All Articles by Christian Cawley
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Oct 24, 2024
IKEA's Matter-compatible Smart Home Products
One of the easiest ways to start building a Matter-compatible smart home is to head to IKEA. But it’s not immediately clear which IKEA devices will work with Matter, and which ones are tied to IKEA’s previous smart home platform, TRADFRI. So, to help you out, we’ve collected all of IKEA’s smart home devices with Matter compatibility in one place.
Oct 24, 2024 -
Oct 23, 2024
When Did Smart Home Technology First Appear? An In-Depth History
Having lights that switch on when you enter, or a robot cleaner that detects mess as soon as it hits the floor, and voice-controlled living room environmental settings, were once the stuff of fiction. But smart home technologies in the real world have been with us longer than you might imagine. How did we get from basic electronic appliances to voice controlled robot cleaners?
Oct 23, 2024 -
Oct 18, 2024
Does Matter Require mDNS?
As with most smart home protocols, Matter relies on wireless networking. But there is an aspect of Matter’s Wi-Fi requirement that might just impact its implementation on your network: multicast DNS (mDNS), a stand-alone protocol intended for small networks. Does Matter demand mDNS, or can you use Matter without it?
Oct 18, 2024 -
Oct 17, 2024
HomeAssistant and SmartThings Embrace Matter 1.3
Samsung SmartThings and the open source Home Assistant have become the first platforms to support Matter 1.3. But hold on: wasn’t Matter 1.3 released in May 2024? It’s taken five months for adoption, so why is Matter adoption so slow?
Oct 17, 2024 -
Oct 8, 2024
What Can We Expect to See in Matter 1.4?
The release of the Matter 1.3 specification in Spring 2024 saw a range of new device types and features supported in the breakout smart home platform. Matter has a bi-annual release cycle, with a new specification released every Spring and Autumn. Matter 1.4 is imminent, therefore, promising new features and functionalities. But what new device support can we expect from Matter 1.4?
Oct 8, 2024 -
Oct 4, 2024
6 Smart-Home Device Types That Would Not Benefit From Matter Integration
Smart home tech has been around for a while, but Matter is relatively new. The Matter specification aims to unify smart home development into a single standard. But while embracing Matter seems likely to move us closer to the smart home of our dreams, there are devices that don’t really need to be integrated with the smart home protocol – they work just as well without it.
Oct 4, 2024 -
Oct 2, 2024
Will Matter Make Smart Home Devices More Energy-Efficient and More Environmentally Friendly?
Energy management is being added to Matter, the smart home protocol supported by an increasing number of manufacturers. Matter 1.3 adds various smart home energy management features, but does this support for smart thermostats and smart radiator valves make the standard more energy efficient and environmentally friendly?
Oct 2, 2024 -
Sep 26, 2024
The Google TV Streamer 4K is Also a Matter Hub
Google’s long-awaited upgrade to the awkwardly named Chromecast with Google TV is the more straightforward Google TV Streamer 4K, a direct competitor to Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. Released to some fanfare, the device is more akin to those devices, rather than being a compact dongle that hands from your TV’s HDMI port. But most significantly, the Google TV Streamer 4K is also a Matter hub and Thread border router.
Sep 26, 2024 -
Sep 26, 2024
Can Matter be Used with Smart Ceiling Fans?
One of the ways a smart home can make life easier is to ensure the devices that make you feel good are interconnected. Take ceiling fans, for example, particularly important in warmer months and often found where air conditioning is unsuitable or impractical. As smart home technology becomes more popular, devices like smart ceiling fans become more enticing.
Sep 26, 2024 -
Sep 23, 2024
What is a Smart Lighting Controller and is it Matter Compatible?
One of the main benefits of a smart home system is the ability to control lighting. Whether standard lamps or LED strips and panels, smart lighting can be used as a welcoming glow, an ambient theme, or even a security measure.
Sep 23, 2024 -
Sep 17, 2024
What is OpenTherm and How is it Important for Managing Heating in Smart Homes?
If you’re building a smart home or have already started, one area that you’ve either implemented or are considering is energy management and heating control. But you can’t simply go out and buy a smart thermostat and get instant results from your heating system. You need OpenTherm.
Sep 17, 2024 -
Sep 12, 2024
A Look at the New Matter Smart Home Products Announced at IFA Berlin 2024
IFA Berlin 2024 showcased a wealth of new tech, much of which you can expect to see in shops over the coming months. Along with the usual audio gear, mobile phones, and laptops, IFA Berlin 2024 was the launchpad for a collection of new smart home technology, much of which has been built with support for Matter.
