Platforms & Ecosystem
4 articlesSamsung Elevates Experiences to Care for Users and Their Families with SmartThings Update - SmartThings Blog5 min
Samsung is pushing SmartThings beyond âturn stuff on/offâ into remote caregiving: Family Care adds call-time context so check-ins are more meaningful, plus alerts when air/comfort devices behave oddly and optional robot-vac âsafety patrolâ to look in if activity stops. Now Brief also pulls security/care snapshots onto Galaxy phonesâand soon TVs and Family Hub fridgesâso the home surfaces status proactively.
Ecobee is changing its security subscriptions â here's how much you'll pay now4 min
Ecobeeâs security plans are being reshuffled so âpro monitoringâ is no longer included in the top $10 tier. If you want 24/7 response for break-ins and smoke/fire, youâll now pay $20/month total (smoke-only monitoring costs extra too). Existing subscribers can keep old pricing until Dec. 31, 2026âthen everyone moves to the new menu.
Sonyâs Free TV Just Got a Lot Less Free: Inside the Quiet Gutting of Braviaâs Over-the-Air Features7 min
If you rely on an antenna with a Sony Bravia, a firmware update may make âfree TVâ far less usable by removing the on-screen guide and USB pause/rewind features after purchase. The bigger takeaway: smart TV makers can claw back capabilities to push you toward ad-supported streamingâso plan on external OTA gear if you want stability.
CSA has Garmin, Walmart, Reolink, and Qingping onboard3 min
CSA adding Walmart, Garmin, Reolink, Qingping, and Japanâs DOCOMO is a signal that Matter is moving past âjust devicesâ into distribution and infrastructure. Watch for Walmartâs low-cost Matter cameras and Reolink getting easier mainstream integration via a bridge. DOCOMO is the sleeper: if ISPs bake Matter + Thread into gateways, adoption can jump overnight.
Product Launches
5 articlesNarwal Releases 2026 Flagship Flow 2 Robot Vacuum8 min
Robot vacuums are racing toward âappliance-levelâ automation, and Narwalâs new Flow 2 is aimed squarely at that: a high-end vac+mop that tries to avoid the usual mopping downside by continuously washing its roller during the run. The big decision is dock styleâstandard self-empty/wash, or a plumbing-connected base for near zero day-to-day upkeep.
ECOVACS launches DEEBOT X12 OmniCyclone with FocusJet and Apple Home support2 min
If youâve avoided robot mops because they just smear dried spills around, ECOVACSâ new DEEBOT X12 aims to fix that with targeted pre-wetting before it scrubs, plus a dock that washes/drys and empties for near hands-off upkeep. The smart-home win: Matter support with Apple Home control and automation, though capabilities depend on what Matter exposes.
SwitchBotâs button-pressing robot is now available with a rechargeable battery2 min
SwitchBotâs tiny âpress a button for youâ Bot now comes in a $34 rechargeable version, making a popular low-effort automation upgrade cheaper and less wasteful over time. The catch: battery life drops hard versus the disposable-battery model, so itâs best for occasional presses, not frequent daily routines.
This New Health-Tracking Pet Collar Is Like a Smartwatch for Dogs and Cats3 min
If youâve wanted more than âGPS dot on a mapâ for pet tracking, Tractiveâs new collars aim to turn behavior and vitals into early-warning signals (stress, unusual breathing, excessive scratching) so you can catch issues sooner. The catch: theyâre only truly useful with cellular service and an ongoing subscription, so budget for the planânot just the collar.
Walmart is updating its 4K streaming box with Gemini and Matter support2 min
A cheap Google TV box is quietly turning into a smart home hub. Walmartâs refreshed Onn 4K Pro adds Gemini for better voice search/control and Matter-over-Thread, so it can control compatible lights, plugs, and sensors without needing another Thread border router. Itâs $10 more than the prior model, but could be a high-value entry point to Matter.
Reviews & Spotlight
5 articlesDeskUp Pro smart standing desk controller integrates with Home Assistant and Homey Pro Smart Home hubs3 min
If youâve wanted your standing desk to behave like a real smart-home device, DeskUp Pro bridges many RJ11/RJ12 desks onto WiâFi so Home Assistant or Homey can set height, run âstand upâ routines, and keep the original keypad working. The catch: desk internals change often, so compatibility depends on your exact control box.
I Ditched Wearables for Sleep Tracker Lamp and Results are Amazing7 min
A compelling alternative to wearable sleep trackers: this bedside lamp uses contact-free radar to track sleep and ties your bad nights to room conditions, so you can actually change something (heat, noise, airflow). The reviewer says the smart alarm and wind-down routines improved mornings, but placement/calibration is picky and partners/pets can skew results. Early bird is $270.
