#universal-remotes

#universal-remotes

Google may have sunsetted the Chromecast hardware, but a new firmware update for Samsung TVs will add Google Cast support for all 2026 models as well as select older models - possibly as far back as 2023.

OpenAI's chatbot can't control car functions. If you want to adjust the cabin temperature or skip tracks, you'll still need Siri for those tasks.

"You still set up actions in Stream Deck app the same way you always have. MCP adds a new way to trigger them," Elgato said in its announcement.

Previously, users only saw a generic "Learn More" button beneath an ad for a movie or show. You couldn't tell whether the content was free or carried a price tag. Now, Amazon introduced more buttons to make things less ambiguous. They launched buttons titled "Watch Free," "Watch Now," or "Watch Live" that are supposed to improve transparency.

Siminoff's vision: turn Ring from a video doorbell company into an AI-powered "intelligent assistant" for the entire home and beyond. A handful of new features that advance that goal shipped just ahead of this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, including fire alerts, alerts about "unusual events," conversational AI, facial recognition features, and more. Some of these additions have not been without controversy, as consumers have to grapple with how much privacy they're giving up in favor of convenience and security.

In today's hectic and fast-paced world, technology has made it possible to be in multiple places at once and greatly increased our productivity. However, missing out on a limited-time showing or live broadcast can still cause anger and frustration. There's a simple and obvious solution in the form of DVRs or Digital Video Recorders, so you can enjoy all the thrill of watching your favorite sports team without the annoying commercials.

All of the appliances and systems are brand-new: the HVAC, the lighting, the entertainment. Touch screens of various shapes and sizes control this, that, and the other. Rows of programmable buttons sit where traditional light switches would normally be. The kitchen even has outlets designed to rise up from the countertop when you need them, and slide away when you don't.

On the hunt for new smart plugs to upgrade your home automation? One of our favorite picks, the Meross MSS110 Smart Plug Mini, is currently marked down on Amazon. The two pack is discounted from $34 to $27, and the four pack is down to $34 from its usual price of $52. These plugs help add smart functionality to otherwise dumb devices around your home, like lamps or fans, so they can be included in your routines.

Matter, the smart home connectivity protocol that revolutionized the IoT world, has done wonders to bridge the interoperability gaps between brands. For various reasons, however, Matter hasn't completely solved the problem of incompatibility in the smart home. IoT company Copilot.cx aims to change that by giving users access to different brands' devices with a single mobile app. Copilot.cx has introduced Copilot Star, a platform that enables manufacturers to builda branded app based on a single framework, connecting smart home devices running on different platforms.