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Smart Home News

Everything the news desk has published on smart home news — tested, measured and updated as products change.

NEWS · Smart Home News

Smart Home News: Local Control Is Finally Becoming Standard

Matter maturity, cloud shutdowns, and why offline fallback is the spec to demand.

Naomi Park · August 10, 2026 · 2 min read

Independently scored

Still the most reliable smart lighting system once you're past two rooms.

Best for: Whole-home lighting scenes

Price band last checked 2026-08-11. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.

The most polished heating control, with scheduling that genuinely reduces runtime.

Best for: Households wanting set-and-forget savings

Price band last checked 2026-08-11. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.

NEWS · Housing Market

Transaction volumes are down for the third straight quarter. We asked surveyors and builders which upgrades still return their cost.

NEWS · Energy & Bills

A breakdown of where household energy money actually goes this year, and the three changes with the shortest payback.

NEWS · Home Trends

Plaster finishes, warm woods and one-material kitchens are displacing high-contrast styling. Here is the evidence.

NEWS · Product Launches

We filtered a month of launch announcements down to the ones with specifications that actually changed.

NEWS · Recalls & Safety

A running summary of home product safety notices, with the model numbers and what to do if you own one.

NEWS · Retail & Deals

Half of this month's advertised reductions are against a price nobody paid. Here is what genuinely fell.

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