The Samsung SmartThings Station Is on Sale for $1 This Weekend
For the next few days, Samsung is practically giving away their new smart home hub, the SmartThings Station—if you’re quick enough to catch it. For $1, a limited number of people can snag one each day, starting at about noon ET through Sept. 17.How smart home hubs make managing many smart home devices easierSmart home…
Why You Need ‘Matter,’ the New Open Standard for Smart Home...
My entire house is “smart:” I remotely control when lights turn on and off, when plants get watered, when humidifiers and air conditioners turn on, and even what I listen to as I go to sleep. There are few things as satisfying for an ‘80s kid as speaking commands into the air and having stuff…
Yes, Your Water Can Go Bad
We all know that food and drinks can go bad. Your refrigerator likely has items right now that were once wholesome food and is now...not wholesome, and no longer food. But one basic component of our lives that might seem immune to that spoilage is water. It’s a pretty fundamental compound, after all, and doesn’t…
Nest 2020 thermostats receive Matter update, which adds Apple Home compatibility
Enlarge / The Nest 2020 thermostat is getting Matter support, making it (theoretically) easier to control across multiple smart home platforms, including Apple's Home.Google A major piece of the smart home market now supports the Matter standard. The 2020 Nest Thermostat is the first smart thermostat to join in the slow-going wave and, in doing…
SwitchBot’s Hub 2 is the first Matter device that really matters
Enlarge / SwitchBot's new Hub 2 is most helpful for those who already have SwitchBot products in their home, but also those with infrared devices they'd like to automate.SwitchBot The Matter smart home connectivity standard has huge promise and lots of device makers lined up to engage with a theoretically more open, less server-dependent future.…
Belkin takes “a big step back” from Matter, endangering universal smart...
Enlarge / Several of Belkin's Wemo smart home accessories support the Thread networking protocol, but the company is holding off on Matter support for now.Belkin Belkin is pumping the brakes on its support for the nascent Matter smart home standard, according to The Verge. Devices from Belkin's Wemo smart home brand may still support Matter…
7 Common Messes From Beauty Products (and How to Clean Them)
Photo: 2p2play (Shutterstock)Nothing beats self-care—except saving money on self-care. Heading to the spa or salon for pampering is special and relaxing, but pampering yourself at home is fulfilling in its own way. You’re saving money, feeling accomplished, and looking great. But you know why going to the pros is as relaxing as it is? You…
Apple’s full-size HomePod is back with new features
The 2023, second-generation HomePod. Apple Here's an X-ray view. Apple You can pair two of them to use as stereo speakers with your Apple TV 4K. Apple As previously rumored, Apple today announced the release of a new second-generation, $299 HomePod smart speaker in a similar design to the first-generation HomePod from 2018. This new…
Where Matter support stands, and what devices are coming, in early...
Enlarge / Mui Labs' Mui Board 2nd Gen embodies the loftiest promise of Matter: a wooden board, from a company you've likely never heard of, controlling devices made by many different companies, even if they're already connected to other apps.Mui First came the specification, then the release, and then CES 2023—it has been a busy…
Matter Smart Home Devices Dominated CES This Year ...
For the past decade or so, smart home tech has been about as prevalent as it gets at CES. That's once again the case here in 2023, with the usual flood of new device announcements from brands both big and small (plus some weird and wonderful ones). This year's crop in Las Vegas has something…
