Matic, my current top pick for the best robot vacuum, just got a big update. The unique-looking floor bot now works with Google Home and Apple Home, with support coming through the smart home standard Matter. This enables voice control and smart home integrations, features that have been missing from the robot since launch. Now […]
Ikea’s new Matter-over-Thread products were supposed to prove that the smart home could be cheap, accessible, and reliable. The highly anticipated line – which includes sensors, remotes, smart plugs, air-quality monitors, and smart bulbs – has most everything you need to build a smart home, with prices starting at $6. It’s an exciting idea, but […]
The first Matter camera is here – sort of. Camera support came to the smart home standard last year, and Aqara’s Camera Hub G350 is the first to support it. The G350, which was announced at CES, launched this week and is a pan-and-tilt indoor security camera with up to 4K video resolution. Today, the […]
After being announced last November, Ikea’s Matter-compatible smart home collection has been slowly trickling into its stores around the world over the past few months. Despite some early connectivity issues, one of the most anticipated items in that collection is Ikea’s new Matter-over-Thread smart bulbs. The company originally said they’d hit the US sometime in […]
I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying – and mostly failing – to test Ikea’s new Matter-over-Thread gear. These highly anticipated smart home devices include programmable buttons, smart bulbs, plugs, and temperature and motion sensors – all of which should work with any smart home platform and start at just $6. But I’ve hit […]
After debuting 21 new Matter-compatible smart home devices last November, Ikea is expanding Matter support to some of its existing home furnishings starting with two upgraded lamps at CES 2026. The Varmblixt donut lamp is getting a small redesign to complement its new color-changing smart home capabilities, while the new Varmblixt pendant lamp will let […]
When Ikea announced its collection of 21 new Matter-over-Thread devices last month, it wasn’t expecting the new hardware to be available in the US until January 2026. Over the past month the devices have started showing up across Europe, but a handful of them are now available through Ikea’s US website and some of its […]
It’s finally happening. Three years after Matter launched, the interoperability standard now includes the most popular smart home devices: cameras. The Matter 1.5 spec, announced today, adds support for all types of video cameras – from indoor and outdoor, wired and battery-powered cameras, to video doorbells, baby monitors, pet cams, and more. Matter support should […]
Meross has announced a new version of its MS600 presence sensor that’s now battery-powered, so installation isn’t limited to places where you can camouflage a power cord. A single CR123A battery powers the new MS605 presence sensor for up to three years. Battery life may be reduced in high-traffic areas if the sensor is activated […]
Aqara has announced its first battery-powered presence sensor, which can be installed nearly anywhere in your home to automate smart devices as your family comes and goes. Instead of having to hide a cord and plan its location around a power source, a pair of CR2450 coin cell batteries powers the Presence Multi-Sensor FP300 for […]