Google has removed the iconic Nest x Yale Lock from its store as supplies run dry, redirecting shoppers to the $189.99 Yale Smart Lock with Matter — a Thread-powered successor that shows Google betting its smart home future on Matter and partners.
Google began replacing Assistant with Gemini on Android phones in September 2026 via mandatory updates. Nest speakers and displays are exempt — here’s what’s changing, what isn’t, and what it means for your smart home.
Gemini for Home brings Google’s conversational AI to every Nest speaker and display made since 2016 — free via early access. Here’s how to enroll, what’s included, and why you can’t switch back.
Google has discontinued the Nest Mini and Nest Audio in 2026, consolidating around the new $99.99 Gemini-powered Google Home Speaker. Existing owners can still upgrade to Gemini for Home — here’s what changes.
Google Home Premium starts at $10/month and unlocks Gemini Live, the AI-powered Home Brief, and video history on the new $99.99 Google Home Speaker. Here’s what’s worth paying for — and the real first-year cost.
Govee’s CES 2026 announcements — the Floor Lamp 3 with 281 trillion colors, the 616-pixel Ceiling Light Ultra, the first tease of the Sky Ceiling Light, and a Samsung SmartThings partnership — set the template for the brand’s breakout year. Here is what was announced and how it played out.
Govee’s IFA 2026 lineup is headlined by the $399.99 AI-powered Sky Ceiling Light with 7,000 lumens and a 478nm daylight-mimicking spectrum, joined by the COB Strip Light 2 Pro and dual-zone Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro — all Matter-compatible and driven by AI Lighting Bot 2.0. We break down the specs, pricing, availability, and how the lineup stacks up against Philips Hue.
Philips Hue has launched its first wired wall switch modules — €44.99 devices that fit behind existing switches and bring non-smart lights into the Hue ecosystem. They are Europe-only for now, arriving alongside a Play Table Lamp, a large floor lamp, and a Matter-over-Thread candle bulb. We cover installation realities, the competition from Shelly and Aqara, and whether the price is justified.
EcoFlow has unveiled OASIS 3.0, its new AI-powered home energy management platform, alongside the EcoBot energy assistant at its Munich launch event and Intersolar Europe 2026. Here is how the system optimizes solar, storage, and dynamic tariffs, what the STREAM 2 and OCEAN 2 launches add, and why software is becoming the decisive battleground in home energy.
Rheem and ecobee have launched the ecobee Smart Thermostat Lite with EcoNet technology, a contractor-focused smart thermostat for 24-volt systems with HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Alarm.com support. Here are the details of the February 2026 partnership, the one-wire HVAC accessory control, and what it means for the thermostat market.