Platforms & Ecosystem
4 articlesSchneider Electric to Acquire Shelly Group2 min
Schneider Electric plans to acquire Shelly Group, a move that could turn Shelly’s open, DIY-friendly devices into a stronger bridge between smart homes and professional energy-management systems. The deal still needs regulatory and shareholder approval, so deeper integration is only a possibility for now. Shelly is expected to retain its Bulgarian teams and R&D, while Schneider’s reach could improve global availability and give Matter, Zigbee, Wi‑Fi, and Thread users more enterprise-grade energy options.
Sendspin nears 1.0 — and could unite AirPlay, Sonos, and proprietary speakers8 min
Sendspin could make multi-room audio a genuinely open smart-home layer: Music Assistant already synchronizes native devices with bridged AirPlay, Sonos, and Chromecast gear, while ESPHome lets DIY hardware join in without replacing an existing system. Release Candidate 1 suggests the protocol is maturing, but home theater remains unresolved—and Google’s Cast changes show why open alternatives matter.
CISA Warns of Security Flaws in Eufy Omni C20 and X10 Pro Omni Robot Vacuums3 min
CISA says Eufy’s Omni C20 and X10 Pro Omni robot vacuums have vulnerabilities that could let attackers execute commands, access mapping data, intercept communications, or run code. There are no reports of active exploitation, but owners should immediately check the firmware in the eufy Clean app and update to version 1.6.4 or later. Don’t assume automatic updates succeeded.
Samsung's redesigned SmartThings app is finally rolling out on Android2 min
SmartThings’ Android redesign is finally catching up with the iPhone version, but the meaningful change is control over the app itself: denser cards can be resized and rearranged, while tapping a card’s icon handles quick actions without opening the device. A customizable Home view, Favorites, and a movable, light-mode TV remote should make frequently used devices and routines faster to reach, though the rollout is gradual.
Product Launches
5 articlesEpson’s new 4K laser projectors support Matter — and they could automate your entire movie night5 min
Epson’s new 4K laser projectors are among the first home-cinema devices with native Matter, potentially letting one scene dim lights, close blinds, power the projector, and select an input. The catch: they’re only certified as Matter Basic Video Devices, and Epson hasn’t said which controls work. Starting at $1,999.99, the integration suits installed theaters—not buyers seeking a convenient UST setup.
Anker's new eufy S4 video doorbell sees everything with 360-degree AI tracking3 min
eufy’s S4 is an ambitious wired doorbell built around a panoramic view: owners can pan the feed from a phone or VR headset, while AI automatically follows visitors in tighter event clips. Local storage avoids a mandatory cloud subscription, but the headline VR and tracking features are largely trapped in eufy’s app; Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home receive only a fixed live view. It also needs existing doorbell wiring.
This new UK domestic 'data furnace' from Heata can convert cloud computing waste heat into free hot water4 min
Heata is turning a home’s hot-water cylinder into a miniature data center: rented servers run cloud workloads, and their waste heat supplies showers and taps. The company covers the server’s extra electricity, aiming to provide roughly 80% of water-heating demand while giving households free heat. The catch is significant: the system needs fast broadband and a vented cylinder, so homes with pressurized unvented systems cannot use it.
This $3,555 Humanoid Robot Learns New Chores in 30 Minutes, Startup Says - CNET6 min
Flourish 1 could make household robots far more accessible: the $3,555 wheeled machine learns chores from a phone demonstration, then performs them autonomously rather than requiring a remote operator. That makes tasks like tidying, wiping surfaces and watering plants plausible, but its 1.5-kg payload, inability to use stairs or water, optional cloud subscription and unproven production run temper the pitch. Just 50 units are initially planned, so this is an intriguing preorder—not a proven robot revolution.
ULTRALOQ’s new smart locks combine Aliro and Matter — here’s how the two standards fit together3 min
ULTRALOQ’s new Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro show how Aliro and Matter complement rather than compete: Aliro manages phone or wearable digital keys at the door, while Matter connects the lock to Apple Home, Google Home, or SmartThings automations. They use Matter over Thread, so a border router is required. Bolt Mission instead emphasizes local UWB hands-free unlocking, but ULTRALOQ hasn’t confirmed Aliro support—an odd omission for a flagship access feature.
Reviews & Spotlight
4 articlesMova LiDAX Pro 800 Review: This Robomower Tried to Mow Me Down11 min
The Mova LiDAX Pro 800 is a capable, relatively affordable wire-free robomower—until safety enters the picture. Gizmodo repeatedly watched it press into a tester’s leg, ram garden beds, and knock over a pot, while its bumper failed to stop it reliably. LiDAR navigation and an even cut are appealing for flat, simple lawns, but an October software fix is only promised; until obstacle avoidance and bump detection improve, this mower is a hard pass.
