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.

Smart Home

The interface for HitBliss, a streaming video service that lets you earn credit for purchases and rentals by watching ads

HitBliss screenshots

HitBliss screenshots

HitBliss screenshots

HitBliss screenshots

The interface for HitBliss, a streaming video service that lets you earn credit for purchases and rentals by watching ads

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HitBliss screenshots

HitBliss screenshots

The interface for HitBliss, a streaming video service that lets you earn credit for purchases and rentals by watching ads

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Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s new $3,499 AR headset

Live blog: Apple’s VR headset, iOS 17, and more at WWDC 2023

Apple announces iOS 17 with StandBy charging mode and better autocorrect

Apple Vision Pro first look: the mixed reality future is (almost) here

Major Reddit communities will go dark to protest threat to third-party apps

More from Smart Home

Dyson’s new robot vacuum promises to clean every corner

A trip to Dyson’s dirt-filled, germ-obsessed world

The Verge’s 2023 Graduation Gift Guide

Drop’s DCX keycap sets for mechanical keyboards are buy one, get one free