Smart home devices and connected technology, from security systems and smart appliances to everyday gadgets that make homes more convenient and efficient.
Check wiring, LED and dimmer compatibility, multi-way controls and smart-home requirements before work begins to avoid flicker, limited brightness and costly changes after decorating. Renovation plans often settle the lighting layout before anyone chooses the dimmers. But a control that…
The M200 offers dual-band Wi-Fi, PoE, infrared control and a built-in speaker, while the M3’s higher device capacity is aimed at larger systems. Its offline recovery features, however, may not work reliably in practice. The Aqara M200 and Hub M3…
The 2026.11 release lets dashboards combine area, device and entity names for clearer labels, while preserving existing IDs and automations. Home Assistant’s 2026.11 release is changing how names appear across the smart-home platform. Instead of repeating room and device details…
Connected appliances, vehicles and industrial systems can expose wider networks when software, credentials or remote access are poorly protected. Researchers say security must be built in from the start. Cybersecurity researchers are increasingly warning that the risks posed by internet-connected…
Ring’s Battery Video Doorbell Pro (2nd Gen) pairs 4K footage with radar motion detection and a swappable battery. But many of its smartest features require a paid Ring plan. Ring’s Battery Video Doorbell Pro (2nd Gen) is built around a…
As Amazon, Google and Apple add familiar-face features, cameras can do more than record visitors: they can identify and log people who have never agreed to be scanned. A delivery worker on a suburban round does not usually think of…
The company’s Intelligent Insights service offers scheduled performance reports, recommendations and technical support to help building teams spot faults and keep lighting settings aligned with how spaces are used. Lighting control systems are often installed with the expectation that they…
A reliable EU smart-home setup starts with exact device models and their protocols, not a hub brand. Thread infrastructure, regional radio versions and platform-specific features can all affect what works. Choosing an EU-ready smart-home system is less about a brand…
Research and consumer guidance point to weak accounts, outdated software and poor door hardware as key vulnerabilities. Smart locks can offer more control than keys, but only when the whole security system is maintained. Smart locks can be attacked, but…
A setup combining Piper, Whisper and a local language model can answer voice queries and read household alerts aloud, without relying on cloud services. Piper has become more than a text-to-speech add-on in one Home Assistant setup; it now sits…
A developer linked Claude Code to an Echo Dot through Home Assistant, turning long-running tasks into spoken Japanese updates , after working around SSH, authentication and storage snags. A developer has described building a Home Assistant-based bridge that lets Claude…
HomePod software 27.2 adds Lock Controls to stop stray touches changing playback or volume, while keeping alarms, timers and voice control available. Apple has added a setting to HomePod that is designed to stop accidental touch input from interrupting playback…
