Category: Smart Home

Samsung has begun showing ads on Family Hub refrigerators in the U.S., despite earlier promises not to. The pilot raises questions about monetizing idle smart-home screens and what owners get for paying a premium.

Govee’s Outdoor Spotlights 2 and Flood Lights 2 deliver vivid RGB lighting, Matter compatibility, app controls, voice assistants, and robust weather ratings—here’s what the eight‑light setup looked like in real use.

Ooni’s Volt 2 electric pizza oven uses sensor-driven Pizza Intelligence to balance top and bottom heat, reaches 450 °C for 90-second Neapolitan bakes, fits 33 cm pizzas, includes air filters and a dough-proving mode, and ships October 1 for $699.

Google plans an October 1 event to launch Gemini for Home, a Gemini-powered Google Assistant, and new Nest hardware including 2K Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell. Rumors also point to a new Nest speaker.

Bloomberg says Apple is developing a battery-powered Ring-style home camera, a face-aware video doorbell, and a 7-inch smart hub driven by an AI-powered Siri, with possible launches next year and mid-2026.

A rundown of 10 smart devices that were rare or nonexistent in 2015 but are now common in modern homes, from AI security cameras and smart thermostats to robot vacuums, VR headsets, and home office essentials.

Apple is poised for a big 2026: new product categories, major redesigns across flagship devices, and the likely arrival of a foldable iPhone that could reshape the company’s roadmap.

Zigbee 4.0 upgrades the protocol with Sub-GHz support via Suzi, batch commissioning, built-in Zigbee Direct phone pairing, improved security and battery life. Suzi certification starts in H1 2026.

Strong’s 5GROUTERAX3000 is a practical, universal home router that offers modern Wi‑Fi compatibility and straightforward setup for users who need more than ISP-provided gear but not enterprise features.

Netatmo’s 2025 ‘second generation’ weather station is a hardware match for the 2012 model with new colors and lower price. Pollen and UV data come from external providers and are restricted to the new unit’s app, while core sensors deliver reliable indoor and outdoor readings.