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Ring camera alerts are about to get a lot smarter

Ring cameras are getting an AI upgrade that can tell you what’s happening at your front door, as well as show you. Video Descriptions is a new feature that generates text descriptions of the motion activity on Ring doorbells and cameras. Now, instead of an alert that says “Front door: person detected,” you’ll get something like “person with broom and mop is leaving.” Or instead of “Living room: motion detected,” you might get “a dog is tearing up paper towels on the rug.” You can see how this w

Google Home may soon let you pin weather and AQI data for quick checks (APK teardown)

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR An upcoming release of Google Home could soon support Outdoor Weather and Outdoor AQI information in the Favorites tab. Adding the information to the Favorites tab will allow users to quickly control their smart home devices based on current weather conditions. Google recently upgraded the Google Home app with a ton of new features and upgrades, including the ability to set device-specific favorites. All of these work great, but there’s always room for

Can’t change smart light colors with Google Assistant? You’re not alone

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Voice commands for changing light colors are not functioning as expected for several Google Home users. Google Assistant reportedly responds that the lights are offline, even though changing colors works fine through the app. Google is aware of the issue and is actively looking into the matter. If you’ve been experiencing issues changing the color of your smart lights using voice commands, you’re not alone. Many Google Home users have recently report

The best smart plugs in 2025

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products . Smart plugs aren’t the most complicated smart home device — they really just turn stuff on and off — but the best smart plugs can make life a little easier, which is what we want from household automation. They’re easy to use, too, since you don’t have to install them like a smart swit

Topics: app home plug plugs smart

Don't make this thermostat mistake during heatwave: 3 cost-saving tips from an expert

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Have you ever found yourself in a thermostat tug-of-war? One room feels like a sauna, another like an icebox, all while your trusty thermostat claims your home is at a perfectly average and comfortable 72 degrees? The truth is, you're probably not imagining things, and the culprit could be hanging right there on your wall. As it turns out, where your thermostat is located can make a world of difference to both your comfort and your energy bills. Also: How to disable ACR on yo

You’ve got one week to stock up on Philips Hue gear before a tariff-fueled price hike

We’d usually advise most shoppers to wait until Prime Day to get the best prices on tech, but smart home buyers in the US may want to consider stocking up in the next week. Philips Hue devices are already on the costly side, but it has now been confirmed that prices will increase from July 1. The unsurprising reason is the impact of US tariffs. After alluding to the price hike in a marketing email, Hue’s parent company, Signify, confirmed the increases in a statement to HueBlog. No further deta

Topics: home hue july price smart

Dyson 2-in-1 Purifier and Cool Fan Gets Its First Discount for Amazon’s Early Prime Day

Pet are great, aren’t they? The warm welcome we receive walking through the door by our dogs running up to us, unable to contain their excitement. They are the perfect cuddle buddy for a lazy day on the couch in front of the TV. They help make our houses a home and the house is just as much their home as it is ours. But unfortunately, that means the whole home smells like them too. What’s the solution? We’re not gonna get rid of the dog are you insane? No, no. Just get yourself a good quality ai

Yale’s new Smart Lock with Matter is the perfect smart home upgrade for people with app fatigue

Yale TL;DR Yale is releasing its new Smart Lock with Matter support. The lock can be set up and operated entirely within Google Home. Operation requires the use of a Matter hub with a Thread border router. How many times have you considered a new addition to your smart home, but stopped yourself at the last moment? Do I really need another app in my life? Another account I’ll have to create? App fatigue is a real thing, and with as many as we need to interact with on a daily basis, sometimes

These battery-powered 4K cameras record 24/7

is a smart home reporter who’s been testing connected gadgets since 2013. Previously a contributor to Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, and US News. TP-Link just launched a bunch of new security cameras for its Tapo smart home brand, including a 4K-capable line for outdoors and a slew of inexpensive pan and tilt cams that can be used indoors and out. The company is also finally releasing its Tapo HomeBase H500 central hub, first shown at CES 2024, which brings facial recognition and expanded local stor

Amazon eero 6+ Mesh WiFi Router 4-Pack Costs Less Than Buying a Single Pack, Buy 3 and Get 1 Free Deal

Spotty, unreliable internet is frustrating beyond belief—especially when its in your own home. You want to just be able to lay down on the couch after a long day and scroll mindlessly through TikTok. I know I do. But when videos pause to buffer or a download stops in its tracks, that minor inconvenience can drives you up the wall. The worst is when it happens on the toilet. I refuse to go back to reading the back of the shampoo bottle, darn it. Thankfully, a good WiFi 6 mesh system can alleviate

