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Smart Home

The smart home was once a far-flung pipe dream, but it is now a reality. Wherever you live, your home is ground zero for some of the most interesting tech available right now, and tech that’s yet to come. Best of all, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get your home up and running with smart hardware and services.

Home security and monitoring solutions can alert you to a burglary, smoke, fire, or just simple motion activity. There are plenty of options with a range of capabilities, from smart doorbells and smart locks to indoor and outdoor cameras that can see in the dark.

Smart speakers, like the Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod each play a big role in helping you out, too. In the kitchen, they can read out recipes, or if you’re cleaning, you can call out to them to change the song on the fly. If you buy smart light bulbs, for instance, you can turn them on and off by using your voice.

The Mui Board will support mmWave sleep tracking and gesture controlThe Mui Board will support mmWave sleep tracking and gesture control
Lockin’s new vein-scanning smart lock has a video doorbell and recharges wirelesslyLockin’s new vein-scanning smart lock has a video doorbell and recharges wirelessly
Mammotion’s flagship robot lawnmower now uses lidar to map your yardMammotion’s flagship robot lawnmower now uses lidar to map your yard
Aliro arrives – the smart lock standard is set to launch this yearAliro arrives – the smart lock standard is set to launch this year
SwitchBot’s AI-powered desk light looks like a pixel-art snow globeSwitchBot’s AI-powered desk light looks like a pixel-art snow globe
SwitchBot’s new E Ink display seems great for weather nerdsSwitchBot’s new E Ink display seems great for weather nerds
You can unlock SwitchBot’s first deadbolt smart lock with your faceYou can unlock SwitchBot’s first deadbolt smart lock with your face
SwitchBot says its humanoid household robot can do your laundrySwitchBot says its humanoid household robot can do your laundry
Narwal’s Flow 2 robovac might help you find that earring you lostNarwal’s Flow 2 robovac might help you find that earring you lost
Govee’s latest smart lights can make your ceiling more interestingGovee’s latest smart lights can make your ceiling more interesting
Jackery’s expensive solar-powered Gazebo is a good DIY ideaJackery’s expensive solar-powered Gazebo is a good DIY idea
This smart fridge wants to solve the hassle of grocery shoppingThis smart fridge wants to solve the hassle of grocery shopping
Petkit’s first automatic wet food feeder keeps track of how much your pet eatsPetkit’s first automatic wet food feeder keeps track of how much your pet eats
The FCC has probably killed a plan to improve smart home securityThe FCC has probably killed a plan to improve smart home security
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Ikea has made some of its Matter-compatible smart home devices even cheaper.

As the cost of some electronics continues to skyrocket, Ikea has dropped the price of several of its new smart home accessories. The Myggspray motion and Klippbok water sensors are now down to $7.99 from $9.99, and while the three-pack of the colorful two-button Bilresa remotes launched in the US for $19.99, they’re now $14.99.

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Three images of Ikea’s new Matter-compatible smart home accessories.
Two of Ikea’s new Matter-compatible smart home sensors and its two-button remote are now cheaper in the US.
Image: Ikea
How AI broke the smart home in 2025 

The arrival of generative AI assistants in our smart homes held such promise; instead, they struggle to turn on the lights.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Birdfy’s Hum Bloom captures 120fps slow motion footage of hummingbirdsBirdfy’s Hum Bloom captures 120fps slow motion footage of hummingbirds
Nathan Edwards
Nathan Edwards
SmartThings is the first platform to support Matter cameras.

Samsung is rolling out the update this month, and it’s working with Aqara, Eve and Ulticam on Matter cameras. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy called it:

SmartThings will probably jump on adoption. Samsung abandoned its first-party camera hardware years ago, and Matter could provide the platform with the opportunity for broader camera support it desperately needs.

Samsung SmartThings Becomes the Industry’s First To Support Matter Cameras

[Samsung]

26 practical smart home gifts that make everyday life a little easier26 practical smart home gifts that make everyday life a little easier
iRobot’s bankruptcy isn’t the end — it’s a reboot

The Roomba maker is being sold to its Chinese contract manufacturer, a move CEO Gary Cohen says will keep the company alive and allow it to grow.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Alexa Plus can now answer your Ring doorbell.

