 23 built-in mounting points for attaching a mic, a ring light, or other accessories.
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The Google partnership has yielded two new Onn outdoor security cameras: the $34.87 Outdoor Camera Plug-In and $77 Floodlight Camera Hardwired. Each 1080p HDR camera features live views, night vision and two-way talk accessible from the Google Home app. You’ll need a Premium subscription to unlock AI-driven features like event descriptions, searchable video history, and daily summaries.
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Google’s more powerful, conversational assistant for the home is now available on first-generation Google Home Mini speaker and Google Nest Hub display. You’ll need a Google Home Premium subscription to make it work though.
According to Hueblog.com, the smart lighting company is readying a new solution for its popular entertainment sync feature. “Screen Sync” is a TV-mounted camera that matches Hue lights to on-screen content. Unlike Hue’s HDMI Sync box and TV Sync apps, a camera-based system — popularized by rivals Govee and Nanoleaf — should be able to sync with any content on the screen.
I tested four locks that unlock with a look, and while hands-free with UWB is better, if you want a sci-fi experience for your front door, facial recognition is worth considering.
Legend has it that we have smart home security cameras and smartphones to thank for discovering the Seattle-based treasure that is Jimothy. At least this modern cryptid doesn’t appear to be AI slop. Happy Friday.
As spotted by MacRumors, to get the new AI-powered camera features — text descriptions, searchable camera clips, and noteworthy clips — you’ll need Apple’s 2TB plan or higher.
HomeKit Secure Video has always required the base iCloud plan for recording, but now you may need to upgrade to get these smarter alerts. I’ve been testing them in the beta, and they’re a big improvement.
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The $399 smart lock ditches keys for ultra-wideband hands-free unlocking. It’s magical, but it’s Apple-only for now.
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But I’d only recommend it if you bake at least a loaf a week, and ideally more.
Domestic robots are beginning to enter the household, but we still have our doubts about how many might require a little teleoperation. You have to feel for the poor teleoperators though.
basic_chain_:
If its teleoperated and I walk by it naked, is that considered indecent exposure? Or is it a occupational hazard they just have to deal with
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Made by Weave Robotics, Issac 1 is a fuzzy, colorful home robot that promises to collect dirty clothes, fold and put away laundry, make beds, and tidy clutter. Shipping is slated for later this year, with a $250 deposit required. While its main tasks are automated, Weave says that, like its predecessor Isaac 0, Issac 1 will be teleoperated “when needed to guarantee we complete tasks.”
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The Google Home Speaker nails the hardware, but Gemini for Home isn’t the assistant we’ve been waiting for.
While existing Matter-friendly smart ceiling lights from Lifx and Aqara are $95 to $150, SwitchBot launched a 2,000-lumen 12-inch option for $49.99, and a slightly brighter and larger 3,200-lumen 15-inch model for $79.99. Both include full color plus warm or cool white lighting, dimming, 26 preset scenes, and eight lighting effects.
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It may never come to the US, but LG announced its new HomeBot AI Objet Collection Roni robot vacuum in South Korea today. Its charging/cleaning dock can be hidden in kitchen cabinetry (requiring some reno) but there’s also a standalone dock that looks like a nondescript side table.
After taking over Weber, Blackstone founder Roger Dahle’s new job is integrating his griddle empire with what used to be his biggest competitor.
At the CSA’s inaugural Unify conference, the mood was optimistic but realistic. Matter hasn’t delivered on its promise — but I left convinced that it still can.
Google is shipping its first smart speaker in years, and we’re starting to test it. The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to explain why the Home Speaker matters, whether Google actually cares about the smart home, and more. Then, she helps answer a few questions from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about the power of Ikea and the future of your thermostat.
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