I found a worthy Ring alternative in this video security camera (and it has no subscriptions)

ZDNET's key takeaways The Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro is available for $180 for the Wi-Fi version and $200 for the PoE version. This indoor/outdoor security camera doubles as a smart home hub, features 1520p resolution for crystal-clear images, RTSP support, and has a built-in NPU to process video with AI for visual recognition. The camera is wired, so placement is limited, and there is no expandable storage, so you need a subscription to access video history or bypass it through video server soft

Yale’s new Google Home smart lock now costs more thanks to tariffs

According to Yale, the new smart lock was built for Google Home and Matter and designed specifically to complement Google Home’s Nest video doorbells. However, thanks to its Matter-over-Thread connectivity, it can work with multiple smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant. In a briefing, Catelyn Herman, senior product manager at Yale, told The Verge that “tariff costs and overall product costs led us to have to increase the price slightl

Windows 11’s indicators for volume and brightness can soon be moved out of the way

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft is testing a new feature in Windows 11 that will let you move hardware indicators pop-ups like volume and screen brightness to the top-left and top-center positions of a display. The customization feature is part of a new Dev Channel build of Windows 11 that also includes a new Recall homepage that lists the top three apps and websites you’ve used in a 24-hour period.

10% Home Depot Promo Codes & Coupons | June 2025

Home Depot goes hard. The company pretty much invented the hardware superstore when it began in 1978, just by being so big. They inflated the neighborhood tool shop into a whole city of lumber, hammers, caulk, power saws, and big rolls of wire. I would know I’m in a Home Depot blindfolded, because of a distinct quality to the air—crisp and particulate, smelling like wood dust and paint and the oiled metal of power tools. The Home Depot smell is buried deep in my childhood, filed somewhere betwee

Yale’s new Google Home smart lock is here — but it costs more thanks to tariffs

According to Yale, the new smart lock was built for Google Home and Matter and designed specifically to complement Google Home’s Nest video doorbells. However, thanks to its Matter-over-Thread connectivity, it can work with multiple smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant. In a briefing, Catelyn Herman, senior product manager at Yale, told The Verge that “tariff costs and overall product costs led us to have to increase the price slightl

5 Chromecast features to make the most of your TV (including a smart home hack)

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Since 2014, Google's Chromecast has been an affordable means for helping viewers turn their older model TVs into smart TVs, allowing them to stream content from their phones, tablets, and computers to a bigger screen. Also: Is your Roku TV spying on you? Probably, but here's how to put an end to it Alas, the era of the Chromecast has come to an end. Google is replacing it with the Google TV Streamer, promising a faster processor, Thread and Matter integration, and the ability

Gemini for Android Auto may let you manage your smart home from the driver’s seat (APK teardown)

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR Google is working on giving Gemini the ability to control your smart home from your car. Gemini will be able to manage all Home devices connected to your account. Google Assistant for Android Auto and Automotive is a great hands-free tool for handling a variety of tasks while on the road. One such task you can use the digital assistant for is controlling your smart home from the car. When Gemini eventually replaces Assistant on Android Auto and Automot

Gemini’s homescreen could take this idea from its biggest rival (APK teardown)

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Gemini is taking some inspiration from ChatGPT. There are now suggestion chips on Gemini’s homescreen. Google also appears to have made a tweak to the greeting text. Save for a brief, friendly greeting and text box at the bottom, Gemini’s homescreen is fairly empty. However, Google could fill up some of that unused space by taking an idea from one of its rivals. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Au

US Homeland Security warns of escalating Iranian cyberattack risks

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned over the weekend of escalating cyberattack risks by Iran-backed hacking groups and pro-Iranian hacktivists. This warning was issued as a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin on Sunday and cautions that the Iranian conflict is causing a "heightened threat environment" in the United States, with "low-level" cyberattacks targeting networks in the U.S. likely. "The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing

5 Chromecast features that maximize your TV's potential (and a smart home hack)

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Since 2014, Google's Chromecast has been an affordable means for helping viewers turn their older model TVs into smart TVs, allowing them to stream content from their phones, tablets, and computers to a bigger screen. Also: Is your Roku TV spying on you? Probably, but here's how to put an end to it Alas, the era of the Chromecast has come to an end. Google is replacing it with the Google TV Streamer, promising a faster processor, Thread and Matter integration, and the ability

Blink Security Bundle Is 50% Off for Early Prime Day, Includes 7 Cameras and Storage With a MicroSD Card

