Platforms & Ecosystem
3 articlesI used Claude to vibe-code my wildly overcomplicated smart home15 min
Use Claude Code + the community ha-mcp server to āvibe-codeā Home Assistant setup: the author migrated ~70% of ~200 devices in an afternoon and had Claude generate a clean HA dashboard plus automations (shade-close on AC, solar alerts, timed fan-off). Itās slow and needs supervision, but makes HA far more approachable.
Apple Home smart home standards and protocols explained10 min
Build a more reliable Apple Home by separating the stack: framework (HomeKit vs Matter), network (Thread/Zigbee/WiāFi/Ethernet/Bluetooth), and platform (Home app). Matter broadens compatibility but can limit features vs native HomeKit (e.g., HKSV). Best bet: Matter over Thread + wired hubs/bridges + solid WiāFi for cameras.
Google pays $68M to settle claims its voice assistant spied on users | TechCrunch2 min
Google will pay $68M to settle a class action alleging Google Assistant āfalse acceptsā recorded conversations without a wake word and shared info with third parties for targeted ads. Google admits no wrongdoing. Follows other voice-assistant privacy settlements (Apple Siri $95M) and Googleās $1.4B Texas deal.
Product (Launches)
4 articlesBelkin Is Ending Support for Wemo Smart Home Devices. Here's What That Means for You4 min
Belkin is shutting down Wemoās app/cloud at the end of January, so many Wemo plugs/switches/sensors will lose āsmartā features (remote control, schedules, Alexa/Google integrations) and stop getting firmware/security updates. Some models can keep working via Apple Home/HomeKitābut only if you migrate them before the deadline.
Move over Sonos, Marshall is coming for your multi-room crown3 min
Marshallās new Heddon streaming hub turns compatible Marshall speakers into a WiāFi multi-room systemāso you can keep music synced as you move around the house. It supports Spotify/Tidal plus Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, works with Acton/Stanmore/Woburn III, and can add older models via RCA (even a turntable input). Ā£179.99 / ā¬199 / ~$299.
Lawnbots are leveling up for 2026 ā here are the 3 most exciting upgrades coming to a yard near you5 min
2026 robot lawn mowers are getting much easier to deploy thanks to LiDAR navigationāādrop and mowā mapping, no boundary wire, and less reliance on RTK/GPS for small, obstacle-filled yards. New models also add all-wheel drive for better traction and less turf scuffing, plus edge-trimming modules to reduce post-mow cleanup.
Who Needs Wires and Batteries? Smart Home Devices Are Making Their Own Power Now4 min
Battery-free smart home switches and locks are getting real: CES demos used energy harvesting (a magnet spin generates a power pulse) or wireless power to send control signals without wiring. Gemnsā clicky switch/lock concepts can dim and trigger smart lights anywhere in range, but arenāt always-onābest for momentary actions like toggles and door events.
Reviews & Spotlight
3 articlesReolink Elite Floodlight WiFi review11 min
Reolinkās Elite Floodlight WiFi is a hardwired, subscription-optional 180Ā° dual-lens security cam with a 3,000ālumen adjustable floodlight and local microSD storage. You get stitched 5120Ć1552 video plus on-device AI search (e.g., āwhite truckā), but thereās a ~1s light-trigger lag, no Ethernet, and no Alexa yet.
Cozyla Calendar+ 2 review: a flexible family friend8 min
Cozyla Calendar+ 2 is a large Android-based digital wall calendar ($349ā$1,299) that also does chores-as-stars rewards and meal planning with grocery lists, plus runs Play Store apps like Netflix/Disney+. Biggest downside: flaky calendar syncing that sometimes only updates after opening the phone appārisky for a device whose job is accuracy.
IKEA Timmerflotte review: a fun sensor I'd buy even without Matter6 min
IKEAās $10 Timmerflotte temp/humidity puck is a Matter-over-Thread sensor that also works standalone: press the face to show temp, then humidity, and flip an internal switch for Ā°F/Ā°C. Pairing is QR-code simple with Matter hubs (tested in Homey) and exposes battery + month-long historyāno cloud app required.
Projects & How-To
3 articlesThe best use for an old Android phone isn't a security camera6 min
Repurpose an old Android phone as a dedicated Home Assistant remote/dashboard instead of a security camāone screen can control lights, TVs, and speakers across brands. Run Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi/PC/NAS, then mount the phone on a wall or keep it mobile as a āsuper remote.ā It can even act as a Bluetooth presence sensor for automations.
One thing nobody tells you about smart home temperature sensors5 min
Temperature sensors can disagree by a few degreesāeven identical unitsāso donāt assume āaccurateā means āconsistent.ā Test new sensors sideābyāside and let them settle 24ā48 hours (handling warms them). In Home Assistant, create a Helper that averages sensors (arithmetic mean) and automate off the average instead.
This beautiful ESP32 project displays your Wi-Fi traffic like an aurora3 min
Turn your WiāFi traffic into an aurora-style wall light: an ESP32āC3 sniffs 2.4GHz packets and drives a NeoPixel strip so downloads show up as shifting color bands. Double-tap a button to open an AP-hosted web UI for brightness/color/modes. Full parts list, wiring, and code are on GitHub.
Perspectives
3 articlesStop putting "Smart" tablets on your walls; use physical buttons instead5 min
Wall-mounted āsmartā tablets are slower and less usable than switches: you have to wake the screen, hunt through UI, and guests wonāt know what to tap. Battery swelling, lag, and app glitches add failure points. Use Zigbee/Z-Wave buttons with single/double/long-press actions and place them where you need control (sofa, bedside).
Mark Zuckerberg says a future without smart glasses is āhard to imagineā | TechCrunch3 min
Meta is betting big on AI smart glasses: Zuckerberg says itāll soon be āhard to imagineā most prescription glasses not being AI, and claims Metaās glasses sales tripled last year. Momentum is building elsewhere tooāGoogle is expected to launch glasses after a $150M Warby Parker deal, with Apple and Snap also ramping efforts.
Donāt rent what you need to own10 min
Prioritize local-first smart homes: cloud-dependent gear can be surveilled, subscription-gated, or go offline (e.g., Google Home outage broke lights/automations). The Open Home Foundation pushes open source as ādigital sovereignty,ā cites Ring/Flock AI concerns, and cheers Bose for publishing a local SoundTouch API instead of bricking devices.