Sep 12, 2024 -
Sep 11, 2024
How to Use the IKEA Dirigera with Matter
IKEA has joined the Matter revolution, adding support for the new smart home standard to its Dirigera hub. But how do you set up the Dirigera to work with Matter? We lay out all you need to know to get it operating without a hitch.
Sep 11, 2024 -
Sep 10, 2024
New Aqara Smart Home Products with Matter Announced at IFA 2024
Smart home tech producer Aqara has made a collection of product reveals at IFA 2024, with a heavy element of Matter compatibility. These new products include new wall dimmers, bulbs, and a garage door controller. In addition, Aqara’s Thread support is extending, which should help to solidify its commitment to Matter as the smart home platform evolves.
Sep 10, 2024 -
Sep 9, 2024
Tado X Range Launches in UK, But What About the USA?
Back in May 2024, German smart home company Tado announced a new range of smart home energy devices, Tado X – and the news from IFA 2024 is that they’re being released in the UK in time for winter. But how exactly will connecting a Matter-enabled smart home energy management system save money? And when will Tado X be available to US smart home owners?
Sep 9, 2024 -
Aug 30, 2024
The LG ThinQ ON AI Brings “Affectionate Intelligence” into Matter Home Hubs
The unveiling of the LG ThinQ ON AI home hub has been teased by the South Korean electronics manufacturer ahead of the IFA 2024 tech show in Berlin, Germany. LG’s exposure to Matter has been limited to date, with just a handful of webOS-loaded smart TVs capable of acting as hubs via the ThinQ mobile app. However, the ThinQ ON AI home hub might change this.
Aug 30, 2024 -
Aug 22, 2024
What is Samsung SmartThings?
A collection of big name companies are members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the group that publishes the Matter smart home standard. Among them are Google, Apple, Amazon, IKEA… and Samsung SmartThings. You’ve heard of Samsung, but what on earth is SmartThings? And how can it help to encourage the use of Matter as a smart home technology?
Aug 22, 2024 -
Aug 20, 2024
10 Useful Things You Can Do With a Matter Smart Plug
While it may seem that Matter smart plugs are just like any other, they are not. With a Matter smart switch, the possibilities of remotely controlling and scheduling the activity of devices is enhanced. These 10 examples of useful ways to use a Matter smart plug illustrate this.
Aug 20, 2024 -
Aug 16, 2024
How to Set up a Matter Smart Plug
One of the best ways to get started with smart home tech is to employ a smart plug. These internet-connected devices have a simple task – to switch on and off, thereby powering up or powering off any connected device. And just as smart plugs have been the ideal intro to smart home tech in the past, they’re also perfect to help you get to grips with Matter.
Aug 16, 2024 -
Aug 2, 2024
What are the major differences between Matter 1.3 and 1.2?
Matter aims to bring improved interoperability and security into the smart home space. One way this is achieved is through a rigid release schedule. The Matter 1.3 specification was released in Spring 2024. It introduced a number of significant improvements, but what are the key differences between Matter 1.2 and 1.3?
Aug 2, 2024 -
Jul 25, 2024
Can a Kitchen Fridge Be Connected to Matter?
Boasting temperature control, inventory management, and even diet control, the smart fridge can only be enhanced by the emergence of Matter. The new smart home standard is slowly spreading into the kitchen, with connected devices included in Matter 1.3. But can current smart fridges connect to Matter?
Jul 25, 2024 -
Jul 18, 2024
What do Matter smart switches do?
On the face of things, Matter-compatible smart switches just do what other smart home light switches do. But there is more to switching lights off and on remotely using Matter.
Jul 18, 2024 -
Jul 15, 2024
The Best Matter-Compatible Kitchen Equipment
If you’re building your Matter smart home, one of the key areas that you’ve probably identified is the kitchen. But is Matter-compatible kitchenware available? As of mid-2024, the list of compatible hardware is short, but the kitchen is a key opportunity for Matter.
Jul 15, 2024 -
Jul 1, 2024
Can Matter Work With Your Smart Television?
Smart homes technology has been surprisingly slow to build integrations with TVs. Aside from support for smart assistants, there is little to shout about. It’s hardly smart, is it? But with increased support for Matter, that might be about to change.
Jul 1, 2024 -
Jun 24, 2024
IKEA DIRIGERA Review: A Matter Bridge
IKEA has spent the last decade flogging its TRADFRI gateway. But IKEA is a member of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, and Matter is the CSA’s pet project. Then Matter 1.3 happened, and suddenly IKEA’s new smart home looked a lot more interesting. Could the DIRIGERA bridge Matter in your home?
