Today’s smart homes: the hopes and the realities
The Verge team and others share their experiences of how smart technologies affect their lives — how it can often help and sometimes frustrate.
Illustration by Adrián Astorgano
At The Verge, we work hard to bring you the most recent news and expert hands-on reviews. But another way, and sometimes the best way, to judge smart home technology is to learn about it from those who have used the tech on a day-to-day basis in real-life situations.
In these articles, we’ve concentrated on how our own experiences, and the experiences of others, have affected how we regard smart home tech. We’ve got personal accounts by one reporter who decided to put together a brand-new smart home and another whose brother moved into a home haunted by the ghosts of someone else’s smart tech. Several of our staffers wax enthusiastically about their favorite devices and automations. A writer describes how smart tech makes his home more accessible. Our smart home reviewer tells how she uses technology to keep her varied pets (and she has a lot of them) happy and healthy. We talk to people who use smart devices to help them care for their parents — and more.
We’ve got a lot of interesting experiences — and information — to offer you. We hope it’s helpful, and if you can add your own personal anecdotes and advice to share in the comments, please do!
I dueled my HVAC and lived to tell the tale, but the smart lighting cold war is another story.
Victoria Song
People are increasingly installing smart devices into their homes, but when someone new moves in, technological poltergeists persist.
Alex Cranz
From security cameras to temperature sensors, pet feeders to smart sprinklers, here’s the pet tech I use to look after my critters.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
We clean with low-end robovacs, use Stream Decks as light switches, and enjoy the luxury of smart beds.
Verge Staff
If you’re planning a truly smart home, then you’re going to need a smart hub. Here’s what you need to know.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
A smart device may be a convenience to one person, but it could be a life-changer to another.
Steven Aquino
When The Verge’s smart home reporter got the chance to design her kitchen, she went all in on smart connected appliances.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Smart home devices can offer independence, safety, and companionship.
Barbara Krasnoff
There are different methods for protecting the footage from your smart home cameras, ranging from plain and simple to down the rabbit hole.
Chris Person
I dueled my HVAC and lived to tell the tale, but the smart lighting cold war is another story.
Victoria Song
People are increasingly installing smart devices into their homes, but when someone new moves in, technological poltergeists persist.
Alex Cranz
From security cameras to temperature sensors, pet feeders to smart sprinklers, here’s the pet tech I use to look after my critters.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
We clean with low-end robovacs, use Stream Decks as light switches, and enjoy the luxury of smart beds.
Verge Staff
If you’re planning a truly smart home, then you’re going to need a smart hub. Here’s what you need to know.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
A smart device may be a convenience to one person, but it could be a life-changer to another.
Steven Aquino
When The Verge’s smart home reporter got the chance to design her kitchen, she went all in on smart connected appliances.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Smart home devices can offer independence, safety, and companionship.
Barbara Krasnoff
There are different methods for protecting the footage from your smart home cameras, ranging from plain and simple to down the rabbit hole.
Chris Person
