#smart-home

#smart-home

Large language models are currently everyone's solution to everything. The technology's versatility is part of its appeal: the use cases for generative AI seem both huge and endless. But then you use the stuff, and not enough of it works very well. And you wonder what we're really accomplishing here. On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay rejoins the show full of thoughts about the current state of AI - particularly after spending a summer trying to get his smart home to work.

That works out to just $38 per light bar. Each pro gaming light bar has three sides of illumination to cast colored light all across your gaming desk and room. They're made to look futuristic with transparent plates and metal textures like something out of Cyberpunk 2077. The bases are weighted to ensure they stay stable and standing upright. Each measures in at 16 inches tall.

Apple's new M5-powered iPad Pro is the first iPad to officially support the Thread smart home protocol. It comes with Apple's new N1 wireless networking chip, which adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread - the three wireless protocols the Matter smart home standard runs on. While other iPads and Macs reportedly have Thread radios, this is the first model launching with the protocol publicly listed in the specs, and it could lay the groundwork for the iPad to be a Home hub - again.

These mini wired cameras are easy to set up, and can be placed anywhere around the house - hallway, lounge, kids' room, your own bedroom, etc. You will enjoy a crisp, detailed 1080p HD full-color picture in all lighting conditions, whether it's a sunny day or dark in the middle of the night. There's two-way audio that lets you communicate with whoever is on the other side, which is great to stay in touch with your children and calm them down when you're not around.

Google has spent much of this year porting its Gemini chatbot to other platforms outside of Android. It arrived on Wear OS smartwatches this summer, it's coming to Android Auto this fall, but now it's Google Home's turn. Say goodbye to Google Assistant, which has powered many of Google's smart home products since its 2016 debut. The command word remains, "Hey Google," but now it'll activate Gemini. Nearly 10 years ago, Google Assistant was the company's answer to Amazon's Alexa. It kickstarted a voice assistant war, but after a period of stagnation, these chatbots have been revived with the advent of large language models.

See a curated selection of product innovations, from smart home tech to sustainable beverages, submitted by designboom guest readers from around the world. These posts showcase a wide range of projects, from modular furniture and reconfigurable systems to sustainable materials and thoughtful new solutions to everyday problems. Powered by designboom's Global Creative Community designboom's guest reader submissions give architects, designers, and makers a platform to share their projects with a vast international audience. This initiative fosters an open, inclusive dialogue within our global creative community.

The map works by tracking when Ting-connected devices lose power. It promises instant notifications when the power goes out and when it comes back on, down to the neighborhood. It's true that most power companies offer alerts, but at least for mine, alerts can be delayed. My outage notifications come within 10 minutes, but my restoration alerts sometimes come more than an hour after the lights are back on.

Google is overdue an update to its smart home setup, and now we know when it'll come: October 1st. The company has teased some sort of launch or announcement for that day, promising that "Gemini is coming to Google Home."

Fourteen years ago, Silicon Valley startup August rethought the front door with its internet-connected smart locks. Its growth led to an acquisition in 2017 by lock manufacturer Yale-and it's still the top-selling smart lock brand in the U.S. But despite the relative ubiquity of connected-home products like August 's locks, Ring doorbells, and Nest thermostats, the true ideal of the smart home-a dwelling with built-in tech that seems to magically cater to your needs-seems no closer than it was when August launched.

Google has announced that users of the US and UK versions of the 3rd gen Nest Learning Thermostat and the Nest Thermostat E can now schedule temperature adjustments using the Google Home app, allowing for easier scheduling without needing the dedicated Nest app.

The Nuki smart lock fits on your existing deadbolt's mechanism, keeping your door's external appearance unchanged while allowing physical key access.

Security cameras are becoming more popular and affordable, and their effectiveness can be enhanced by mindful placement, avoiding obstructions like trees or furniture.

The classic American dream may be dead, but at least we have the Internet of Things and the never-ending font of smart home products it's given rise to.