Jun 24, 2024 -
Jun 14, 2024
New Home Assistant Update Includes Matter 1.3 and AI Automation
A collection of new features have been unveiled in Home Assistant 2024.6, which boasts various improvements and the inclusion of Matter 1.3. The Spring 2024 revision of Matter adds various smart home interoperability enhancements, which are now supported in the new Home Assistant release.
Jun 14, 2024 -
Jun 11, 2024
Why Your MacBook Has a Hidden Thread Radio
FCC reports of current and upcoming Apple devices reveal that many of them have a hidden feature. But why do new iPhones and MacBooks have a Thread radio?
Jun 11, 2024 -
Jun 10, 2024
How to Tell Which Version of Matter You’re Using
Knowing which version of Matter your hardware is running can help you to choose the right devices. It will also determine which features your smart home kit can control via a smart hub app, and which ones are restricted to the device’s native app. But there is a problem. You can’t definitively find out which version of Matter you’re using.
Jun 10, 2024 -
May 28, 2024
How Smart Home Devices Will Change With The Matter Standard
The chances are, your smart home isn’t as smart as you would like it to be. Incompatibility, a lack of interoperability, and perhaps a simple tiff between brands and ecosystems are taking their toll. Multiple apps, dependence on specific hubs, and a collision of ecosystems in an attempt to make things simply work.
May 28, 2024 -
May 27, 2024
Matter vs Z-Wave: What's the Difference?
Arguably the biggest problem with smart homes is the lack of compatibility between devices and hubs. Even where compatibility is used as a selling point, problems can occur down the line. Two possible solutions are the Matter protocol and the Z-Wave mesh networking system. But both are slightly different.
May 27, 2024 -
May 22, 2024
Tado Does Matter: New X Range Heats Up Smart Homes
German smart heating manufacturer Tado has launched Tado X, a collection of Matter-compatible devices in the European Union. Aiming to make smart heating more accessible, the Tado X devices are Matter and Thread compatible.
May 22, 2024 -
May 22, 2024
What Is Zigbee? Is Matter Better?
Smart homes cannot work if the smart devices cannot communicate. Having Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support isn’t enough – devices need a way to message each other, a shared language, or protocol. Two prominent protocols are Zigbee and Matter. Current smart home devices and hubs support both protocols, but eventually one of them will be dropped. So which one will it be?
May 22, 2024 -
May 20, 2024
Matter Unlocks Google Home APIs
Google Home has been revived, and undergone a transformation. While the name was largely retired in favor of Google Nest, it has been re-envisioned as a new element in smart home development.
May 20, 2024 -
May 13, 2024
Matter 1.3 Levels Up Your Smart Home with EVs, Water Management, and More
Matter 1.3 was released by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) on May 8, 2024. It adds new device type support for kitchen appliances, EV chargers, and more. It also introduces enhanced features for existing hardware. However, there is one expected device type for which support has not yet been introduced.
May 13, 2024 -
May 10, 2024
Can IKEA Become a Serious Smart-Home Player? An Analysis of Their Matter-Compatible Products
Matter is becoming the most significant smart home standard. But take a trip to IKEA, and things are a little different. Not only does the Swedish retailer have a wide selection of smart lamps and LEDs, it also has a hub. Can the Matter-compatible Dirigera hub and the rest of the Tradfri line turn IKEA into a player in the smart home?
May 10, 2024 -
May 2, 2024
What is Matter Casting and Which Devices Support It?
You’ve probably used Chromecast or AirPlay, or any of the other wireless video casting systems. They’re useful for sharing media on your mobile device to a TV, whether video or photos. Smart home protocol Matter has its own casting technology, Matter Casting.
May 2, 2024 -
Apr 18, 2024
Matter 1.3 is Coming Out Spring 2024. Here's What to Expect
Spring 2024 is the expected timeframe for the release of Matter 1.3. This revision to the standard is likely to build upon the previous version, adding further interoperability, support for new device categories, and security enhancements.
Apr 18, 2024 -
Apr 4, 2024
Does Matter Share my Wi-Fi Credentials With the Smart Home Device?
When you add a new Matter device to your smart home setup, it requires access to your network. But does Matter share the Wi-Fi credentials with the device? If so, is this secure?
Apr 4, 2024 -
Mar 25, 2024
How Do Matter Devices Receive Updates?
Matter-compatible devices occasionally receive updates, adding new functionality and features, and ensure the devices remain secure. New versions of Matter have so far been released periodically, but how do these updates reach your existing Matter compatible devices?
Mar 25, 2024 -
Mar 21, 2024
The Best Matter-Compatible Robot Vacuum Cleaners
If you're interested in expanding the possibilities of your smart home set-up, you've probably already considered a robot cleaner. Matter-compatible ones are coming in 2024, so let's take a look at what to expect.
Mar 21, 2024