The Most Advanced Home Device I’ve Tested This Year Is in My Garage - CNET9 min
The Chamberlain Premier turns a garage-door replacement into a broader security and access upgrade: remote control, auto-close rules, schedules, delivery access, bright lighting, and a capable AI camera all live in one system. It works well and can make an old garage quieter and safer, but professional installation is wise, side-mounted openers aren’t supported, and the best camera alerts and recording require a subscription. Privacy-conscious owners can disable or narrow the camera.
Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro review: Birds can’t get enough5 min
Kiwibit’s Bird Feeder 2 Pro turns backyard watching into a genuinely connected, low-maintenance setup: its 4K HDR camera and PDAF autofocus keep close-up birds sharp, while the solar panel reduces charging hassle. The app’s included AI species recognition is a meaningful improvement over the ad-heavy predecessor, though motion alerts can become noisy and cloud-storage prompts remain. You’ll need your own pole, and reliable Wi-Fi may depend on outdoor coverage.
Beelicious FreshTrack review: A smart vacuum sealer that also prints labels and tracks your food5 min
FreshTrack tackles the part of bulk food storage that vacuum sealers usually ignore: remembering what is in the freezer. Its built-in printer creates a date label while the companion app logs each bag, tracks pantry inventory, and warns when food should be used, potentially cutting waste. The $139.99 machine otherwise covers familiar sealing jobs; its real value depends on consistently scanning items and using the app.
Projects & How-To
4 articlesThe June oven could live on3 min
Project July is trying to rescue June Ovens from Weber’s cloud shutdown by moving their smart features onto the appliance itself. The community build already enables local phone control, Home Assistant integration, remote preheating and a much better camera feed, without external servers. It is promising for supported Gen 2 ovens, but installation requires opening the appliance, while Gen 3 support and an iOS app remain unresolved.
GitHub - mbillow/localthings: Local-control Home Assistant component that authenticates to newer-firmware Samsung devices and talks over CoAP-DTLS.10 min
Samsung appliance owners can bring washers, ovens, refrigerators, HVAC units and more into Home Assistant with LocalThings, without relying on Samsung’s cloud for day-to-day control. It communicates locally over encrypted CoAP and supports push updates, while newer models usually need only an IP address. The trade-offs: first setup contacts Samsung once, appliances must remain registered in SmartThings, and some older models need tokens or insecure legacy TLS.
Building Tinyboard: a Rust-based platform for e-ink gadget apps16 min
Tinyboard shows why cheap ESP32 e-paper boards are compelling smart-home building blocks: the screen can hold state while the device sleeps, so a train or tide display wakes briefly, fetches data, and runs for months. The Rust platform turns each new gadget into a small app, while a built-in captive portal makes gifting practical—no companion app or laptop. The real lessons are power budgeting, flash/RAM limits, and unreliable vendor hardware files.
Alexa who? This jailbroken Echo Spot runs a custom Android skin and reports to a PC3 min
A $4 first-generation Echo Spot has been rescued from Alexa’s dead end and turned into a custom smart-home dashboard. After installing LineageOS, its circular screen reports PC activity, market data, speech-to-text results, and AI-agent progress, while a lightweight agent runs on the user’s computer. The GitHub project makes replication possible, but rooting and adapting the aging hardware still demands patience and technical skill.
Perspectives
2 articlesAmazon’s Ring wants to replace local WhatsApp groups. It’s a recipe for curtain-twitching disaster | Imogen West-Knights6 min
Ring is bringing Neighbours to the UK, turning its camera app into a moderated local messageboard where police can request footage from nearby residents. The pitch is safer, less chaotic community discussion, but the author argues that Ring may be institutionalising the worst parts of neighbourhood surveillance. The useful tension is clear: informal groups can be cruel and paranoid, yet their messy spontaneity also enables real kindness and connection.
Thoughts & Questions Around Apple's Would-Be 'HomePod Hub'13 min
Apple’s rumored HomePod Hub could finally give Apple Home a family-facing control point, combining a screen, speaker, Siri and personalized accounts. The catch is the value proposition: an always-plugged-in, camera-equipped device may duplicate an iPad while raising privacy concerns, and a likely $499-or-more price makes buying several around the house difficult. Its success hinges less on HomeKit integration than on whether Siri is genuinely useful.