I've tested dozens of robot vacuums, but the Roborock Saros 20 is my favorite yet â here's why18 min
If youâve got thick rugs, tall thresholds, or lots of pet hair, the Roborock Saros 20 is one of the few robovacs that can genuinely handle the âreal homeâ edge cases while still cleaning reliably day to day. The dock also automates nearly all maintenance, but youâll pay flagship moneyâand the reviewer suggests waiting a few months for discounts.
SwitchBot S20 Review: A Budget-Friendly Robot Vacuum and Mop With Matter Support9 min
If you want Apple Home control without paying premium-robot prices, SwitchBotâs S20 largely delivers: solid vacuuming plus a roller-mop that stays cleaner as it runs. The trade-offs are classic budget painâlouder operation, weaker mapping that needs no-go edits, and occasional âgets stuck and drainsâ moments. Matter is handy for quick Siri room cleans, not full control.
5 smart sprinklers you need to keep your lawn green and happy for spring5 min
Smart sprinkler controllers are an easy âset it and forget itâ upgrade that can cut water waste by adjusting schedules around weather and soil moisture â handy if you travel or just forget to water. This roundup highlights options from a HomeKit-friendly hose controller to full systems with a soil sensor, plus a budget timer if you just want basic scheduling.
Projects & How-To
5 articlesHome Assistant's IR proxy turns your dumb TV into a smart oneâfor under $106 min
Home Assistant 2026.4âs new native Infrared support makes âIR blasterâ setups feel like real devices: you target your TV (or AC) with on/off/input commands, not raw codes. With a sub-$10 ESPHome-ready IR proxy you can stay fully local, but expect quirksâno state feedback unless you add your own sensing, and volume changes are step-by-step.
I built a $100 ePaper photo frame that never touches the cloud, and it looks like a real print7 min
A genuinely âofflineâ photo frame is possible: this $100 ePaper build pulls images from your own Immich library, lets Home Assistant do the heavy lifting (pick, resize, dither), then has ESPHome fetch-and-display before going back to deep sleep. The payoff is print-like looks and weeks of battery lifeâwithout accounts, subscriptions, or cloud risk.
My smart thermostat's placement was wasting energyâhere's the $9 fix that worked instantly6 min
If your smart thermostat lives in a hallway, it may be âperfectingâ the wrong room and making you overheat the spaces you actually use. The $9 fix is a small temp sensor placed where comfort matters, then either set a thermostat temperature offset orâbestâlet Home Assistant use that sensor to decide when heat runs.
If you run a home lab and renovate your home, here's what to wire before the walls close up6 min
Renovation is your one shot to make your smart home network painless later: over-run Ethernet while the walls are open, and treat âhard to retrofitâ paths as nonânegotiableâceiling drops for PoE access points, camera/doorbell runs, and conduit through concrete. Also plan power: a dedicated circuit to your rack avoids future headaches (even if WiâFi is âgood enoughâ today).
Wiz bulbs via Matter... and a connection to Star Trek.6 min
If youâre trying to ditch Hue without losing Apple Home control, this shows a workable path: set up WiZ bulbs in the WiZ V2 app, then pull a Matter code to add them to Home. The big takeaway is the authorâs long-term update: Matter-over-WiâFi bulbs (WiZ, then Govee) randomly dropped offline, while IKEAâs Matter-over-Thread E14 bulbs stayed stable and can update firmware without IKEAâs app.
Perspectives
3 articlesShould You Buy a Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum? The Answer Isn't So Simple7 min
Self-emptying robot vacs can be a real quality-of-life upgrade, but they donât eliminate maintenanceâthey postpone it and sometimes add new failure points. Expect periodic dock cleaning, occasional clogs (especially with toys/long hair), more noise, and ongoing bag/filter costs. They shine for frequent cleaning and pet hair, not for âset-and-forgetâ buyers.
The smart home was supposed to be open, but itâs becoming a toll booth5 min
Smart homes are drifting from âbuy it onceâ to âpay to keep it useful,â and the author argues the real lock-in isnât the gadget â itâs the interface layer (smart TV OS, voice assistants, home dashboards) that decides what feels native. Convenience becomes a subtle gatekeeper, nudging you toward paid add-ons while shrinking real choice and ownership.
The Inner Beauty of Home Security Systems - Residential Systems5 min
Security gear is becoming part of the decor, not an eyesore â and that changes how you should plan a system. The big takeaway: fewer, better-placed devices plus unified control can reduce wall/ceiling clutter while improving coverage. For pros, involving security during the design phase (finishes, recessing, wiring paths) is now a differentiator, not a luxury.