Building out your smart home system doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Sometimes, older tech you may already have around the house can stand nicely.

My home is inundated with smart speakers. I’ve got Echo Dots aplenty, Google Minis to spare, and enough third-party voice-assistant devices to reproduce Plugged’s Bluetooth speaker symphony. And ...

Control more things at once without relying on scenes.

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. If you’re a tech nerd, then Home Assistant may be the smart home ecosystem for you. If you’re a tech nerd, then ...

The leaders of Home Assistant declared 2023 the “Year of the Voice.” The goal was to let users of the DIY home automation platform “control Home Assistant in their own language.” It was a bold shot to ...

Buy enough tech and you can’t escape the siren call of a smart home. Amazon practically throws Echo Dots at you. Google will sneak a Nest Mini in the box with almost anything you buy in its store.

I’ve been buying and tinkering with smart home devices for years. As a result, my home network resembles a kind of Model UN of devices, bridges, protocols, assistants, and apps. I try to broker ...

Have you ever dreamed of a home that anticipates your needs, adjusts to your routines, and simplifies your daily life? With Home Assistant, that vision is closer than ever. But let’s face it, diving ...

Google Assistant isn't what it used to be, and Gemini is something entirely different. Can these two coincide to fix the current state of the smart home? Chris Wedel Home Tech Editor Chris Wedel is a ...

What if your smart home could not only anticipate your needs but also make managing it effortless? With the release of Home Assistant 2025.9, that vision inches closer to reality. This latest update ...

Google's voice assistant is getting phased out in favor of the more chatty Gemini: Here's how that could affect your smart home and Nest products. Tyler has worked on, lived with and tested all types ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. From smartphones and TVs to kitchen fridges, a wider array of tech than ever now comes with voice assistant integration as standard. Home ...