Christian has been writing about technology since the mid 2000s, and has been published in numerous publications, online and in print. These include Android Magazine, Linux User & Developer, Linux Format, Tech Radar, Tom's Hardware, and Computer Active. From 2014-2024, he was a section editor and later deputy editor at MakeUseOf, before joining the Matter Alpha team. Christian enjoys old video games (mainly C64, Amiga, and MS-DOS), classic TV, and telling everyone who will listen that they should have a robot cleaner. When he's not shaping articles, Christian is a dad to three dancers, collects Lego, and is an avid home chef.
Sticking to its Spring/Fall release cycle, the Connectivity Standards Alliance has today announced Matter 1.4. This brings a collection of overall improvements, including new features, revised functionality on existing features, and support for new device types.
If your smart home is just getting started, and Matter is something completely new to you, you'll need to get familiar with it without breaking the bank. Below, we’ve got five Matter devices you should get hold of if you’re new to smart homes.
One of the key elements of the growth of the smart home is the presence of wireless networking. Almost every home has some form of Wi-Fi router installed, and this makes it easier to manage and run smart tech and Internet of Things devices. But does your smart home need a permanent internet connection? Can your smart home function reliably without the internet?
Having lights that switch on when you enter, or a robot cleaner that detects mess as soon as it hits the floor, and voice-controlled living room environmental settings, were once the stuff of fiction. But smart home technologies in the real world have been with us longer than you might imagine. How did we get from basic electronic appliances to voice controlled robot cleaners?
As with most smart home protocols, Matter relies on wireless networking. But there is an aspect of Matter’s Wi-Fi requirement that might just impact its implementation on your network: multicast DNS (mDNS), a stand-alone protocol intended for small networks. Does Matter demand mDNS, or can you use Matter without it?
Samsung SmartThings and the open source Home Assistant have become the first platforms to support Matter 1.3. But hold on: wasn’t Matter 1.3 released in May 2024? It’s taken five months for adoption, so why is Matter adoption so slow?
The release of the Matter 1.3 specification in Spring 2024 saw a range of new device types and features supported in the breakout smart home platform. Matter has a bi-annual release cycle, with a new specification released every Spring and Autumn. Matter 1.4 is imminent, therefore, promising new features and functionalities. But what new device support can we expect from Matter 1.4?
Smart home tech has been around for a while, but Matter is relatively new. The Matter specification aims to unify smart home development into a single standard. But while embracing Matter seems likely to move us closer to the smart home of our dreams, there are devices that don’t really need to be integrated with the smart home protocol – they work just as well without it.
Energy management is being added to Matter, the smart home protocol supported by an increasing number of manufacturers. Matter 1.3 adds various smart home energy management features, but does this support for smart thermostats and smart radiator valves make the standard more energy efficient and environmentally friendly?
Google’s long-awaited upgrade to the awkwardly named Chromecast with Google TV is the more straightforward Google TV Streamer 4K, a direct competitor to Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. Released to some fanfare, the device is more akin to those devices, rather than being a compact dongle that hands from your TV’s HDMI port. But most significantly, the Google TV Streamer 4K is also a Matter hub and Thread border router.
One of the ways a smart home can make life easier is to ensure the devices that make you feel good are interconnected. Take ceiling fans, for example, particularly important in warmer months and often found where air conditioning is unsuitable or impractical. As smart home technology becomes more popular, devices like smart ceiling fans become more enticing.
One of the main benefits of a smart home system is the ability to control lighting. Whether standard lamps or LED strips and panels, smart lighting can be used as a welcoming glow, an ambient theme, or even a security measure.
If you’re building a smart home or have already started, one area that you’ve either implemented or are considering is energy management and heating control. But you can’t simply go out and buy a smart thermostat and get instant results from your heating system. You need OpenTherm.
IFA Berlin 2024 showcased a wealth of new tech, much of which you can expect to see in shops over the coming months. Along with the usual audio gear, mobile phones, and laptops, IFA Berlin 2024 was the launchpad for a collection of new smart home technology, much of which has been built with support for Matter.
IKEA has joined the Matter revolution, adding support for the new smart home standard to its Dirigera hub. But how do you set up the Dirigera to work with Matter? We lay out all you need to know to get it operating without a hitch.
Smart home tech producer Aqara has made a collection of product reveals at IFA 2024, with a heavy element of Matter compatibility. These new products include new wall dimmers, bulbs, and a garage door controller. In addition, Aqara’s Thread support is extending, which should help to solidify its commitment to Matter as the smart home platform evolves.
Back in May 2024, German smart home company Tado announced a new range of smart home energy devices, Tado X – and the news from IFA 2024 is that they’re being released in the UK in time for winter. But how exactly will connecting a Matter-enabled smart home energy management system save money? And when will Tado X be available to US smart home owners?
The unveiling of the LG ThinQ ON AI home hub has been teased by the South Korean electronics manufacturer ahead of the IFA 2024 tech show in Berlin, Germany. LG’s exposure to Matter has been limited to date, with just a handful of webOS-loaded smart TVs capable of acting as hubs via the ThinQ mobile app. However, the ThinQ ON AI home hub might change this.
A collection of big name companies are members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the group that publishes the Matter smart home standard. Among them are Google, Apple, Amazon, IKEA… and Samsung SmartThings. You’ve heard of Samsung, but what on earth is SmartThings? And how can it help to encourage the use of Matter as a smart home technology?
While it may seem that Matter smart plugs are just like any other, they are not. With a Matter smart switch, the possibilities of remotely controlling and scheduling the activity of devices is enhanced. These 10 examples of useful ways to use a Matter smart plug illustrate this.
