Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Google Play services v26.44, released November 9, 2026, lets Android users add Matter and Aliro-compatible residential digital keys to Google Wallet through Google Home. The update brings phone-based house keys to the open smart home standard, with Samsung and Apple already backing Aliro, though compatible locks and a full rollout are still to come.
Read MoreChamberlain Group has launched the myQ Secure View Floodlight Camera, a hardwired outdoor camera with 2K video, color night vision, and a 2,500-lumen motion-activated floodlight. Priced at $169.99, it extends the myQ ecosystem from the garage to driveways, backyards, and side paths.
Read MoreHunter Fan Company will shut down the cloud link that connects HunterSMART ceiling fans to Google Home and Amazon Alexa on January 1, 2027. Voice commands, scenes and automations will stop working unless owners migrate eligible models to Matter — and some older fans need new hardware to make the jump. Here is what changes, which fans are affected, and what to do before the deadline.
Read MoreBond has launched the Bond Bridge Gen 3, a $129 smart home hub that adds app, voice, and schedule control to motorized shades, ceiling fans, and fireplaces. It learns the signals from existing RF remotes, works with Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings, and offers an open local API for home automation.
Read MoreCarrier and Universal Electronics have unveiled the Carrier Smart Thermostat with InteliSense technology, a co-developed smart thermostat built for the pro HVAC channel. It combines remote dealer diagnostics, 21-stage ComfortAdjust precision control, SmartSave peak-demand energy management and secure over-the-air updates, plus control through the Carrier SmartHome app and major smart home platforms. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.
Read MoreToday’s verified smart home deals for November 9, 2026: a Blink Outdoor 2K+ 3-camera kit at 66% off, eufy’s flagship eufyCam S4 4-camera system with HomeBase S1 at $700 off, a palm-vein smart lock at 25% off, and Google’s new Gemini-powered Home Speaker at its all-time low. Every price was checked on the retailer’s own product page.
Read MoreTP-Link, the brand behind an estimated 35% of America’s home routers, still has no FCC clearance to sell new models in the US, while Netgear, eero and Asus have all won exemptions. Your current router is safe, and updates are guaranteed until at least 2029. Here is what the ban means for your smart home.
Read MoreFor years, a smart home meant picking a team: Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home. Matter, the universal standard from the Connectivity Standards Alliance, ends that trade-off. Matter-certified devices work across platforms, pair with a single QR code, and keep working over your local network when the internet drops. Here is how a mixed-platform home works, and the limits worth knowing before you buy.
Read MoreA class action filed November 3, 2026 accuses Axon of running an AI-powered license plate surveillance network that tracks millions of California drivers — and allegedly taps into privately owned doorbell cameras police can search without a warrant. Here is what the lawsuit claims, and what it means for smart home owners.
Read MoreAt least 10 local governments have moved to drop Flock Safety’s license plate cameras since summer 2026, TechCrunch reports. From voter referendums to terminated contracts, the backlash over data sharing and privacy is reshaping how neighborhoods think about the cameras watching their streets — and what it means for your own home security setup.
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