Learn about smart home technologies, devices, and protocols. Get insights into how smart tech can make your home more efficient.
Matter is the smart home standard that lets devices from different brands work together without a dedicated hub – one protocol that Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa all speak natively as of 2022. Before Matter, buying a smart plug meant checking a compatibility list and hoping your chosen ecosystem didnt cut support in two … Read more
For most smart home buyers in 2026: Z-Wave if you want reliable, low-interference mesh for a dedicated home automation setup; Zigbee if you want more device options at lower cost; Wi-Fi if the device only comes in Wi-Fi and you don’t care about battery life. And if you’re starting from scratch today, look at whether … Read more
There are six wireless protocols that matter in 2026 for smart home automation: Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Matter. Each one is a different language your devices speak – and they are not all compatible with each other. Pick the wrong one and you end up with a Zigbee lock that refuses … Read more
Setting up the Geeni app takes about ten minutes total – download from the App Store or Google Play, create an account with your email, then pair each device over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi using either EZ Mode (fast blinking light) or QR code scanning for cameras. This guide walks through the install, the account, every … Read more
The Geeni app is a free smartphone app from Merkury Innovations that controls Geeni-branded smart bulbs, plugs, cameras, doorbells and light strips over your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. It pairs each device through QR code or “EZ Mode” pairing, then lets you switch things on and off, group devices, schedule scenes and pipe everything into … Read more
The Geeni app is available on iOS and Android – those are your real options. There is no official desktop app for Windows or Mac. If you need it on a computer, you are looking at an Android emulator, which works but is not exactly elegant. Here is where to get the app and how … Read more
If you want to ditch the Geeni app – or just want to control your Geeni devices through something you already use – your two best options are Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Both work natively. Apple HomeKit does not, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Here’s the short version of what works: Amazon … Read more
Somfy works with Apple HomeKit – but not directly. You need a TaHoma Switch bridge in the middle. Without one, your Somfy motors and covers stay invisible to the Home app. With one, you get control through Siri and HomeKit automations for a solid subset of Somfy products. It’s a real integration, just not a … Read more