The new Google Home Speaker replaces Nest Audio and Mini at a higher price, offering improved audio quality and integrating Gemini AI. While hardware is a logical update, some advanced Gemini features and smart home automations are locked behind new Standard ($10/month) and Advanced ($20/month) subscription plans, drawing user complaints.
Google Home is updating its Familiar Faces feature to identify people even when their faces aren't fully visible, using non-biometric data. The library will also auto-update with recent images. AI event descriptions can now include specific sounds like barking or footsteps, improving accuracy.
A Kansas City homeowner tested the Anker Solix E10 whole home battery backup system to manage high electricity bills in an older, larger house. The system, costing $7,200, aims to offset aggressive time-of-use billing by storing cheaper off-peak electricity for use during peak hours, potentially paying for itself in five years.
Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon's Echo Max smart speaker is available for $64.99, a $35 discount. Praised for its sound quality, smart home hub capabilities, and advanced AI, it's considered Amazon's best all-around smart speaker.
Thread Group has released the beta version of its Thread Tools app for iOS and Android, offering the first dedicated diagnostics for Thread-based smart home networks. The app aims to provide visibility into device connections, signal strength, and potential issues, assisting users and manufacturers in troubleshooting connectivity problems.
The author expresses a strong preference for a "dumb house" over increasingly complex smart home technology, citing personal struggles with AI, security fears, and a desire for simpler, tactile interactions.
The Philips Hue Bridge Pro's SpatialAware feature transforms lighting scenes, making it worth the upgrade for existing Hue users, despite MotionAware's limitations and the high price point.
Yu Hao, founder of Dreame Technology, is gaining notoriety as China's "crazy boss" due to his flamboyant social media stunts, including ordering employees to promote company products online.
Google is enabling third-party hardware manufacturers to integrate Gemini AI into smart home devices through an API and reference designs. This initiative aims to expand Gemini's reach beyond flagship Android phones, offering features like "visual intelligence" for security cameras and "Ask Home" for voice-enabled devices.
Apple is reportedly preparing to launch up to 20 new products in the latter half of 2026, including a foldable iPhone, upgraded iPads, Apple Watch, AirPods with infrared cameras, and a new line of smart home devices. The company may also unveil audio smart glasses, though a full release is expected in 2027.
Home loan affordability calculators help buyers assess repayment capacity and monthly installments before purchasing a property. These tools consider income, existing EMIs, loan tenure, and interest rates to ensure a smart financial investment.
Join a Q&A session today at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET to discuss the 'robot revolution' concerning floor care.
iRobot is offering several promo codes and coupons for its Roomba robot vacuums. Deals include 15% off for gifting a friend, 33% off the Roomba Max 705, $300 off the Roomba Plus 405 Combo, and nearly 50% off the Max 705 Combo.
Smart energy management just took a step closer to becoming simpler. This week, the organizations behind Matter, the smart-home interoperability standard, and the OpenADR protocol, which sends signals between the grid and the home, announced an agreement to work together. This should make it easier for connected appliances to participate in demand response programs (DR) […]
Google Home users can now ask Gemini to complete more complex, multi-step tasks and combine multiple tasks in a single command. Google has updated Gemini for Home to Gemini 3.1, which it says will improve the smart home assistant's ability to interpret and act on requests. The upgrade will also make Gemini for Home better […]
Google's smart home ecosystem is getting its biggest update since the AI-fueled 2025 revamp.
Homebridge, the popular software solution that allows you to integrate non-HomeKit devices like Ring cameras into Apple Home, is adding support for the Matter smart home standard. Today, May 4th, Homebridge 2.0, which has been in beta for over three years, officially launches. Along with other improvements, the update brings the "initial groundwork for Matter […]
It took Tim Cook years to launch Apple into major new hardware categories, such as the smartwatch. But John Ternus could start his tenure right away with an ambitious new project: smart home hardware. All signs point to a strong lineup of new smart home devices coming potentially this fall, putting Apple back in the […]
Apple is poised for a significant smart home push under new CEO John Ternus, with a rumored lineup including a 7-inch HomePad touchscreen display, home security cameras, video doorbell, and a robotic home assistant potentially launching this fall. The company has lagged behind Amazon and Google, which have launched over 40 devices compared to Apple's three, but cancellation of the Apple Car project and AI advancements are creating new opportunities.
Samsung Electronics has expanded its SmartThings platform to support 25 IKEA smart home products, including the Scroll Wheel remote, smart lights, smart plugs and air quality sensors. The products use the Matter standard, enabling seamless integration with Samsung appliances.
