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More from All the smart home news, reviews, and gadgets you need to know about

How to move a smart homeHow to move a smart home
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Wyze’s latest smart bulb is also a cameraWyze’s latest smart bulb is also a camera
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Homey’s pint-sized smart home hub is now available.

Announced at CES, the $199 Homey Pro Mini can connect to Zigbee, Matter, and Thread devices, along with those from brands like Ikea, Sonos, Lutron, Roomba, Nest, Philips Hue, and Aqara, to run your smart home.

Unlike its bigger sibling, the $400 Homey Pro, it doesn’t support Z-Wave, BLE, or IR, and can handle fewer integrations, but is a good option for a simpler way into more advanced home automation.

Homey launches a $200 smart home hub

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
My cat just outsmarted my smart home.

As I was making breakfast this morning, Smokey jumped onto the counter, walked over to the sink, nuzzled his head against the motion sensor in the Moen smart faucet, and proceeded to drink from the flowing water.

I’m so proud! (Now, if I could train him to do the dishes... .)

The smartest cat in the house.
The smartest cat in the house.
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Google’s Home APIs are gaining Gemini intelligenceGoogle’s Home APIs are gaining Gemini intelligence
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Switchbot’s latest lock can unlock with a lookSwitchbot’s latest lock can unlock with a look
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
I tested a robot vacuum with an arm, and my dog may never forgive me

5

Verge Score

The Roborock Saros Z70 is the first vacuum that can tidy up before it cleans — but it’s still a work in progress.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
I let lasers power my smart home — and I don’t want to go back

A year testing a smart lock with a hidden superpower: infrared wireless charging.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
I put four robot lawnmowers through a brutal backyard battle

These autonomous cutters show promise, but there’s still a ways to go before you should trust one in your yard.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Matter’s latest update brings tap-to-pair setupMatter’s latest update brings tap-to-pair setup
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Wyze paid $255,000 in tariffs on $167,000 worth of goods.

The budget smart home company posted its first tariff bill on X this afternoon, adding that it’s been working on moving manufacturing out of China for a year and will “probably be out in 60 days.”

The next post was a GIF of Robin Williams, indicating that the company, known for its affordable security cameras -- including floodlight cameras, is shifting production to Vietnam.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
This smart grill now costs $50 more thanks to tariffs.

The price hike for the Brisk It Zelos-450 Smart Grill, which went on sale yesterday, brings the wood-pellet grill with a side of AI to $450. While cheaper than the competition (Weber and Traeger smart grills start around $800), it’s a bummer to see more affordable smart grilling go up in smoke.

CEO Christopher Huang tells The Verge the increase is “a direct and unavoidable result of newly imposed tariffs.” This is likely just the beginning of price hikes across the smart home.

Aqara adds support for 50 new Matter device typesAqara adds support for 50 new Matter device types
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Samsung is finally releasing BallieSamsung is finally releasing Ballie
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy