Athom's Homey hub now lets users update Matter, Z-Wave, and Zigbee smart home devices directly from its app, without opening separate manufacturer apps. For Matter devices specifically, Homey pulls firmware information straight from the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Distributed Compliance Ledger, bypassing the need for manufacturers to build update support into their own apps. Z-Wave and Zigbee updates depend on developer support, with an initial vendor list including IKEA, Aeotec, INNR, and others.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-18
Apple's newly released iOS 27 introduces daily usage caps on server-dependent Apple Intelligence features like image generation, but iCloud+ subscribers on most paid tiers get expanded access beyond the free limits. The update also brings AI-powered upgrades to HomeKit Secure Video, including video descriptions, clip search, and automatic highlighting of notable footage for compatible home cameras.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-17
Apple's Home app now offers AI-generated descriptive summaries and natural language search for security camera footage. These features require a paid HomeKit Secure Video subscription, with top-tier plans reaching up to $60 per month.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-15
With iOS 27 and tvOS 27, Apple has added Apple Intelligence features to HomeKit Secure Video, including AI-generated text summaries of camera footage, video search, and the ability to merge clips from multiple cameras. These features require pricier iCloud Plus plans, starting at $9.99 a month for one camera and rising to $59.99 a month for coverage of up to five cameras.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-14
MacStories' Federico Viticci published his annual in-depth iOS review, this time covering iOS 27, saying the update is less flashy than last year's but still shows Apple 'sweating the details.' He gave particular attention to Siri AI, describing it as a smarter, more capable assistant that excels at quick, one-off tasks rather than agentic, multi-step work.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-14
Shelly has released the Flood S Gen4, a Matter-certified water leak sensor priced under $30 that works natively with Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings, and Home Assistant. The device uses three large stainless steel contact pads instead of small metal pins, allowing it to detect water faster and even sense low-conductivity liquids like AC condensate.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-11
Apple's iOS 27 update overhauls the Home app with Apple Intelligence features, letting it summarize alerts from doorbells and smoke detectors instead of flooding the lock screen with notifications. Cameras gain improved AI-based detection of faces and animals, can stitch together footage of a person moving through multiple rooms, and now record in 4K with AI-generated video descriptions and searchable events. The update also lets users update all Apple TVs at once from the Home app and improves overall app reliability.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-09
ULTRALOQ has released the Bolt Fingerprint smart lock, which the company describes as its first model fully integrated with Apple Home. The device supports fingerprint unlock for up to 50 fingers, 50 passcodes, auto-unlock, physical keys, and voice control via Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, and connects directly over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi without needing a separate hub bridge.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-04
WIRED's 2026 video doorbell guide lists three additional models that just missed the top picks: the $100 SwitchBot Smart Video Doorbell with a built-in display, the $100 Aqara G400 Select wired doorbell with local storage and optional HomeGuardian subscription, and the $170 Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell offering 2K resolution and Hue light integration. Each has strengths and drawbacks, from slow displays to bulky designs to reliance on paid subscriptions for advanced AI features.
wired.com
· 2026-09-03
Throughout the summer, testers found Siri's new AI features on Apple Watch to be sluggish and unreliable in watchOS 27 betas, struggling with basic tasks like setting timers, alarms, and controlling HomeKit devices. With watchOS 27 beta 8, those responsiveness problems appear to have been resolved, marking a notable turnaround just before the software's public release.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-03
Linkind has released a Smart Light Stick, an E26 screw-in bulb designed around dynamic flame simulation rather than standard color lighting. Users can adjust flame size, brightness, flicker speed, and motion type, and the bulb also includes over 120 presets like sunset and lava effects. It connects to Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home through Matter.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-28
GoKawiil