Hubs & platforms

They are not competitors. Treating them like they are is how you buy three hubs and still lose the lock.

August 1, 2026 · 13 min read

The locks, plugs, thermostats, and hubs that make multi-admin feel normal instead of theoretical.

August 20, 2026 · 12 min read

A Thread router, five bulbs, two sensors, a plug, and a lock path — without joining a cult.

August 21, 2026 · 9 min read

Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, SmartThings, and Home Assistant — ranked by what they cost in year three, not what the demo promises.

October 21, 2026 · 13 min read

Four ecosystems, one house. What each one wants from you — the devices, the data, and the bill in year three.

October 21, 2026 · 12 min read

The three systems for people who outgrew Alexa and Google — power, polish, and who fixes it when it breaks at 11 p.m.

October 21, 2026 · 11 min read

Start with the phone in your pocket and work outward. A decision order that keeps you from buying the wrong ecosystem twice.

October 21, 2026 · 10 min read

Turning off the Assistant, the button gesture, and voice match — plus how to set up the speaker the way you actually want it.

October 25, 2026 · 9 min read

What to plug into a Home Assistant box, what each accessory actually adds, and when a mini PC beats a $100 starter device.

October 25, 2026 · 10 min read

Two-way mirror, a spare monitor, and a dashboard — plus the three cheaper ways to get the same result.

October 25, 2026 · 9 min read

LG ThinQ, Samsung, GE, Whirlpool, and the Matter-shaped ones — who actually ships local control.

September 12, 2026 · 10 min read

Plugs, sensors, and the few native modules that are not theater.

September 12, 2026 · 8 min read

Matter-first gadgets Echo can drive without locking you into an Amazon-only house.

September 12, 2026 · 9 min read

Under $40 pieces that still speak Matter or sit on a real mesh.

September 12, 2026 · 8 min read

Long-range, locks, and the devices Matter has not replaced yet.

September 12, 2026 · 10 min read

What certification actually guarantees — and the device types that still lie.

September 12, 2026 · 9 min read

Nest, Matter, and the third-party devices that do not fight the speaker.

September 12, 2026 · 9 min read

Apple’s $299 HomeView ships November 13. Here’s how it stacks up against Amazon’s Alexa+ Echo Show 11 and Google’s aging Nest Hub.

October 25, 2026 · 10 min read

Amazon upgraded Prime members to Alexa+ automatically. Here’s how to switch back, what you lose, and how to fix the routines it broke.

October 25, 2026 · 7 min read

A wall-mounted dashboard is the best way to control Home Assistant without a phone. Four routes, from a $73 Fire tablet to a SONOFF panel with a Zigbee hub built in.

October 28, 2026 · 9 min read