News
5 articles2025.12: Triggering the holidays 🎄25 min
Home Assistant 2025.12 introduces 'Home Assistant Labs' for previewing features, starting with 'Winter mode' for festive dashboard effects. The update enhances automation with purpose-specific triggers, allowing intuitive commands like "When a light turns on." Additionally, the Energy dashboard now supports real-time power monitoring and downstream water tracking, offering more detailed consumption insights.
Google and Apple are ready to optimize your battery-powered sensors4 min
Google and Apple are preparing to support Matter's Intermittently Connected Devices (ICD) feature, enhancing battery efficiency for sensors and locks. The ICD Management Cluster standardizes device sleep and check-in protocols, reducing battery drain and improving reliability. Although not yet released, this update will allow ecosystems like Google Home and Apple Home to better manage battery-powered devices, promising a significant boost in smart home sensor performance.
Google Home trick lets you enable the new Gemini voices immediately2 min
A new trick allows users to access Gemini's natural-sounding voices on the Google Home app by entering a specific URL in a browser. This setup offers ten voice options with varied accents and tones, such as 'Amaryllis' and 'Violet.' However, this does not activate the full Gemini for Home assistant, which permanently replaces Google Assistant. Users can confirm the voice change by asking "Hey Google, who are you?"
Titan OS raises $58 million from Highland Europe for its smart TV OS | TechCrunch4 min
Titan OS has secured $58 million in Series A funding from Highland Europe to enhance its smart TV operating system, which helps TV makers increase customer lifetime value. The OS integrates broadcast TV, streaming apps, and FAST channels, offering advertising opportunities and shoppable ads. Titan OS serves 18 million users in Europe and Latin America through partnerships with Philips and JVC, aiming to expand its local language channels and grow its revenue model focused on content and advertising.
The Google Home app won’t let you “Call Home” anymore2 min
Google has removed the 'Call Home' feature from the Google Home app, preventing users from directly calling Nest Hub displays or Nest speakers from their smartphones. This change is part of a broader transition from Google Assistant to Gemini for Home, which also saw the removal of the Broadcast button. Users can still broadcast messages via Google Assistant. The app's update includes a new Gemini-powered 'Ask Home' chatbox for smart home interaction.
Products
5 articlesI tested the top streaming video players. Here’s who wins in 202515 min
The article reviews top media streaming devices, highlighting the Walmart Onn 4K Plus as the best value for most users with 4K, Dolby Vision, and Atmos support at $30. The Apple TV 4K offers a premium experience with seamless Apple ecosystem integration, while the Amazon Fire TV Cube excels in voice control, ideal for Alexa users. Each device is evaluated on performance, remote features, and ecosystem compatibility, helping users choose based on their specific needs and budget.
Making Your Dumb Home Smart: What You Need To Know About Shelly7 min
Shelly's smart relays transform traditional switches and appliances into smart devices without rewiring. The Gen4 lineup supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Matter, offering flexibility for future-proof smart homes. Shelly devices integrate with platforms like Home Assistant and provide energy monitoring, making them ideal for DIY enthusiasts seeking cost-effective automation solutions. However, a basic understanding of wiring is necessary, and the app can be complex for beginners.
I've tested scores of smart lights. These are the ones you should buy29 min
This guide reviews top smart lighting options like Philips Hue, LIFX, and Nanoleaf. Philips Hue stands out for its extensive ecosystem and compatibility with major platforms like Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant. Wyze offers budget-friendly bulbs, while Linkind provides affordable Matter-compatible options. The article covers various lighting types, including bulbs, light strips, and outdoor solutions, helping users choose based on features like color, connectivity, and ecosystem integration.
No time to vacuum? We tested out the best robot vacuums to cut down your chores list45 min
The TechRadar guide ranks the Roborock Qrevo Curv as the top robot vacuum for 2025, praised for its exceptional suction, reliable navigation, and effective mopping. It features a space-efficient dock that handles maintenance tasks like refilling and cleaning mop pads. For budget-conscious buyers, the Roborock Q7 M5 offers strong value with capable cleaning at a lower price. The Dreame L40 Ultra excels in pet hair management, offering powerful suction and effective mopping, making it ideal for pet owners.
