Smart Home

Amazon and Google just launched a bunch of new smart home hardware and software features this week, and I know you have questions. I haven’t tested any of them yet, but I got some hands-on time with the new gadgets and spoke with folks at both companies about the new features, so come ask me anything! I’ll go live at 1 PM ET.

Amazon is bringing facial recognition to its latest Ring 2K and 4K cameras and doorbell. Familiar Faces lets you enroll friends and family, so you’ll get a notification saying “Emma is at the front door” if it’s someone you know. Google has had a similar feature on Nest cameras for years, but this is the first Ring hardware with facial recognition.

The feature will be available first for dogs in November, and will work for cats and other pets in the future.

This summer, The Verge’s video team braved 90-degree temps to capture the smart home tech I test and use in my backyard.

An update to Google Home for web lets you control more devices from your browser, including Nest thermostats. A new Devices tab alongside Cameras and Automations tabs now lets you view the live status of and control connected gadgets such as lights, locks, blinds, robot vacuums, garage doors, plugs, and switches.

The speaker spotted at Google’s Pixel event could be called the Google Home Speaker -- reviving the original branding of Google’s smart speakers, which was dropped in 2019 in favor of Nest.

Google says it has completed its transition of Nest products to the Google Home App, a process it started in 2023.

Just days after Google leaked its own new Nest Doorbell and Cams with Gemini, a Redditor spotted all three new products in the wild at Home Depot. 9to5Google points out that stock arriving so early probably means they’ll go on sale immediately after the October 1st launch.