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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.

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We’re one step closer to a global cybersecurity standard for smart home devices

The organization behind Matter is launching a new product label that should make it easier to determine whether your smart home gadget is secure.

Pixel 8 drops below $500 for the first time

We also found big savings on a TCL QM8, solid discounts on a Kasa smart bulb four-pack, and $25 off the Apple TV 4K for Sam’s Club members.

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The Verge
The FCC’s new US Cyber Trust Mark program is moving forward.

Described as an “Energy Star label for the IoT,” this will put the logo revealed last year on participating products that meet certain standards for security, along with a QR code customers can scan to find the latest info about how updates work, or how long the support window will be.

After voting in favor of rules and a framework to move forward, the FCC is now asking for some input:

The Commission is also seeking public comment on additional potential disclosure requirements, including whether software or firmware for a product is developed or deployed by a company located in a country that presents national security concerns and whether customer data collected by the product will be sent to servers located in such a country.


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Schlage smart locks now integrate directly with Airbnb.

The Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt, Encode Plus, and Encode Smart WiFi Lever smart locks can all now be controlled from the Airbnb app. This means you won't have to download separate apps or wait for a host to text you a code, and hosts won’t have to generate new codes for each guest.

The feature launched last year, and Schlage is the first to implement it. Support for Yale and August locks is coming soon.


The best robot vacuums

Floor-sweeping robots are only getting better, with new mopping skills, better navigation chops, and more automation, so less work for you. We picked nine of the best bots you can buy right now.

Living with the ghost of a smart home’s past

People are increasingly installing smart devices into their homes, but when someone new moves in, technological poltergeists persist.

Siri can learn your favorite music service on your HomePod... as long as it's not Spotify.

The new HomePod‌ software update 17.4 lets Siri learn your preferred music service, so you don’t need to manually set it up or always say “on YouTube Music” after every request. It only works with services that support the HomePod, so if you’re a YouTube Music, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn, or iHeartRadio user, you’re in luck!

It doesn’t work with Spotify, but you can use this workaround to get Siri to play Spotify on the speaker


Apple’s update notes for HomePod software 17.4, “This update enables Siri to learn your preferred media service, so you no longer need to include the name of the media app in your request. This update also includes performance and stability improvements.”
Siri on HomePod just got a little smarter.
Screenshot by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Smart home hubs: what they are and why you need one

If you’re planning a truly smart home, then you’re going to need a smart hub. Here’s what you need to know.

How smart home technology made my home more accessible

A smart device may be a convenience to one person, but it could be a life-changer to another.

How caregivers are using smart tech to help aging parents

Smart home devices can offer independence, safety, and companionship.

Today’s smart homes: the hopes and the realities

The Verge team and others share their experiences of how smart technologies affect their lives — how it can often help and sometimes frustrate.

The Verge’s favorite smart home devices

We clean with low-end robovacs, use Stream Decks as light switches, and enjoy the luxury of smart beds.

How smart is the smart kitchen, really?

For part two of our Vergecast smart kitchen series, we let the kitchen do the cooking. Chaos ensues.

I’ve seen the future of wireless charging, and I want it in my kitchen counters

The newest product from FreePower can turn everyday surfaces into wireless chargers. I demoed the new tech, and I’m excited for a world of clutter-free countertops that can charge all the gadgets.

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Youtube
Qualcomm’s latest Wi-Fi 7 chip could make your phone a better key.

That’s thanks to integrated ultra wideband, according to the company’s MWC 2024 announcement. It’s also about half the size and, Qualcomm says, uses 40 percent less power than its previous Wi-Fi chip.

That makes it easier for device makers to add the precision-finding tech that makes AirTags so good or lets cars like some Teslas know you’re close and what side of the car you’re on.