Matter and OpenADR team up to connect smart homes to the grid
Matter and OpenADR team up to connect smart homes to the grid

Smart energy management just took a step closer to becoming simpler. This week, the organizations behind Matter, the smart-home interoperability standard, and the OpenADR protocol, which sends signals between the grid and the home, announced an agreement to work together. This should make it easier for connected appliances to participate in demand response programs (DR) […]

Cricut’s $99 craft cutting machine helped me feel creative again
Cricut’s $99 craft cutting machine helped me feel creative again

I’ve always been skeptical of products that claim to help you lead a more creative life. But one recently won me over. I’ve spent three weeks with the Cricut Joy 2, a smart cutting and drawing machine that made it easy for me to get back into making stickers, cards, bookmarks, and more. The small […]

I’m looking forward to using the new Philips Hue smart light sports sync feature during the World Cup — as long as it doesn’t signal goals too early

Signify is giving its Philips Hue smart lights a special Sports Live feature for the duration of the World Cup 2026.

Beatbot’s Anniversary Campaign Turns Pool Cleaning Into a Smarter Buying Decision

Beatbot’s Anniversary Campaign makes robotic pool cleaning easier to adopt, with smarter upgrades across Sora, AquaSense X, and iSkim designed to reduce manual effort and improve coverage.

Dyson’s powerful 360 Vis Nav robovac is down to $279.99 for a limited time
Dyson’s powerful 360 Vis Nav robovac is down to $279.99 for a limited time

If you’re tired of running your vacuum multiple times just to get the dirt and debris out of the carpets in your living room, Dyson’s 360 Vis Nav is worth a look. It’s one of the more powerful robot vacuums currently available, and now through May 11th (or while supplies last), it’s on sale at Woot […]

Sci-fi got the gadgets right, but the vibes wrong

Sci-fi promised holograms, floating interfaces, and magic computers. Consumer tech delivered phones, video calls, smart speakers, and the boring version that actually ships.

Sci-fi got the gadgets right, but the vibes wrong

Sci-fi promised holograms, floating interfaces, and magic computers. Consumer tech delivered phones, video calls, smart speakers, and the boring version that actually ships.

Pet tech is ridiculous, and I hate how badly I want it

Pet tech feels like anxiety with Wi-Fi, but smart feeders, trackers, cameras, and health alerts become harder to mock when cats start acting weird.

Govee’s solar-powered string lights are already on sale for 20 percent off
Govee’s solar-powered string lights are already on sale for 20 percent off

I’m not sure if we’ve mentioned this yet, but Govee has been on a tear lately, having recently announced everything from rechargeable table lamps to multicolor, Matter-compatible ceiling lights that can display custom images with retro, pixelated flair. In April, the company also unveiled a 34-foot set of Outdoor Solar String Lights, which are now […]

Nanoleaf bets its future on robots, red light therapy, and AI
Nanoleaf bets its future on robots, red light therapy, and AI

Smart lighting company Nanoleaf has been unusually quiet recently. While competitors such as Govee and Philips Hue have been pumping out new products and innovative features at an impressive pace, Nanoleaf has launched just a handful of smart lighting products in the last two years. There’s a reason for this lull – the company has […]