1 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Smart Home Archive

Archives for January 2026

I used Claude to vibe-code my wildly overcomplicated smart home

After years of trying to switch to Home Assistant, Claude Code got me (mostly) there in one afternoon.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Clean floors don’t have to cost a fortune.

While robot vacuums are getting fancier and more sophisticated (there’s now one that can climb stairs!), there are lots of great budget bots you can get for just a couple of hundred bucks that will keep your floors swept and mopped.

Check out my top picks for the best budget robot vacuum and mop in my updated buying guide.

The best budget robot vacuums

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
The Loch Capsule dishwasher is small, fast, and efficient — it even sanitizes gadgets

8

Verge Score

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Netatmo launches a new smart thermostat.

The French smart home brand has announced the Thermostat Original (€149.99) and the Radiator Thermostat Original (coming soon). Both will work with Matter through an included Thermo Hub.

The Thermostat is Netatmo’s first product to work with Matter. Designed for European homes, it supports boilers, air-water heat pumps, and wood/pellet stoves.

The new thermostat comes in wired or wireless versions.
The new thermostat comes in wired or wireless versions.
Image: Netatmo
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
DJI’s see-through robot vacuum might soon work with Matter.

As first spotted by Matter Alpha, the Chinese drone manufacturer has joined the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organization behind Matter.

This means it could potentially add Matter support to its new Romo robot vacuum line, allowing the robot to work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or any other Matter ecosystem.

The Romo line is the drone maker’s first foray into the smart home.
The Romo line is the drone maker’s first foray into the smart home.
IMAGE: DJI
CES 2026 was packed with smart home gadgets that matter

Better prices, better features, and Matter support made this a standout year for the connected home.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy