All articles tagged with #smart home devices
CES 2026 showcased innovative smart home devices including a stair-climbing robot vacuum, battery-free smart locks, a modular carpet cleaner, AI-enhanced Google TV, and advanced robot mowers, highlighting trends in autonomy, AI integration, and seamless connectivity. Many of these devices are set to launch later this year or in 2026, promising more autonomous, efficient, and interconnected home tech.
The 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, voted by over 1,100 readers, highlight top gadgets across categories including iPhone 17 Pro, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, Google Pixel 10 Pro, MacBook Pro M5, and AirPods Pro 3, showcasing popular and innovative tech of the year.
This article highlights ten new Amazon gadgets and accessories added in 2025, all under $100 and highly rated, including a Bluetooth speaker, digital camera keychain, power bank, fitness tracker, sunrise alarm clock, security camera, gaming controller, open earbuds, star projector, and a smart speaker, offering a variety of innovative and affordable tech options.
Google has begun rolling out Gemini for Home in the US in early access, allowing users to replace Google Assistant on compatible devices, with access requiring a request and a paid subscription for certain features.
Neato robot vacuums will lose their cloud-based control and revert to manual operation after the parent company Vorwerk shut down cloud services, ending remote control and scheduling features, highlighting the risks of internet-connected devices losing functionality when companies discontinue support.
The article reviews six smart home devices that the author continues to use after testing, including a smart plug with energy management, a versatile climate sensor, a Google Nest floodlight camera, an Echo Show 8 smart display, a SnapPower Guidelight nightlight, and a SwitchBot leak detector, highlighting their usefulness and automation capabilities.
Belkin will end support for nearly all its Wemo smart home devices by January 31, 2026, with only those configured through Apple HomeKit continuing to work afterward; features relying on cloud connectivity will cease, and support will be discontinued, though some devices will still function via HomeKit.
Amazon's early Prime Day sale offers significant discounts on popular devices like Fire TV sticks, Echo speakers, and smart security cameras, with some items like the Blink Mini 2 and Echo Show 8 available at record-low prices, making it a great opportunity to upgrade your smart home gear.
Amazon has launched a massive tech sale for Father's Day with deals starting at $12.99, featuring record-low prices on smart home devices like the Amazon smart plug, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Fire HD 8 tablet. These limited-time offers are perfect for creating a high-tech home and may not be seen again until the July Prime Day sale.
Google is reminding owners of Nest Secure, Dropcam, and Dropcam Pro smart home devices that they will stop working on April 8. The cameras will no longer be controllable in the Nest app, but existing history will remain available to view and download for a limited time. Google is offering free replacements for these decade-old cameras and providing support options for affected users, including free ADT Self Setup System or $200 in Google Store Credit for Nest Secure owners, and free Nest Connect for Nest x Yale Lock users.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) has introduced a new IoT Device Security Specification program, aiming to provide a globally recognized security certification for consumer IoT devices. The program, which includes requirements such as unique device identity and secure software updates, will offer a Product Security Verified (PSV) Mark to compliant devices. This initiative, supported by major companies like Google, Amazon, and Philips Hue, seeks to simplify the certification process for manufacturers and provide consumers with easily identifiable indicators of a product's security. While the program focuses on device security rather than privacy, it represents a significant step forward in addressing IoT device security concerns, with plans for ongoing updates and incident response requirements.
Upgrading to a Wi-Fi 6 mesh wifi system offers several benefits, including improved coverage, faster throughput speeds, reduced power consumption, enhanced security with WPA3 encryption, and a smooth transition process. Newer mesh routers provide better coverage with fewer points, support Wi-Fi 6 standard, and offer enhanced security features. The upgrade process is relatively painless, and the improved performance results in faster speeds, fewer outages, and better connectivity for smart home devices.
Tech enthusiasts can rejoice this Presidents Day with incredible deals on laptops, smartphones, TVs, wearable tech, and smart home devices. From discounts on Apple MacBook Air and Dell laptops to savings on Samsung Galaxy S24+ and iPhone 15 Pro, as well as smart TVs and smartwatches, there are plenty of options to upgrade your tech arsenal. Additionally, smart home essentials like Ring doorbells and Amazon Echo Show 15 are also available at discounted prices, making it the perfect time to elevate your home's efficiency and convenience.
Wyze security cameras experienced an outage, preventing users from accessing their smart home devices and apps, with reports of issues starting as early as 4AM ET. As of just before 1PM ET, many Wyze owners reported their devices were back online, with the company confirming the restoration and ongoing investigation into an issue with the Events Tab. The problem was attributed to an issue with their AWS partner, impacting device connection and causing login difficulties. Wyze has faced previous privacy incidents, including a 2019 data breach and a security flaw, and has not yet provided details on the cause of the recent problem.
Amazon's Blink Mini security cameras are currently on sale for $20 each, offering a 33 percent discount. The sale also includes the Blink Outdoor 4 camera for $65 and the Blink Video Doorbell system for $45. These devices offer features such as 1080p video, two-way audio, and motion detection. However, it's important to consider Amazon's privacy record, particularly with its Ring brand.