Welcome to our Smart Home and Automation category page—the hub for all things smart and convenient that can revolutionise your daily living. Here, you’ll find comprehensive guides, reviews, and the latest news on devices and ecosystems that promise to make your home safer, more efficient, and undeniably more enjoyable.
Smart Home and Automation refers to the network of intelligent devices and systems that connect to the internet and to each other, offering remote control, monitoring, and data collection. From voice-activated lighting to intelligent cooking appliances, this category spans a wide array of products designed to bring ease and automation into your home life.
Whether you’re a tech-savvy early adopter or a homeowner seeking practical solutions for everyday tasks, smart home tech offers a wide range of applications that can genuinely improve your living standards.
Whether you’re just starting your smart home journey or looking to expand your existing setup, our Smart Home and Automation category is rich with expert advice, detailed reviews, and the latest updates to help you make informed decisions. Dive in and discover how smart your home can truly be!
Christmas is just around the corner, and Italian smart lighting company Twinkly is debuting new products to help households deck their halls this holiday season. Twinkly aims to make Christmas lighting displays easy yet dazzling, with app-controlled lights that can display customized animations and effects. This year Twinkly is introducing the new Twinkly Plus line…
I have previously written quite a bit about Thread, the low-power, wireless mesh networking protocol designed for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Within the Thread ecosystem, different device roles and types, such as Thread Border Routers (TBRs), Full Thread Devices (FTDs), and Minimal Thread Devices (MTDs), are defined to cater to various use cases and…
The OKP K5 is an affordable robot vacuum cleaner with strong suction, smart features, and long battery life. After testing, I found it cleans thoroughly on hard floors and carpets, has good obstacle avoidance, and is very easy to use. The main issue is the lack of proper mapping with LiDAR or vSLAM that you…
Twinly recently announced their latest range of smart string lights, the Twinkly Candies. These are available to buy now, with plenty of time to get them for either Halloween or Christmas. These new lights come in two lengths and four shapes, including candles, hearts, pearls and stars. Testing these in September, I haven’t had the…
The Imou DB60 is an affordable wireless video doorbell with a built-in battery that offers convenient installation without the need for wiring. It captures video in 2560 x 1920 resolution with H.265 compression and has motion detection, human detection, and two-way audio. I tested the Imou DB60 for several weeks to see how it performs…
If you are interested in smart home technology, you may be aware of the new smart home communication standard Thread, which will likely replace Zigbee over time. To use Thread devices, you will need a Thread Border Router, but these are not likely your normal smart home hubs. Many smart home devices can be a…
I have previously reviewed the superb Meross MSP843P smart fast charging power strip, which is the only smart extension lead I am aware of that has a 65W power delivery USB-C plug. The Meross MSS620HK is advertised as being an outdoor smart plug thanks to its durable design and IP44 rating. I think the overall…
Tokyo-based smart home company SwitchBot has announced the launch of the S10, an innovative new robot vacuum cleaner with the world’s first fully autonomous self-refilling and draining system. The S10 is currently raising funds on Kickstarter, with super early bird pricing starting at $799. SwitchBot S10 Specifications Here are the key specifications for the SwitchBot…
The Reolink RLC-823A 16X was launched earlier this year, and as the name suggests, it is essentially the same as the existing Reolink RLC-823A, but the zoom has been increased to 16x vs 5x. This is the most expensive camera Reolink does. I would say that it is quite a niche camera as the zoom…
Consumer electronics company Netatmo first unveiled its Smart Door Lock and Keys at CES 2020 over 3 years ago, which I covered here and here. Now after a lengthy development period, Netatmo has finally released the smart lock system in select European countries. The Smart Door Lock aims to provide homeowners with enhanced security, flexibility and convenience through its innovative technology. With…
I reviewed the superb Eufy Security Floodlight Cam 2 Pro two years ago, which now seems to be called the Eufy Floodlight Camera S330. I continued to use it until recently, and it has been my favourite floodlight camera up until now. Recently, Eufy announced the new Eufy Floodlight Camera E340, which is a dual-lens…
I have previously been impressed with some of the surveillance cameras from Annke. The Annke NC400 that I reviewed back in 2021 was a highlight, providing true colour night vision for under £100. Reolink, who I consistently praise, have only just released their first ColorX 4MP colour night vision. The Annke NightChroma NCPT500 appears to…
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