New Amazon Echo Studio 2026: Price, Specs, Dolby Atmos
The redesigned Amazon Echo Studio is 40% smaller with Dolby Atmos spatial audio, a high-excursion woofer, the AZ3 Pro chip, and Alexa Home Theater support — priced at $219.99.
Aqara FP400 Tracks 10 People With mmWave Radar
Aqara’s FP400 spatial multi-sensor launched in September 2026 after its CES debut. With 60GHz mmWave radar tracking up to ten people and a choice of Thread or Zigbee connectivity, it shows where presence sensing is headed.
Ring Adds Fire Alerts, App Store and AI at CES 2026
At CES 2026, Amazon gave Ring doorbells fire alerts via a Watch Duty partnership, a new in-app store for third-party integrations, multi-sensor Ring Sensors, and AI Unusual Event Alerts that learn a property’s normal patterns. Here’s what the announcements mean for Ring owners.
Ring Launches First 4K Battery Video Doorbell
Ring has launched its first battery-powered 4K video doorbell. The Battery Doorbell Pro 2nd Gen headlines a refreshed 2026 lineup with Retinal 4K video, up to 10x enhanced zoom and faster charging, starting at $249.99. Three new 2K models and solar accessories round out the range, all shipping with a free Ring AI Pro trial.
Z-Wave Long Range Targets Apartments With Rently Hub 4
Rently unveiled a Z-Wave Long Range lineup at its September 2026 summit: a hub covering up to 25 units, a retrofit-friendly smart deadbolt, and a thermostat. Here’s how Long Range is changing smart home economics for apartment buildings.
Zigbee 4.0 Adds Sub-GHz Range With Suzi
Zigbee 4.0 introduces Suzi, a sub-GHz feature operating at 800 MHz in Europe and 900 MHz in North America for longer range. Here’s what it means for large properties and how Zigbee fits alongside Matter in 2026.
Matter Cameras Have Arrived: What Changes in 2026
Matter 1.5 finally brought cameras, video doorbells, and intercoms into the smart home standard in late 2025. With SmartThings leading platform support and certified hardware arriving through 2026, here’s what changes for home security.
Amazon Echo Dot Max: Price, Specs, and Release Details
Amazon’s Echo Dot Max brings a two-way speaker with nearly 3x the bass of the Echo Dot 5th Gen, the AZ3 chip, Omnisense room sensing, and a built-in Matter/Zigbee/Thread smart home hub — all for $99.99.
Thread 1.4 Is Now Mandatory for New Border Routers
Since January 1, 2026, Thread 1.4 is the only certification path for new border routers, and its credential-sharing feature finally merges rival ecosystem meshes into one network. Here’s what the mandatory transition means for your smart home.
Matter 1.6 Brings NFC Setup and Joint Fabric Sharing
The Connectivity Standards Alliance announced Matter 1.6 on June 17, 2026, at its Unify conference in Austin. The update adds NFC-based commissioning, Joint Fabric multi-ecosystem device sharing, and Thermostat Suggestions — targeting setup friction and cross-platform coordination rather than new device types.