Smart Home

Barack Obama conspiracy theories, brought to you by Google Home

Google’s latest “fake news” oversight sounds even worse when spoken aloud.

I want a smart home. What’s the simplest way to start?

Recode’s Kara Swisher and The Verge’s Lauren Goode and Dan Seifert discuss on Too Embarrassed to Ask.

Mossberg: In tech, form too often trumps function

Nobody wants beige boxes, but practicality matters too.

Full transcript: Recode and The Verge talk new Google hardware on Too Embarrassed to Ask

What do Google Pixel and Google Home mean for the erstwhile search company’s future?

Is Google now a hardware company?

Recode’s Ina Fried and The Verge’s Lauren Goode and Dieter Bohn discuss the answer on the latest Too Embarrassed to Ask.

Rethinking the smart home gateway

Instead of being relegated to a corner and untouched, a truly smart broadband router should be at the very forefront of any consumer’s tech experiences at home.

Who is best positioned to build a smart home assistant?

Who’s it gonna be? Amazon? Apple? Google? IFTTT? Or some amalgam of smart home solution providers?

App darling IFTTT says it can run with Apple, Google and Amazon in the smart home race

If connected devices have a building boom, IFTTT wants to be the plumbing.

This startup wants to replace Skype, Dropcam and Amazon’s Echo with a single tablet

Meet Nucleus, the intercom system/security camera/voice assistant.

Why do we have smart-home apps at all?

The promise of the smart home was big. The hype was bigger, but the reality was — well, let’s just say not exactly earth-shattering.

The challenge of selling technology experiences

Simply seeing a connected lock, doorbell camera or smart thermostat in a box on a shelf at your local Best Buy likely won’t do it, no matter how attractive the packaging.

Should virtual assistants be humanized?

Are most digital assistants female because of sexism or user preference?

Two top Nest sales leads are out the door

Gone are the head of sales for the Americas and one of his deputies.

Echo and Home are endpoints, not the endgame

Amazon is pursuing the same vision as Google — that of a virtual assistant that’s truly virtual, inhabiting all the different devices we interact with throughout the day.

What will be the smart home's killer user interface?

Voice control is a contender.

Nest CEO Tony Fadell went to Google's all-hands meeting to defend Nest. Here's what he said.

Fadell tells Googlers that Nest beat its first-quarter sales targets.

Why Is Smart Home Technology So Complicated?

SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson joins Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode on the latest episode of Too Embarrassed to Ask.

With $340 million in revenue, Nest is underperforming, and its future at Google is at risk

All's not well at Nest.

Meet Zoe, a New Smart Home Hub That Lets You Control Your Data

The crowdfunded device by Protonet offers data security in an increasingly crowded smart home market.

This Water Pitcher Orders New Filters From Amazon Using Wi-Fi. It Could Be the Future of Shopping.

We wanted flying cars. Instead we got ...

Amazon's Echo Speaker Can Finally Order You an Uber

When tapping an app is too much effort.

Samsung's New Fridge Can Order Groceries From Its Touchscreen

MasterCard shopping app will launch with support from FreshDirect and ShopRite.

New Wi-Fi Standard Designed for Smart Homes and Gadgets

Get used to the name Wi-Fi HaLow.

This Experimental Retail Startup Wants to Be the Apple Store for Futuristic Gizmos

Ex-Nesters launch a physical home for newfangled things.

The New Old: High-Tech and Design for Aging

Boomers have become comfortable with technology, and they have learned lessons from their parents about how not to age.

August Announces Siri-Enabled Smart Locks and a Doorbell Camera

Also in the works: A plan to offer a platform for managing all kinds of home maintenance and delivery services.

Code/Mobile 2015: Android Creator and Redpoint Ventures Partner Andy Rubin

Quirky Files for Bankruptcy, Plans to Sell Wink

A pivot couldn't save the hardware startup.

SmartThings’ New Hub Uses Samsung Cameras to Monitor Your Home

"Before, SmartThings was easy for early adopters, but I think now we're mass market easy."

Siri and Alexa Were Never Cut Out to Be Homemakers

Reviews are pointing out that some "smart" voice-enabled tech is, in fact, “quite stupid.”

Review: Tiny Nest Cam Brings Small Improvements to Dropcam

The first home-monitoring camera from Nest following its acquisition of Dropcam does not disappoint. Still, there are cheaper options out there.

Inside Target’s Tech Funhouse and Search for Its Next Billion-Dollar Business

Homey scenes come to life inside a new tech wonderland created by Target, designed to show off Internet-connected home devices.