Shelly’s new presence sensor simultaneously detects up to 10 people without a camera
Shelly’s new presence sensor simultaneously detects up to 10 people without a camera

Following the launch of its $50 subscription-free security camera last month, Shelly announced another new accessory for smart home automation today that can keep track of multiple people as they move through rooms or large spaces without recording them. The Shelly Presence Gen4 sensor uses mmWave radar technology instead of a camera to detect the […]

How Apple can win the smart home
How Apple can win the smart home

This week, Apple is hosting its first-ever dedicated smart home event. While the company hasn’t shared details about what it will reveal at the “Welcome Home experience” in New York City on Tuesday, October 13th, it doesn’t take an army of internet sleuths to deduce we’ll get news about Apple Home – specifically, new hardware. […]

Schlage’s Sense Pro unlocks the door so I don’t have to
Schlage’s Sense Pro unlocks the door so I don’t have to

The Schlage Sense Pro is a beautiful smart lock. Sleek, discreet, and simple to use, it’s Schlage’s smartest lock to date. Thanks to ultra-wideband (UWB), it unlocks as I walk up to my front door; I don’t need to enter a code or tap my phone or press my finger against it. I’ve tested several […]

Google built a great smart speaker, but Gemini isn’t ready for it
Google built a great smart speaker, but Gemini isn’t ready for it

Smart speakers have spent the past few years searching for a compelling second act. Beyond music, timers, and controlling your lights, they’ve struggled to justify taking up space on the kitchen counter. AI promised to change that. Amazon debuted its new hardware powered by a revamped Alexa last fall, and now it’s finally Google’s turn. […]

The Flipper Zero creators’ Busy Bar productivity display will go on sale next month
The Flipper Zero creators’ Busy Bar productivity display will go on sale next month

First announced over a year ago in April 2025, the Busy Bar will be available for purchase starting on July 14th when the device also starts shipping. Created by the same team behind the Flipper Zero wireless multitool, the Busy Bar is instead described as a “productivity multitool” that relies on a pixelated LED display […]

Inside the room where the smart home industry is still betting on Matter
Inside the room where the smart home industry is still betting on Matter

Four years ago, overlooking a canal in Amsterdam, the smart home industry collectively launched Matter, the one interoperability standard to rule them all. Heralded as the solution to the industry’s struggles, Matter was built on open standards and existing technologies and is the result of years of collaboration between traditional rivals, including Apple, Google, Amazon, […]

Philips Hue’s smart lights are getting a connectivity upgrade
Philips Hue’s smart lights are getting a connectivity upgrade

Philips Hue has announced a connectivity upgrade for its Matter-over-Thread-enabled smart bulbs that will allow them to run both Thread and Zigbee at the same time. The change means you can connect compatible Hue bulbs and fixtures directly to a Matter ecosystem – Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home – while keeping them linked […]

Thread Direct looks to solve Matter’s biggest setup headache
Thread Direct looks to solve Matter’s biggest setup headache

The smart home networking protocol Thread is adding a new way to onboard devices without a Thread border router. The feature, called Thread Direct, is designed to let users set up Thread-powered devices – such as smart plugs and smart locks – using only a phone or mobile device equipped with a Thread radio. Current […]

Got Thread problems? There’s an app for that
Got Thread problems? There’s an app for that

The new Thread Networks Diagnostics Tools app from Thread Group, the standards body behind the wireless IoT protocol, officially launches in beta today. The app, which arrives in beta today on iOS and Android, is the first dedicated tool to provide visibility into your Thread-based smart home network. I’ve been testing the alpha version of […]

Will Matter finally be able to do what it should have always done?
Will Matter finally be able to do what it should have always done?

Matter, the smart home interoperability standard, might finally get a feature that should have been there from day one: a single shared Matter network managed by multiple ecosystems. With this feature, called Joint Fabric, smart devices added to the network will be controllable by any authorized platform – Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and […]