Sonoff adds iPlug Gen2 and MINI-2GS relay to its Matter listing5 min
Sonoff expands its Matter lineup with the iPlug Gen2 smart plug and MINI-2GS relay. The iPlug Gen2 converts outlets into smart ones, supporting platforms like Apple HomeKit and Google Home, with robust safety features for high-demand devices. The MINI-2GS offers dual-channel control for existing switches, allowing independent management of two circuits while maintaining the original wall appearance. Both devices enhance smart home flexibility and are available on Amazon.
Projects
5 articlesHear Your Weather — Build a Talking Weather Station8 min
Build a fully offline talking weather station using the ELECROW CrowPanel and TinyTTS Kit. This project enables real-time, neural speech synthesis directly on a microcontroller, providing weather updates, time, and quotes without cloud dependency. Setup is quick with ready-to-flash firmware, and the device can be customized for various uses like alarms or smart home announcements, making it a versatile DIY project.
RGB+CCT LED Controller With ESPHome and Home Assistant4 min
This project showcases a smart lighting setup using the HOMEMASTER RGB-621-R1 LED Driver and an ESP32-based MicroPLC, fully managed via Home Assistant with Modbus RTU. It provides smooth RGBWW control and real-time automation, offering a professional-grade DIN-rail installation. The setup includes a full color wheel, separate white sliders, and real-time updates, all configured through ESPHome without manual register mapping.
Things I've learned from upgrading all of the wall switches in my home5 min
Upgrading to Matter smart switches, like Tapo, retains traditional switch functionality while adding smart features, minimizing friction for family and guests. However, glowing indicator lights on switches can disrupt darkness, and voice commands require precision to avoid unintended actions. The project, completed for under $1,000, offers significant convenience and peace of mind by allowing centralized light control, showcasing the cost-effectiveness of smart home technology.
5 projects that gave my smart TV a new life7 min
Revitalize your aging smart TV with five DIY projects using Raspberry Pi. Create an AI-powered universal remote for seamless control and integrate with Home Assistant for advanced automation. Transform your TV into a smart photo display and enhance viewing with dynamic ambient lighting using WLED or Hyperion. These affordable upgrades breathe new life into your setup without replacing the TV, making it feel modern and personalized.
I automated my entire home network with a $50 Raspberry Pi 59 min
Transform your home network with a $50 Raspberry Pi 5, consolidating DNS, VPN, and monitoring tools into a single, low-power hub. The Pi 5 offers efficient ad blocking with Pi-hole, enhanced privacy with Unbound, and secure remote access via WireGuard—all while being energy-efficient and easy to manage. This setup provides faster browsing, safer connections, and comprehensive network visibility, making it an ideal choice for smart home enthusiasts.
Perspectives
4 articles“The local-first rebellion”: How Home Assistant became the most important project in your house9 min
Home Assistant, a leading open source home automation platform, now runs in over 2 million homes, enabling local control of devices without cloud dependency. Its architecture supports thousands of brands and devices, allowing complex automations like movie-pause lighting adjustments based on couch sensors. Governed by the Open Home Foundation, it prioritizes privacy and interoperability, ensuring devices continue to function even if manufacturers end cloud services.
4 uncomfortable truths about Home Assistant6 min
Home Assistant offers powerful smart home capabilities but has a steep learning curve, requiring server setup and complex automation creation. While it supports local control for privacy, replicating cloud-based ecosystems like Alexa remains challenging. Users often spend significant time troubleshooting, making it more suited to enthusiasts willing to tinker than those seeking a plug-and-play solution.
Smart home notifications are more curse than blessing4 min
Smart home notifications often lead to overload rather than convenience, as users receive excessive alerts from devices like smart locks and appliances. Many notifications are ignored or silenced, reducing their intended value. While remote access to smart home systems is beneficial, constant pings can be more of a nuisance than a help, prompting users to consider disabling notifications altogether.
‘End-to-end encrypted’ smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted | TechCrunch3 min
Kohler's Dekoda smart toilet camera, marketed as using 'end-to-end encryption,' actually employs TLS encryption, raising privacy concerns. This mislabeling could mislead users into thinking their data is inaccessible to Kohler, when in fact it can be accessed and potentially used for AI training. The device costs $599 with a mandatory monthly subscription.