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.
These new Echo devices may have just won Alexa Plus a permanent place in my smart home.
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.
From smart chicken coops to robot lawnmowers, smart sprinklers, AI-powered grills, and smart lighting, this tour shows how tech can help you manage, maintain, and get more out of your 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.
From circadian rhythm lamps to immersive TV backlighting and festive outdoor setups, smart lighting is easier and more versatile than ever. Here’s some ideas on how to make it work in your home.
With Nest stripped for parts, can Google’s new AI-powered Google Home win back users?
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.
Code spotted by 9to5Google suggests the new name. The speaker is expected to arrive on October 1st.
Google says it has completed its transition of Nest products to the Google Home App, a process it started in 2023.
The company announced it has added hot water controls for UK/EU users of Nest thermostats, one of the last major features still available only in the Nest app. Hot water boost, scheduling, and temperature settings will roll out in the coming weeks, allowing Nest users to control all their Nest devices through the Google Home app.
A ball-catching robot tennis coach, cuddly AI robots, and a laptop with a rotating screen for optimal doomscrolling.
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.
It’s officially Day 1 of the IFA 2025 tech show, and I made a beeline for the Smart Home hall, where I’ll be checking out new products from Govee (like these fetching new pendant lights — coming soon), Aqara, Reolink, Aeotec, Shelly, and more.
Stay tuned to our IFA story stream for all the news.
At least Dreame’s new Cyber X robot moves slowly so I can run away from it as it creeps up the stairs.
Jokes aside, you should watch this video from Jen Tuohy, who saw the fascinating robot at IFA.