It’s never been easier or more affordable to keep an eye on your home, both inside and out. Whether you’re heading out of town or just want extra peace of mind while you’re at work, a dependable security camera system can make a world of difference. The problem is, most setups either cost too much up front or require subscriptions to get all the features. And if you’re already paying for the equipment, there’s no way you want to spend more money on a subscription every month, too. Luckily, there

Using Home Assistant, adguard home and an $8 smart outlet to avoid brain rot

Beating Brainrot by Button The internet is the bane of my existence. Ads, distractions, sponsored content, bad news, bad ideas, more ads, social media, antisocial media, even more ads. Also, I’m a software developer, so the internet is basically indispensable for me, a central pillar of my income and a convenient way to communicate with friends, family, loved ones, associates, acquaintances, people from my sports club, superpositions of all previous groups and enemies alike. And I think my com

I Get 5G on My Phone at Home, But Why Can't I Get 5G Home Internet? Here's What I Learned

If you can get 5G on your phone while you're at home, you should be able to get 5G internet at your house, right? Not exactly. 5G is no longer new, thanks to efforts from major carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, but 5G home internet service isn't strictly available at the same addresses as 5G cellular service. I ran into this when I switched my mobile carrier from AT&T cellular service to T-Mobile phone service. I was immediately impressed with the phone's 5G performance. However, even though

This Air Purifier for Large Rooms Is Now Practically Free, Amazon Clears Out 4.5-Star Top Picks

The air you breathe matters more than you might think. Between pollen, pet dander, dust, and whatever’s drifting in through open windows, it’s easy for indoor air to get a little stale or even irritating. That’s where a good air purifier comes in, and if you’ve been thinking about buying one, now’s a good time to jump in. You can get a great machine that can keep all the nasties out of your air at home while cleaning large spaces at a time. Because no one wants to have to buy multiple machines,

HomeKit Weekly: Aqara’s W100 Climate Sensor brings precision monitoring and smart control to your HomeKit setup

Last night, I had forgotten to take my upstairs Nest off Eco mode, and I was shocked to see the difference in one of my son’s rooms based on my Nest Temperature Sensor. In my dream world, I’d have a variable system that could heat and cool rooms independently, but nevertheless, I didn’t buy bitcoin when it was $1, so I cannot afford that. With that being said, I do like having the knowledge of what’s happening in individual rooms and having that data in HomeKit. The new Aqara W100 Climate Sensor

This Ring Doorbell Drops to 50% Off, Now $10 Below Its Black Friday Price for a Limited Time

Grant yourself peace of mind in your own home. The Ring Doorbell is comprehensive home security solution. With its enhanced video quality, precise motion detection, and seamless integration with Alexa, the Ring Doorbell offers unmatched convenience and security. Upgrade your home security today and allow yourself top-tier home monitoring with the Ring Doorbell, which happens to be part of a limited time deal at Amazon. That’s right, for a the time being, you can save an even 50% on the battery-p

Can we trust Google Maps to get us anywhere anymore?

Andy Walker / Android Authority 🗣️ This is an open thread. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below — your take might be featured in a future roundup. This past weekend, I was driving home from a wonderful break in the country. I usually use Google Maps to guide me home on longer drives, even if I have driven that route before. It’s more of a comfort than a necessity. However, it tried its level best to take me on an unwanted adventure. To get h

Topics: 33 best google home maps

Slow Wi-Fi? How to add a wired network to your home without an Ethernet cable

Rodica Cojocaru/Getty Images Wireless internet connections are convenient, but they're also notoriously unreliable. Nothing proves that point more emphatically than a glitchy video conference call, especially if it's tied to a crucial business meeting. The answer is to run a wired network connection to your home office. Wi-Fi is great for mobility, but a wired connection offers many advantages when it comes to working from home. It's faster and more reliable, with lower latency, all of which m

Best Internet Providers in Tampa, Florida

What is the best internet provider in Tampa, Florida? Frontier Fiber is CNET's top pick for the best internet provider in Tampa. We recommend it for most households in the area because it offers solid speeds at reasonable prices and has high customer satisfaction scores. If you're outside the coverage area of Frontier Fiber or need alternatives, you can consider wireless internet from Verizon 5G Home Internet or T-Mobile Home Internet. The two wireless providers have solid offerings and bundlin

Here’s My Experience With 5 Cheap Gadgets I Bought From AliExpress

If you're shopping online, you may have noticed products from Temu and AliExpress often come up in your shopping search. These items are so cheap that you may wonder if it's really a steal or if you should stay away. I was in that boat as well. And I love a good YouTube video where the host tests cheap tech from low-cost retailers. So, curious as I am, I decided to try my hand at testing cheap home products from the popular discount marketplace, AliExpress. Now, when shopping for a new piece of