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Americans’ junk-filled garages are hurting EV adoption, study says

There are plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about electric vehicle adoption here in the US. The current administration has made no secret of its hostility toward EVs and, as promised, has ended as many of the existing EV subsidies and vehicle pollution regulations as it could. After more than a year of month-on-month growth, EV sales started to contract, and brands like Genesis and Volvo have seen their customers reject their electric offerings, forcing portfolio rethinks. But wait, it gets wo

Adding my home electricity uptime to status.href.cat

status.href.cat now reports and notifies me if my home power/internet goes down! The other day, PG&E and my landlord emailed me about a power outage. The elevator system needed a technician to reset it. All the e-key readers in the lobby no longer work. This got me wondering, how long was the power out for? With this, I decided to add uptime stats for my home electricity. PG&E emailed about the power outage. 10 minutes later, my power was restored. My landlord emailed, reporting all the things

8 Kitchen Tools That Pay for Themselves With the Money You'll Save

Restaurants and coffee shop visits drain your wallet faster than you might realize. Those $5 lattes and $15 lunches accumulate into thousands annually. For anyone ready to cook more at home and cut dining expenses, there are kitchen appliances and tools that offer impressive returns on investment. Through comprehensive analysis of popular home cooking equipment -- from water filters to pizza ovens, seltzer makers and coffee machines -- the numbers reveal big potential savings. Some appliances c

Topics: cost home save water year

Google Gemini Has Conquered Nest Devices. Will It Fix Voice Assistant Woes?

After months of teasers and brief betas, Google has made it official: Gemini AI is replacing Google Assistant on all Nest and Google Home-related devices this year, officially called Gemini for Home. This version of Gemini starts rolling out in October with the same familiar "Hey Google" phrase but a whole new approach to voice commands. It's not only the death knell for Google Assistant in basically everything (I'm going to have to delete Assistant from the rest of my guides), but also a chanc

Google Gemini Is Finally Conquering Nest Devices -- Will It Fix Voice Assistant Woes?

After months of teasers and brief betas, Google has made it official: Gemini AI is replacing Google Assistant on all Nest and Google Home-related devices this year, officially called Gemini for Home. This version of Gemini starts rolling out in October with the same familiar "Hey Google" phrase but a whole new approach to voice commands. It's not only the death knell for Google Assistant in basically everything (I'm going to have to delete Assistant from the rest of my guides), but also a chanc

7 clever ways to automate your home with smart plugs

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers. Remember The Clapper? The plug-in staple may have made for a catchy jingle in the 1980s, but it could also be considered as a primitive ancestor of today's smart plug -- that is, if you can say anything from a few decades ago is primitive. Smart plugs offer greater convenience than The Clapper ever did, letting you control your devices from an app on your phone, your voi

Home Depot sued for 'secretly' using facial recognition at self-checkouts

A customer has sued Home Depot, claiming the retail giant has been secretly using facial recognition technology on customers with cameras placed at self-checkout kiosks. Earlier this month, Benjamin Jankowski, a frequent Home Depot shopper, filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the company. He claims the retailer’s self-checkout kiosks use facial recognition technology that scans and collects people’s facial details without their permission. In the lawsuit, Jankowski says cameras at th

Google's Smart Home Devices Are Finally Getting Gemini's AI Skills

Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant in the company's line of smart displays and speakers, a step up in capabilities for its smart home devices. The announcement was made on Wednesday to coincide with its Made By Google event in New York. Gemini for Home will use AI models tuned for home tasks and work with any member of the household, including guests, according to a company press release. It'll activate with the same "hey Google" phrase, but Gemini for Home can better understand cont

Gemini is coming to Google Home in October with both free and paid versions

Gemini is launching in early access on smart displays and speakers in October, Google announced in a new blog post. Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant on the company's smart home devices, and will apparently be available in both free and paid versions, implying Google is interested in expanding its subscription business, not unlike Amazon is with Alexa+. Google originally demoed Gemini for Home back at CES 2025. At the time, the company was primarily promising that generative AI woul

Gemini for Home is coming to replace Assistant — but is your smart home ready for its changes?

