As The Verge’s resident robot vacuum reviewer, I don’t have a lot of time (or space) in my life for stick vacs, and frankly, the ones I have used have largely disappointed me. Top-heavy, bulky, always getting clogged or running out of battery – they’re so… manual. But then I met PencilVac Fluffycones, Dyson’s new […]
When ChatGPT launched, in November of 2022, it started a race that almost immediately consumed the tech industry. OpenAI didn’t invent the concept of AI, but most of the state-of-the-art technology was confined to research labs at companies and institutions around the world. Then, suddenly, it was everywhere. And better than anyone expected. So many […]
Google Home users, your long nightmare is over. The platform has finally added support for buttons. The release notes for a February 2 update state that several new starter conditions for automations are now available, including “Switch or button pressed.” Smart buttons are physical, programmable switches that you can press to trigger automations or control […]
Following the debut of its $10 Kallsup Bluetooth speakers at CES 2026, Ikea is introducing another wireless speaker with a playful design and an affordable price tag. The Grejsimojs Portable Bluetooth speaker probably isn’t going to wow audiophiles, but it’s designed to look like a little purple mouse with a tail that can be used […]
Ring is opening its Search Party pet finder service to non-Ring owners through the free Ring Neighbors app. The service has helped reunite owners with “more than one lost dog a day” since launch, according to the company. Anyone in the US can share a photo of their missing pet after they download and register […]
In case you missed it, we recently overhauled our guides to the best budget robot vacuums and the best mopping vacs, both of which feature a slate of new picks from Roborock, Narwal, Dreame, and others. Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav Robot Vacuum didn’t technically make the cut, though it was once one of our top […]
As of Saturday, nearly all of Belkin’s Wemo smart home devices will lose access to cloud services, including features like remote access and integrations with Google Home and Alexa. Belkin will also end app updates for the Wemo app beginning on January 31st. The shut down was first announced in July and impacts most Wemo […]
I am not, by any definition, a coder, but when I started seeing people’s vibe-coded smart home projects all over my social feeds this month, I was intrigued. From a “master command center” built on a Lutron system to AI controlling a smart oven, people were unleashing AI in their smart homes, using Claude Code […]
A dishwasher is a luxury item some people can’t live without. It’s one of the first major kitchen devices I bought just as soon as I could afford one. And now that the kids are grown, it’s the appliance I thought I’d miss most in my nomadic vanlife pursuits. Loch sent me its $459.99 / […]
Ring’s partnership with Flock is sparking renewed online backlash this week, with influencers calling for people to smash their Ring cameras and claiming the company is part of the surveillance state amid heightened concerns over ICE actions. Flock is an AI-powered surveillance camera company that has reportedly allowed government agencies – including ICE – to […]