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Tech News
ULTRALOQ has released the Bolt Mission, a smart lock that uses ultra-wideband combined with Bluetooth Low Energy and radar-based presence sensing to detect a user's precise approach to a door, rather than relying on GPS or simple Bluetooth proximity. The company simultaneously introduced the Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro, both certified under the Aliro standard for tap-to-unlock via Apple Wallet or Samsung Wallet.
ATV Launcher's version 0.1.41 update introduces "Arrangements," ten preset home-screen row layouts including Spotlight, Bookends, Centre Stage, Marquee, and Hero Trio, some featuring double-sized highlight tiles. It also lets users embed widgets like Weather, Digital Clock, System Info, and Watch Next directly into app rows, alongside a refreshed Configure Tile dialog, new folder preview styles, edge-to-edge Watch Next cards, and a customizable status bar with pill styles and TV input switching. The developer also released a separate free companion app offering 15 digital clock widget styles.
A veteran smart-home reviewer tested AI-generated text notifications from Apple Home, Amazon (Ring), and Google (Nest) security camera systems, comparing how fast each sent alerts and how accurate and useful the descriptions were. The review notes Apple charges up to three times more than its competitors for this AI notification feature.
Google Home users reported receiving repeated motion-detection notifications even while present in their own homes, according to a Reddit thread with multiple similar complaints. One affected user posted screenshots showing several alerts within minutes of each other, and later said the issue appeared to resolve itself, though it's unclear if others saw the same fix.
Google Nest support has confirmed reports that Google Clock alarm routines are malfunctioning: tapping to add or edit an alarm routine sometimes opens Assistant settings instead, and some existing routines fail to trigger after an alarm is dismissed. The company says its team is working on a fix and is also looking into separate complaints about timers. Google separately said a fix for voice-controlled lights with non-English names should roll out within 24 to 48 hours.
A tech reviewer evaluated three newly launched home battery systems designed for easier installation than earlier models. The testing comes as electricity prices climb and power outages become more frequent for many households. The reviewer reported spending weeks hoping for an outage to properly assess how the batteries would perform during a real blackout.
YouTube is rolling out Custom Feeds, a feature that lets viewers create and save multiple recommendation feeds using conversational prompts, such as one for wind-down documentaries or commute podcasts. These feeds appear on the Homepage and refresh automatically with new suggestions. The feature expands on a prior experiment and will launch this fall for US users on web, mobile, and TV.
SmartLabels is a QR-code labeling system for bins, boxes, and drawers that pairs printed codes with a companion iOS/Android app to log and photograph each container's contents. Each package includes 48 unique QR stickers, and users scan a code to view or update an inventory tied to that specific storage spot.
Samsung has acknowledged a bug in its Home Up Good Lock module where backups fail and get deleted as "broken" if users have set custom folder label colors. A Samsung Community moderator confirmed the issue and said engineers are working on a fix that requires changes to the underlying code, to be released in a future update. In the meantime, users can revert folder label colors to default settings to create working backups.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple is widely testing a home hub smart display powered by Siri AI, which could debut as early as next month. The device reportedly uses Face ID for user recognition and will come in both stand-mounted and wall-mounted versions, with its own home screen, widgets and StandBy-like clock faces.
Some Google Home speaker owners are reporting that the devices' LED lights stay on and pulsate continuously, only pausing briefly after a voice command before resuming. One user found the behavior tied to a notification about Hispanic Heritage Month, but the pattern has appeared across multiple Reddit reports without a clear common trigger. Google has not yet confirmed a cause.
Fast Company introduced a new recognition initiative called Pacesetters, honoring executives who are advancing AI-powered customer experience innovation. The launch featured a panel discussion with leaders from Tata Consultancy Services, The Home Depot, and Stellantis, moderated by Mansueto Ventures CEO Stephanie Mehta. The conversation centered on using AI to reduce friction in customer interactions while maintaining trust.