Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Statistics Austria’s 2026 household survey finds 36% of people aged 16 to 74 now use smart home solutions, up from 24% in 2024. Energy management leads at 25%, followed by connected appliances at 21% and smart security at 16%, with younger and highly educated users adopting fastest. The survey of around 5,500 people also puts smart entertainment use at 74% and voice assistant use at 26%.
Read MoreA virtualized tour of Apple’s HomeView software reveals multi-user support for up to six people, face recognition for personal content, a Liquid Glass slider, and QuickPath swipe typing. Ahead of the $299 hub’s November 13 launch, the hands-on look shows the home screen, Control Center, clock faces, and built-in apps \u2014 plus one catch: the real device is Wi-Fi only.
Read MoreApple’s HomePod mini 2 is on sale for $149, adding an S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, Thread and Sound Glow to the compact smart speaker. It works as a HomeKit and Matter home hub from day one, but the promised Siri AI upgrade arrives later via a free software update, with retail availability starting October 30.
Read MoreLG and Harvey Norman have opened the LG Life’s Good AI Home at the Millenia Walk flagship store in Singapore, billed as the world’s first anchor LG AI Home Experience Zone. The walk-through home showcases Affectionate Intelligence routines across kitchen, laundry, living and kids’ zones, from a Zero Clearance refrigerator to a 97-inch OLED TV. Here is what visitors see, and what the concept still needs to prove.
Read MoreToday’s smart home deals bring real savings across cleaning, security, and climate control: a robot vacuum and mop, a solar security camera, and a learning thermostat, with discounts up to 31% off at Best Buy and Amazon. Check the verified prices before they change.
Read MoreSamsung is expanding its Smart Home Savings service to Germany and Spain, letting owners of connected Samsung appliances earn home insurance discounts through SmartThings. After pilots in select US states and Poland, Spain’s DKV Seguros is live and Germany’s die Bayerische is joining. Here’s how the programme works, which appliances qualify, and why the savings are not automatic.
Read MoreApple has released HomeView Software 27.2 ahead of the $299 HomeView’s November 13 launch, revealing 20 default wallpapers, a redesigned Control Center, light and dark modes, and a new BreadBoard launcher. Here is what the early software tells us about Apple’s first smart home hub display, plus clues about why the device slipped from an earlier planned release.
Read MoreAmazon’s Alexa+ began early access in Japan on October 29, 2026, offering conversational smart home control, document and calendar help, and shopping assistance in Japanese only. The preview is free, invitations go out in waves to owners of compatible Echo and Fire TV devices, and after early access Prime members keep it at no extra charge while others pay 3,000 yen a month.
Read MoreAmazon launched the Echo Time and a new Echo Dot in Japan on October 29, 2026, alongside Alexa+ early access. The Echo Time’s sleep-sensing smart alarm needs Alexa+ and an enabled microphone, while the new Echo Dot adds a built-in smart home hub. Here is what each device does, what Alexa+ costs in Japan, and who should buy.
Read MoreAmazon has added more than 100 shopping capabilities to Alexa for Shopping, letting US customers manage lists and registries, skip or pause subscriptions, update delivery instructions, and ask about Prime, Audible, payments, and refunds by voice. Announced October 29, 2026 ahead of the holiday season, the update is available now to US customers through Alexa and the Amazon Shopping app, extending the assistant beyond product search into everyday household account tasks.
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