Smart Home Explainer
What an ANSI Grade 1 Smart Lock Claim Means, and Which Makers Publish a Grade at All
Grade 1 and Grade A come from different standards and are not interchangeable. Here is what each one measures and which smart locks are…
Industry
Smart Home: Mainstream
Smart Home Buyer’s Brief
A Robot Vacuum and Mop for a Small Apartment: Size the Dock Before the Robot
A self-washing mop station is a floor-standing appliance. Here are the published dock dimensions, weights, wash temperatures and coverage figures that decide whether one…
Smart Home Buyer’s Brief
Robot Vacuums for Carpet and Hardwood: How to Read a Suction Claim
Suction figures on robot vacuums are published by makers who ran the test themselves, in modes they chose. Here is what their own footnotes…
Smart Home Buyer’s Brief
Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum Docks: What the Capacity Numbers Really Measure
Self-emptying docks are now standard equipment. We compare the capacity figures iRobot, Shark and Dreame publish, the consumables behind them, and what a full…
Smart Home Trend Report
Water Leak Sensors Are Cheap Now. The Shutoff Valve Is the Part That Pays
Water damage and freezing were 22.6% of US homeowners claims in 2023, averaging $15,400. What separates a cheap puck from a valve insurers will…
Smart Home Price Trail
What It Costs to Leave a Smart Home Switched On in 2026
Your router, hub and cameras draw power every hour of the year. What the measured wattage and the August 2026 electricity price add up…
Smart Home Buyer’s Brief
Smart Light Switches Without a Neutral Wire: What Works in an Older House
A switch loop with two wires and a ground is the most common reason a smart switch goes back in the box. What the…
Smart Home Market Shift
Robot Vacuums After the FCC Rule and iRobot’s Sale: What Changes for US Buyers
A July 2026 FCC rule gates new foreign-made robot vacuum models, and iRobot is now owned by the contract manufacturer that built its Roombas.…
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