Christopher Close

Review

Tapo TL135E Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulb Review: Cheap, Colorful, and Consistent

The lack of color and ambiance in my household has always been on my mind so I recently branched out a bit by deploying a pair of Tapo Tl135E Smart Wi-Fi Light Bulbs in a few bedside lamps. At just under $15 each and with full multicolor capabilities, the price was simply too hard to pass up. After spending a few weeks with Tapo's bulb, am I regretting my decision?

Thursday, September 5, 2024

News

IKEA DIRIGERA Hub Update Brings Matter to Smart Plugs, Blinds and More

After rolling out a limited beta for lighting earlier this year, IKEA has finally expanded its Workshop program to include Matter support for even more device types. Starting today, users can download a new firmware update (version 2.615.8) for the DIRIGERA smart hub that brings Matter support to seven devices.

Monday, September 2, 2024

How To

How to Use Apple Home Adaptive Lighting With Your Matter Lights

While the transition to Matter for Apple HomeKit users was pretty seamless, the omission of one major feature—Adaptive Lighting—left some smart home fans in the dark. Thankfully, that changes with the release of iOS 18. Apple is finally bringing Adaptive Lighting to Matter devices with its latest operating system, so users both new and old can put their home's lighting on auto-pilot.

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible Recessed Lights

Ready to give your home a smart lighting upgrade? These Matter-compatible recessed lights may be just what you're looking for.

Monday, August 12, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible Ceiling Lights

Whether you need to replace an old non-working fixture, or looking to modernize your home, there's a Matter-compatible ceiling light that can meet almost any need. With a Matter ceiling light, your home will not only benefit from an updated look, but it will also gain convenient smart controls and maybe even a few extras like colorful scenes.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

How To

How to Use Matter Multi-Admin to Share Your Devices Across Ecosystems

While Matter brings enhanced security, reliability, and a streamlined pairing process to the smart home world, the real star of the show is interoperability through its Multi-Admin feature. But how exactly do you use Multi-Admin with your devices? We'll walk you step-by-step through the process.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Review

Tapo P125 Mini Smart Wi-Fi Plug Review: Mini plug, mini price

Is Tapo's $20 Matter-enabled smart plug too good to be true? We put one of the most affordable plugs around to the test.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible Relay Switches

Are you tired of waiting on Matter software and product releases? Then it's time to go DIY with one of the best Matter-compatible relay switches.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Review

Eve Door and Window Review: Constant Contact

At $39.95, the Eve Door and Window is one of the most expensive Matter contact sensors around. But how does it actually perform especially when considering the abundance of low-cost alternatives? Let's take an in-depth look.

Monday, July 22, 2024

Review

Tapo P400M Matter Outdoor Smart Plug Review: Matter Goes to the Great Outdoors

By now, you've most likely heard about all the many ways that Matter can simplify your smart home. But up until recently, Matter was limited to inside our homes, leaving key areas out in the cold—quite literally. That changes with the Tapo P400M Outdoor Smart Plug.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

How To

How to Set Your Preferred Apple Home Hub

If you have multiple HomePods or Apple TVs in your smart home, you may notice that the Home app doesn't always pick the most centrally located or the most powerful home hub. This can lead to slower response times and disconnections, and it may even break Matter device automation. To better optimize your smart home, you'll need to know how to set your preferred Apple Home hub.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Review

Eve Motion Review: Smart, Speedy, and Ultra-Reliable

Motion sensors play a critical role in automating and securing our smart homes. With their wire-free ability to turn on the lights when our hands are full, and sending smart notifications for potential activity around our homes, it's hard to imagine life without them. This includes the Eve Motion, which I have been using to automate my home over the course of the past year.

Friday, July 5, 2024

How To

How to Update Matter Devices in the Apple Home app

Staying on top of the latest firmware updates is crucial for securing your Matter devices and ensuring your smart home runs smoothly. However, navigating through various vendor apps for each of your devices can make tracking down updates rather tedious.Thankfully, some Matter platforms—like the Apple Home app—can help by offering firmware updates directly to compatible devices.

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible Garden Equipment

With the Matter standard hitting the scene almost two years ago, we've seen the market flooded with smart home staples like plugs, sensors, and light bulbs. Now with the basics covered, manufacturers have begun turning their attention to other important aspects of our daily lives—which includes the great outdoors.

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

FAQ

A complete list of Thread Border Routers on the market today

Although Thread doesn't need a "hub" in the traditional sense, you will still need another piece of hardware called a Thread Border Router—to take advantage of its benefits. So, if you are just starting a smart home or making the move to Matter, you'll need to know which devices act as Thread Border Routers. Here's our complete list of all the Thread Border Routers on the market today.

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible IR Blasters

In our guide to the best smart plugs, we covered how they are a simple, yet effective way to add Matter capabilities to older devices with physical controls. However, smart plugs aren't so hot when it comes to devices that don't save their state after powering down or for those that rely on a remote. For these types of devices, you'll need to turn to a Matter-compatible IR Blaster to get the job done.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Review

TUO Smart Button Review: Matter Gets Physical

For some smart home users, there are likely household members who don't quite share the same level of enthusiasm for home automation. For them—or just for those times when pressing a button is just plain quicker and easier—having a smart button or remote in the home is a must. Enter the TUO Smart Button.

Monday, June 17, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible Power Strips

When you need the versatility of smart plugs for your desk or behind a TV, you'll want to consider a Matter-compatible smart power strip with USB (or without).

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Review

Eve Energy Smart Plug Review: Privacy at a Premium

To stand out in today's smart plug market, vendors will need to look for new ways to differentiate themselves from the plethora of low-cost alternatives. One company, Eve Systems, hopes to do so by offering their Eve Energy Smart Plug that focuses on user privacy while utilizing cutting-edge technology.

Monday, June 3, 2024

Explainer

The Best Matter-Compatible Lamps To Light Up Your Life

No smart home is complete without proper lighting that you can control from the couch or from across the world. And while you may think to look for a smart bulb, plug, or switch when building the connected home of your dreams, you may benefit more from an all-in-one solution like a Matter-compatible lamp.

Thursday, May 23, 2024