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority TL;DR Gemini for Home begins early access this October. While it sounds like you’ll have the option to stick with Assistant for a while, Google is clear that Gemini for Home will eventually replace it. Gemini for Home is set to be available in both free and paid versions, though Google has yet to share more about its plans there. For the past couple years, Google has been working to flesh out its next-gen AI efforts, and offering us plenty of opportunitie

The Pixel 10 Pro has a smart home feature that might make it future-proof

TL;DR The Google Pixel 10 Pro includes a built-in Thread radio, a crucial piece of hardware for the future of the smart home. Thread is a low-power mesh network that offers a more reliable and faster connection for smart home devices compared to Wi-Fi. This inclusion future-proofs the phone, enabling it to directly control the growing number of Matter-compatible smart devices. Google’s commitment to seven years of software support for the new Pixel 10 series is bold, as the phone’s state-of-t

Gemini for Home is Google’s biggest smart home play in years

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. It’s finally happening: Google Assistant in the home is getting its Gemini glow-up. “Gemini for Home” is an all-new voice assistant for Google Home, set to arrive later this year, the company announced today. This new voice assistant

Hot water control is the next Nest feature coming to Google Home

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority TL;DR Google is preparing to add hot water controls to the Home app, as confirmed by the Google Nest and Home Chief Product Officer. The feature is in final testing and will roll out in the near future. It will let you control hot water from the app if your thermostat supports it. It follows last week’s rollout of temperature scheduling for older Nest thermostats, further reducing reliance on the legacy Nest app. Google has been steadily migrating functio

Topics: app home hot nest water

This ‘Elio’ Deleted Scene Hints at an Alternate Version of the Movie

Pixar’s latest film, Elio, may not have been a box office success, but once it comes home, audiences are going to discover they missed something special. The story of a young boy who travels to space and is forced to save his planet by befriending a group of aliens is funny, exciting, and extremely heartfelt. Yes, it had a long trip to the finish line, but once it got there, it stuck the landing. Elio is coming to digital download on Tuesday, August 19, ahead of its physical release on Septembe

Your next movie night could glow brighter with Nanoleaf’s latest TV light strip kit

Nanoleaf TL;DR The new Nanoleaf 4D V2 light strip makes screen mirroring brighter and more accurate, with sharper whites and richer colors. You can choose from four lighting modes for a subtle ambient glow or full-on immersion. With Sync+, the lights behind your TV can link up with the rest of your Nanoleaf gear for a whole-room effect. If you’re the smart home type, Nanoleaf is giving its immersive TV kit a serious glow-up. The newly announced 4D V2 Screen Mirror and Lightstrip Kit doubles

We could make Rosie the Robot, but should we?

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Robots are coming, but are we ready for them? All the big consumer tech companies are working on robotic companions for our homes. There’s Amazon’s Astro, Samsung’s Ballie, LG’s AI Agent, and whatever it is that Apple is dreaming up i

Google Home adds scheduling for older Nest thermostats

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Google has announced that users of the US and UK versions of the 3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostat and the Nest Thermostat E can now schedule temperature adjustments using the Google Home app. Newer versions of the Nest thermostats already allow you to manuall

Should you replace a traditional Wi-Fi router with mesh? I compared the two, and here's my verdict

Maria Diaz/ZDNET With the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative -- not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what's better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home? The answer depends on how your home and office are set up and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution.

Topics: fi home mesh router wi

You Could Be Streaming the Oscars on YouTube or Netflix by 2029

Will we be watching 2029's Academy Awards on YouTube? That's one possibility as streaming and broadcast giants position themselves to potentially take over as the streaming/broadcast home of the Oscars after ABC's contract ends in 2028. According to a Bloomberg newsletter, Google's YouTube is now in the running as a potential Oscars suitor, joining companies such as Netflix and NBCUniversal as a possible new home for the awards. Like Netflix, YouTube has been increasingly become interested in

Have solar at home? Supercharge that investment with this other crucial component

J Studios/Getty ZDNET's key takeaways Sixty percent of households saw multiple power outages last year Those with solar are most likely to seek whole-home backup Fifty-seven percent of solar users also want a battery for self-supply Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers. Some of today's solar-equipped households are facing a mean case of energy envy. On the plus side, they've cut their monthly electric bills -- in some ca

