Platforms & Ecosystem
4 articlesGoogle home just got a load of new features2 min
Google Homeâs Gemini is getting smarter in the ways that reduce daily friction: room commands now target lights correctly, âall lightsâ wonât hit other homes, and itâs less likely to cut you off midârequest. The bigger win is new automation starters (security armed, device plugged in, tablet undocked) that enable more context-aware routines. Camera âLive Searchâ is for premium users.
Matterâs missing pieces: The major tech brands resisting the smart home standard6 min
Matter is still missing key âanchorâ brands, which means cross-platform smart home simplicity remains uneven even in 2026. The article flags notable holdouts like Lutron, Ring, Wyze, and Sonos, arguing most are protecting proprietary ecosystems or waiting for specs (notably cameras and media) to mature before committingâso expect slower, category-by-category progress.
2026.3: A clean sweep20 min
Home Assistant 2026.3 is less flashy but meaningfully improves day-to-day usability: you can target robot vacuum âclean the kitchenâ style runs using your existing HA Areas, and automations finally get âcontinue on errorâ in the visual editor. Energy dashboards get clearer real-time views, and Android gets experimental on-device wake wordâat a battery cost.
ADTâs $105 Million Bet on Ambient AI: Why the Security Giant Is Buying Technology That Can Sense People Through Walls7 min
ADT just bought a radar-sensing startup for $105M to detect presence, falls, and activity through wallsâaiming to replace âdumbâ motion sensors and reduce the need for indoor cameras. The smart-home angle: on-device processing plus ADTâs monitoring centers could turn ambient sensing into a privacy-friendlier security and aging-in-place service, if people accept always-on radar.
Product Launches
4 articlesKickstarter sensation InvisOutlet Aura launches on Amazon3 min
A clever Matter smart outlet from Kickstarter is now an easy Amazon buy, which matters because it doubles as a built-in status light and input device for automationsânot just a power switch. The hidden touch pads can trigger Matter scenes across brands, and the faceplate light can signal states (like âdoor left openâ). Itâs $49.99.
SONOFF release two Matter Air Quality sensors2 min
Matter finally makes air-quality automation feel plug-and-play: SONOFFâs new AirGuard monitors add either COâ or particulate tracking on top of temp and humidity, then expose it directly in Apple Home for automations like kicking on a purifier or fan when a room gets stale. Both are USBâC powered for always-on monitoring; the COâ model starts at $49.90.
IKEA is about to launch an outdoor smart plug for the first time â you won't believe how cheap it is3 min
IKEAâs first outdoor smart plug could make weatherproof automation cheap enough to do everywhere, not just for one patio light. The new Tofsmygga plug is showing up on European IKEA sites for about âŹ13 and supports Matter, so it should work beyond IKEAâs ecosystem (though wider UK/US availability is still unconfirmed).
Shark's New Robot Vacuum Uses a Blacklight to See How Gross Your Floors Are4 min
Sharkâs new PowerDetect UV Reveal tries to fix the biggest robot-mop gripe: you donât know if it actually removed dried-on stains. It uses a visible UV âblacklightâ plus a camera to spot residue, then keeps scrubbing that spot until it confirms itâs gone. Itâs $1,300, and CNETâs lab results are still pendingâso the real question is whether the detection is more than a flashy light show.
Reviews & Spotlight
4 articlesGovee UpDown Wall Light review7 min
Matter makes this a rare âbuy it once, use it anywhereâ outdoor wall fixture: it pairs easily and shows up in Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and SmartThings without ecosystem lock-in. The real draw is four independently controlled zones that look genuinely architectural, but youâll still need Goveeâs busy app for the best effects (and music sync needs your phone mic).
'A compelling proposition for a very reasonable price' â I trusted the IMOU Cell 3C security camera to protect my home, and was pleasantly surprised13 min
If you want an outdoor camera where âset it and forget itâ doesnât come with a monthly bill, the IMOU Cell 3C is a standout cheap pick: solar + battery and microSD recording keep it running and subscription-free. The trade-offs are a clunky app and only okay 2K video, with solar performance depending heavily on real sunlight.
SwitchBot Smart Candle Warmer Lamp review7 min
A quirky but genuinely practical smart-home add-on: SwitchBotâs candle warmer gives you real âcandle scentâ without flame, smoke, or soot, and Matter-over-WiâFi means it drops into most ecosystems without a hub. The clever bit is dimming = heat control, so you can fine-tune fragrance intensityâjust expect heat and halogen-only bulb quirks.
The Best Smart Baby Monitors of 2026, as Tested by Moms30 min
Choosing a baby monitor now is really choosing your reliability model: WiâFi/app monitors add remote viewing and alerts, but they can fail when your internet or app does. CNETâs top pick is a hybrid VTech that still works without WiâFi, while Nanit/Owlet/Cubo lean into subscriptions and data-heavy sleep trackingâuseful, but potentially pricey or anxiety-inducing.
Projects & How-To
4 articlesHow I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard8 min
A rare âdashboard done rightâ write-up: an always-there eâpaper display that stays calm until your house needs attention (doors unlocked, laundry done, dishwasher reminder), instead of making you scan tiles. The big unlock is leaning on Home Assistant as the data layer, so new reminders become quick template sensorsâno app redeploys. Hardware is still pricey for mainstream.
This amazing ESP32 projector integrates with Home Assistant and displays whatever you want3 min
A ceiling âstatus displayâ can be more useful than another dashboard tablet, and this ESP32-based Frixos projector plugs into Home Assistant so it can show live entity states like weather, alarms, or a rotating message. The real win is automation: dim at sunset, greet you on arrival, or change layouts by time of day. You can buy a kit or build it from scratch.
I replaced the Sonos app with Home Assistant and my speakers finally work the way they should7 min
If youâre fed up with the postâredesign Sonos app, this shows a viable escape hatch: control Sonos from Home Assistant for faster, more reliable volume/playback plus automations like TTS doorbell/package announcements and quiet hours. Add Music Assistant to unify streaming services and local filesâjust expect a few quirks with grouped TTS and provider conflicts.
So... can Home Assistant run DOOM?6 min
This is a ridiculous but revealing Home Assistant hack: a HACS-installed custom integration that runs the original DOOM locally inside a dashboard card (via WebAssembly DOSBox) and exposes âplayingâ as real entities you can automate from. The twist: the author claims Copilot built essentially all of it, showing how HAâs conventions make AI-generated integrations viable.
Perspectives
1 articlesColorado Draws a Line in the Sand: How the Centennial Stateâs Right-to-Repair Law Could Reshape the Consumer Electronics Industry8 min
Colorado just passed a sweeping right-to-repair law for consumer electronics, forcing makers to sell parts, tools, and manuals to regular people and independent shops on the same âfairâ terms as authorized repair. If enforced, it could make keeping phones/tablets/laptops alive longer cheaperâand push brands to adopt one national repair posture instead of 50-state workarounds.