All posts tagged: smart home

Is a Home Security System Subscription Worth It? (2026)

Is a Home Security System Subscription Worth It? (2026)

Published by skeptic

No one wants to worry about a break-in. But no one wants to end up paying fees every month just to check their video doorbell feed or find out their window was broken, and most smart security systems (even the original ones that weren’t touted as smart!) rely on your fear to have you paying month after month for the promise of catching burglars and stopping intruders for you. These systems do work, and they can give you a lot of peace of mind. This comes with a hefty price tag, though, and plenty of people would be more than happy with a system they build themselves sans monthly fees. If you’re not interested in a system that will call the police or fire department if you don’t respond fast enough to something that turns out to be minor, or don’t want to have strangers looking through your security cameras at your property, I’m here to help with that. This guide collects a handful of our favorite smart home security accessories that won’t paywall you …

Thermacell LIV 2.0 Review: Taking My Yard Back

Thermacell LIV 2.0 Review: Taking My Yard Back

Published by skeptic

Four years ago, I moved back to Texas from California. After two weeks of living here, I realized we were going to have to do something about the mosquitoes. In the 25 years I’d been gone, they seemed to have grown larger, more intelligent, and much thirstier. My skin had become a bepoxed nightmare within days. I immediately embarked on a mission to do something, anything, about the problem, quickly resorting to paying a local company to send a guy with a pesticide-blasting cannon strapped to his back to the house once every three weeks. The cannon, used to blast all the foliage on the property, was expensive—four figures yearly—and very effective at warding off bugs … for a mere 48 to 72 hours after each spraying, after which it would wear off and the mosquitoes would return with bloodthirsty vengeance. It took two years for me to find something better, and I wrote about it extensively for WIRED. Thermacell is a leader in mosquito abatement, and its LIV Smart Mosquito Repellent System is the …

Meet Dyson’s New Robot Vacuum Line: The Dyson Nurovi Line (2026)

Meet Dyson’s New Robot Vacuum Line: The Dyson Nurovi Line (2026)

Published by skeptic

Around this time of year, new products launch left and right. I wrote similar words just yesterday ahead of Boox launching its latest devices. And now, Dyson, one of the big names in vacuum cleaners, just launched three innovative products. Dyson already announced several new products earlier in September, from vacuums to an electric toothbrush with a built-in camera. Some of those vacuums are now available to buy, specifically the three robot vacuums in the new Dyson Nurovi line: the Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry ($550), the Dyson R2 Nurovi Wash + Dry ($700), and the Dyson R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV ($1,200). This robot vacuum line has a new look, but the technology has changed too. All three Nurovi models share a light gray color scheme that makes the base station and vacuum easy to distinguish from the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai, but the base stations keep the canister-style compartments that make these vacuums look and feel distinctly Dyson. They also feature lidar laser-precision navigation—Dyson’s last robot vacuum relied on an HD camera—and the most expensive model now …

Belkin UltraCharge Pro power banks: Specs, price, where to buy

Belkin UltraCharge Pro power banks: Specs, price, where to buy

Published by skeptic

TL;DR: Belkin revealed its UltraCharge Pro series using semi-solid-state battery tech for slimmer, longer-lasting portable power. The lineup includes the 8.8mm-thin UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank ($69.99) and the UltraCharge Pro Power Bank with Display ($89.99). Carrying a portable charger usually means dealing with a heavy brick in your pocket or bag. Belkin is trying to fix that with its latest drop from IFA 2026. The tech accessory company revealed its UltraCharge Pro series, which uses semi-solid-state battery tech for slimmer, longer-lasting portable power. The lineup includes the UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank ($69.99) and the UltraCharge Pro Power Bank with Display ($89.99). Instead of standard liquid-cell batteries, Belkin added a gel-like layer to the battery setup. That simple tweak allows the chargers to stay lightweight, last up to three times longer, and handle heat much better — so you do not have to worry about overheating or battery swelling down the road. Mashable Light Speed UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank 5K If you want a power bank that snaps onto your …

Best Water Leak Detectors (2026): Moen, Phyn, TP-Link

Best Water Leak Detectors (2026): Moen, Phyn, TP-Link

Published by skeptic

Other Leak Detectors We Like Photograph: Simon Hill Shelly Flood Gen 4 for $40: Shelly’s fourth-generation leak detector boasts support for the Matter smart home system and impressive connectivity via Zigbee, Bluetooth, and dual-band Wi-Fi. I had no issues setting it up in my Google Home app by scanning the Matter QR code, but you can also use the Shelly app or your smart home ecosystem of choice (Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings). Each IP44-rated unit requires four AA batteries (included), and you stick or screw it to the wall (so there’s no risk of the unit being submerged), and plug the extendable 6.5-foot leak detection cable into the bottom to trail around the area you want to monitor. While I had some issues when I first tested, with it failing to alert in the Google Home app, these seem to have been resolved, and the detector correctly sounded an alarm when I dripped water on top and alerted me through the Home app. Ikea Klippbok for $12: Super affordable, with a simple design, …