It's the Housing, Stupid

A few weeks ago, I was on The Compound and Friends, and there was a debate about why we were seeing 2021-like meme stock activity and money market funds holding record assets at the same time. For context, both of these things are true. If we look at the performance of the 100 most shorted stocks compared to the Russell 1000, that performance spread is nearing 2021 levels: It’s like a bunch of mini GameStop short squeezes all over again. And if we look at the non-profitable tech retail invest

Your smart home device just got a performance and security boost for free

Maria Diaz/ZDNET ZDNET's key takeaways Matter 1.4.2 enhances experiences by focusing on security and efficiency. Improvements cover Wi-Fi-only commissioning and scene management. The update sets the stage for the Matter 1.5 release this fall. Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers. The smart home world is gearing up for the Matter 1.5 release this fall, but the CSA this week announced a 1.4.2 update as a precursor to prepa

Sale: These Yaber projectors are at record-low prices!

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority The weekend is upon us, and I have had a rough few weeks. I am getting ready to chill and catch up on my favorite movies and TV shows. Of course, I’ll be using my projector. After planning this, I realized two of our favorite consumer projectors are currently at record-low prices, so I thought I would share the deals. Buy the Yaber T2 Outdoor Projector for just $233.98 ($116.01 off) Buy the Yaber Projector L2s Home Cinema for just $134.98 ($65.01 off) Both of

HomeKit Weekly: Is the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni the best robot vacuum for HomeKit?

iOS 18.4 finally brought robot vacuum support to HomeKit, opening the door for a new wave of Matter-enabled vacuums that work with your existing smart home environment. I’ve been testing the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni for the past few months (even before iOS 18.4) to see how well it fits into a smart home, but more importantly, whether it’s worth the money as a way to keep your floors cleaned. Some of my favorite gear Abode Home Security System Abode is the best home security system and include

Topics: ecovacs home omni pro x8

Now You Can Get Your Flu Vaccine at Home

Instead of going to the pharmacy to get the annual flu vaccine, many people in the US will now be able to get it shipped to their door to take at home themselves. Starting today, AstraZeneca’s FluMist is available through an online pharmacy in 34 states. FluMist is not a new vaccine. It was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2003 and previously could only be administered by a health care professional. But last September, the FDA said the vaccine could be self-administere

This big stick solved my smart garden connectivity problems

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. I recently installed the biggest smart home antenna I’ve ever seen, and it helped open up new areas in my smart home, from the attic to the chicken coop. The towering 12-inch-tall Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2, which launched this week

Homekit-steam-user-switcher: A way to remotely switch Steam users using HomeKit

HomeKit Steam User Switcher This script exposes a virtual HomeKit Television accessory where each input corresponds to a Steam user. Selecting an input updates the Steam’s AutoLoginUser; turning the "TV" off restarts Steam. Why We regularly game on a headless machine and wanted to switch Steam users easily without fiddling with a KVM. HomeKit provides a convenient way to control devices, and by exposing Steam user accounts as HomeKit inputs, we can seamlessly switch users with our existing Ho

Rumor Replay: New Apple TV 4K, cellular MacBook Pro, Home camera, more

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. This week’s rumors include: new Apple TV 4K chip, Studio Display 2 surprise, M5 MacBook Pro with cellular, and much more. Apple TV 4K getting A17 Pro, plus more surprise chip leaks Thanks to leaked Apple code and the discoveries of Aaron Perris, MacRumors published a variety of new leaks about chips coming to future Apple products. Among the highligh

Topics: apple home new pro siri

Unplugging these 7 common household devices greatly reduced my electricity bill

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET With costs climbing across the US, energy prices stand out -made worse by record-breaking summer heat and recent waves scorching multiple states. Having endured several of them this season, I'm always searching for ways to cut back on energy use. There are many little things you can do that can shave dollars off your monthly energy bill, and they go beyond switching off the lights when you leave the room. Did you know you can save 3% on cooling costs for every 1°F

Facial recognition vans to be rolled out across police forces in England

The police's use of facial recognition technology is to be significantly expanded in an attempt to catch more offenders, ministers have announced. Under the plans, 10 live facial recognition (LFR) vans will be used by seven forces across England to help identify "sex offenders or people wanted for the most serious crimes", according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Politics Hub: Follow latest updates and analysis The tech, which has been trialled in London and south Wales, will be subject to