Amazon’s AI-powered assistant can use visual context from Ring doorbells to identify visitors, interpret why they’re there, and interact “intelligently” using natural language, according to the company. The feature, first announced in September, launches today and will work with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro (3rd Gen) and the Ring Video Doorbell Plus (2nd Gen) and requires a Ring subscription.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

The latest Ring video doorbell can interact with visitors using Alexa Plus.
The latest Ring video doorbell can interact with visitors using Alexa Plus.
Photo by Owen Grove / The Verge
Alexa Plus’ website is live for some usersAlexa Plus’ website is live for some users
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
How Roomba invented the home robot — and lost the future

iRobot’s collapse marks the end of an era. Co-founder Colin Angle calls it a blow for robotics.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Who is Picea Robotics, Roomba’s new owner?Who is Picea Robotics, Roomba’s new owner?
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
iRobot files for bankruptcyiRobot files for bankruptcy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Mmm, Qi donutsMmm, Qi donuts
Andrew Liszewski
AT&T’s new home security system is powered by Google Home and AbodeAT&T’s new home security system is powered by Google Home and Abode
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Ikea’s new two-button Matter remote launches in the US for $6.

Following the release of several of Ikea’s new Matter-compatible smart home sensors earlier this week, the two-button version of the company’s Bilresa Matter remote is now available through Ikea’s US website and several of its stores across the country. It’s listed at $7.99 but is currently discounted to $5.99.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

A finger presses one of the buttons on Ikea’s Matter-compatible Bilresa remote.
Image: Ikea
August’s founders are back with a smart front door

Doma Home debuts the first motorized door that works with Matter and uses mmWave and UWB tech to automatically open as you approach.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
The best doorbell camerasThe best doorbell cameras
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Blink cameras can now tell you what they’re seeing with video descriptions.

The feature uses AI to give you more detailed motion notifications, like describing people the camera or doorbell detects, much like the AI video descriptions Ring cameras got earlier this year.

Video descriptions are launching as an early access beta feature and require a paid Blink subscription.

A screenshot of an AI video description in a notification for a Blink camera
Image: Blink
Some of Ikea’s Matter-compatible smart devices are now available in the USSome of Ikea’s Matter-compatible smart devices are now available in the US
Chamberlain blocks smart home integrations with its garage door openers — againChamberlain blocks smart home integrations with its garage door openers — again
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Kohler’s stopped claming its Dekoda toilet camera uses end-to-end encryption.

After Simon Fondrie-Teitler called out the Dekoda health tracker’s incorrect use of the term end-to-end encryption because Kohler does have access to the data it collects, the company has updated the toilet cam’s product pages to now say that user data is “encrypted in transit and at rest.”

‘End-to-end encrypted’ smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted | TechCrunch

[TechCrunch]

This new Honeywell Home smart thermostat can answer your Ring doorbellThis new Honeywell Home smart thermostat can answer your Ring doorbell
Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
Aqara’s S1 Plus smart home hub adds built-in Siri support.

Aqara’s seven-inch touchscreen Panel Hub S1 Plus has gotten a major update that adds built-in Siri support, so you can tap Apple’s virtual assistant, even when your phone or HomePod aren’t nearby. While built-in Siri isn’t new, it hasn’t enjoyed the same level of support as Alexa. For now, unfortunately, the S1 Plus isn’t available in the US, however.

This Cyber Monday deal on smart glasses was too good for my husband to pass upThis Cyber Monday deal on smart glasses was too good for my husband to pass up
The best Cyber Monday deals on some of my favorite smart home gearThe best Cyber Monday deals on some of my favorite smart home gear
The latest Nest Learning Thermostat is $70 off for Black FridayThe latest Nest Learning Thermostat is $70 off for Black Friday
Dreame’s X40 Ultra is arguably the best robovac deal you can grab for Black FridayDreame’s X40 Ultra is arguably the best robovac deal you can grab for Black Friday

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