The Best Air Quality Monitor for Outdoors and Indoors in 2026

The Best Air Quality Monitor for Outdoors and Indoors in 2026

Published by skeptic

Having An air quality monitor for your home is more important than you may think. As climate change speeds up and wildfires increasingly engulf large swaths of land, leaving behind smoke that makes air potentially hazardous to breathe, it’s more important than ever to ensure you’re breathing clean air. An at-home air quality monitor is a simple way to ensure that, whether it be car exhaust, wildfire smoke, pollutants from seasonal changes, or simply fumes from your gas stove, the air around you is safe to breathe. These air quality monitors test the air quality both indoors and outdoors, and on top of measuring PM2.5 (particulate matter) in the air and AQI (air quality index), they can also give insights into the air you’re breathing, including measuring temperature, humidity, CO2, VOCs, and more. Our top pick, IQAir’s Air Visual Pro ($330), measures for several factors and has an easy-to-read display, while our more basic budget pick, Temptop S1 PM2.5 Air Quality Monitor & Indoor Thermometer ($28), has been solid throughout prolonged testing. For more ways …

Smart Toilets Are Already Using AI to Analyze Your Poop

Smart Toilets Are Already Using AI to Analyze Your Poop

Published by skeptic

It was only a matter of time before wellness trackers—already out there trying to optimize our heart rate, sleep, stress, steps, blood sugar, and menstruation—came for perhaps the most private biosignal of all: our poop. The global gut health market is expected to reach nearly $106 billion by 2029, and a handful of companies are betting they can use stool data to provide in-depth health insights, nudge people to change their diets or lifestyles, and advise them to see a doctor if their bathroom habits seem amiss. But gastroenterologists are skeptical that products that rely on AI to analyze images of what’s going on in your toilet bowl are worth the price just yet, and data-privacy advocates warn that people can get locked into long-term subscriptions just to access their own health data. Among the companies touting smart toilets are Kohler Health—an offshoot of the eponymous plumbing giant that sells its device for $449 plus $130 for an annual family membership—and Throne, a startup that raised $10 million in July. Its product is $399 plus …

How to sign up for a virtual power plant—and decide whether you should

How to sign up for a virtual power plant—and decide whether you should

Published by skeptic

Once you find a program, the instructions for enrollment may be as simple as clicking through an app, filling out a utility form, or confirming your account and device information through a third-party enrollment page. EV drivers may be able to see the terms and payment in their automaker app and enroll “with a click of a button,” says Joseph Vellone, CEO of the EV-focused VPP company ChargeScape. Eligibility can get annoyingly specific. A smart thermostat program could require an approved Wi-Fi thermostat; an EV program may depend on your automaker, charger, utility territory, or rate plan; a battery program may depend on the battery brand, inverter, or installer and whether your system can communicate with the utility. These programs are also not evenly distributed across the country. Most programs are established in places with lots of flexible devices, stressed grids, supportive utilities, or strong state policies—especially California, Texas, New England, and increasingly parts of the mid-Atlantic region. 2.  Ask yourself how much flexibility you can afford.Before you sign up for a VPP, you’ll want …

Birdfy Nest Duo Review: My Own Private Nature Documentary

Birdfy Nest Duo Review: My Own Private Nature Documentary

Published by skeptic

Even though I’ve been a bird-watcher most of my life, nothing prepared me for the experience of witnessing—on my phone—the entire process of birds being born in my own backyard. I’ve maintained a regular “dumb” nest box for years, the birthplace of generations of black-capped chickadees. I’ve seen them going in and out, but I always wondered what was happening in there, especially the year I opened up the box in the fall and found five deceased fledglings at the bottom. How could this have happened? I wondered. Thanks to the Birdfy Nest Duo smart nesting box and its built-in thermometer and hygrometer, I now at least have an educated guess. (The poor things likely overheated during an early season heat wave.) Being able to watch the entire nesting operation from all angles, starting with excavation and egg-laying and ending in hatching and fledging, has been one of the most educational and entertaining bird-watching experiences I have ever had, and something I’d recommend to anyone interested in birds, nature, or just life science in general. …

The Best Multiuse Air Purifier for Home in 2026: BlueAir, Rabbit Air, Dreame

The Best Multiuse Air Purifier for Home in 2026: BlueAir, Rabbit Air, Dreame

Published by skeptic

If you’re tight on space or just want a more aesthetically pleasing machine, the best air purifier for home depends on your needs. If you live in a small apartment like me, you may need to have a multifunctional air purifier for a practical reason: space. These compact, dual-purpose machines are useful if you are tight on square footage or don’t want to shell out the money for two separate appliances. Or maybe you’re aesthetically driven and want something that looks cool in your space rather than a clunky, large air purifier that can be an eyesore. Regardless of the reason, these multiuse air purifiers look good, save space, and combine appliances into a single, energy-efficient device. Check out our other home air quality guides, including the Best Fans, Best Space Heaters, Best Humidifiers, Best Dehumidifiers, and Best Window ACs. Love WIRED? Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us. Featured in This Guide Best Air Purifier That’s Also a Fan Dreo Air Purifier Tower Fan MC710S Read more Best …