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This review covers the Beatbot AquaSense X robotic pool cleaner, which features a self-cleaning AstroRinse station and offers similar floor cleaning performance to its predecessor.
Schlage's new Sense Pro smart lock uses ultra-wideband (UWB) for hands-free auto-unlock, supports Matter-over-Thread and Apple Home Key, and has no visible keyhole. It is currently iPhone/Apple Watch only, with Android support planned later via Aliro.
Matic will raise its robot vacuum's price by $250 to $1,495 on September 9, citing rising component costs. The company also extends its return policy to six months and offers free replacement bags with direct purchases.
The Verge's Version History podcast explores the founding story of Nest, Tony Fadell's attempt to reinvent the thermostat, and its mixed success.
A guide to building a fully local voice assistant using Platypush on a Raspberry Pi, covering hotword detection, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and home automation integration.
A review of SwitchBot's new battery-powered Standing Circulator Fan, highlighting its versatility, quiet operation, and smart home integration, though noting limited Matter support and insufficient cooling for large rooms.
The author humorously argues for the value of simple, non-smart home devices, critiquing the trend toward AI-powered automation and voice assistants while acknowledging the potential drawbacks of smart home technology.
Thermacell launches Liv 2.0, a larger and more expensive smart mosquito repellent system with Wi-Fi connectivity and professional installation, covering up to 3000 square feet.
An analysis of why the smart home bubble burst, tracing problems from IoT device abandonment and subscription fatigue to the complexity of local solutions like Home Assistant, and noting that true AI-driven intelligence remains elusive.
Google is expanding its Gemini AI-powered smart home features to third parties, aiming to monetize through subscriptions as the cost of smart home technology rises.
Wired's 2026 review of indoor garden systems highlights the Gardyn Home 4.0 as the easiest to assemble and most productive, noting its AI-driven subscription app Kelby (powered by ChatGPT) for automated plant care.
The author built an agentic system that automates daily briefs for their children, using cron jobs and a web service to generate and print personalized reports via a receipt printer.
Home Assistant is an open source home automation platform that prioritizes local control and privacy, built by a global community and suitable for Raspberry Pi or local servers.