Matter Articles by James Bruce
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Nov 28, 2024
Why Are There So Few Matter over Thread Accessories?
Thread was supposed to be the brilliant new low-powered communications standard for the Matter smart home. So why are most devices still using Wi-Fi?
Nov 28, 2024 -
Nov 21, 2024
The Best Matter Black Friday Deals: Aqara, Govee, SwitchBot and More!
Smart home upgrades can be pricey, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring unbeatable deals! Score up to a third off top-rated Matter-compatible devices from leading brands—perfect for starting or expanding your setup.
Nov 21, 2024 -
Nov 8, 2024
The Best Matter-Compatible Holiday Lights
Gone are the days of twinkly white lights with five patterns; now you can have a rainbow cornucopia of music-reactive and Matter-compatible smart lighting to lift the holiday spirits.
Nov 8, 2024 -
Nov 1, 2024
Are Smart Home Devices AI?
It's easy to think the modern smart home must be full of AI—from lights that turn on automatically to voice assistants that know everything! But is it really AI?
Nov 1, 2024 -
Oct 24, 2024
Govee Icicles Review: The Holidays Just Got a Whole Lot Smarter
Transform your holiday display with Govee’s stunning Matter-compatible icicle lights—whether it’s festive rainbows or sleek year-round lighting, these smart lights are a bright, bold upgrade for any outdoor setup.
Oct 24, 2024 -
Oct 10, 2024
Govee Christmas String Lights 2 Review: Multicolored Twinkly Happiness
The Govee Christmas String Lights 2 offer smart, customizable holiday lighting with Matter support, dynamic scene mapping, and a host of festive features to brighten up any display.
Oct 10, 2024 -
Sep 21, 2024
Apple Finally Supports Air Purifiers: AiDot WELOV P200 Pro Is The First
The P200 Pro offers manual air purifier controls and exposes the air quality sensor data to your Matter network.
Sep 21, 2024 -
Sep 19, 2024
SmartWings Matter Shades Review: Pricey, But Worth It
SmartWings is the leading manufacturer of customized blinds and shades with built-in automated motors. While you'll find retrofit options elsewhere, SmartWings offers a huge range of styles anyone can install. Today, I put them to the test.
Sep 19, 2024 -
Sep 6, 2024
Why Doesn’t Nanoleaf Support Matter Yet?
While Nanoleaf offers some Matter-compatible lighting fixtures, their most exciting products still don't support Matter. Why is that? In a word: scenes.
Sep 6, 2024 -
Aug 27, 2024
Do Matter Devices Work Without the Internet?
In theory, Matter smart home devices should work fine without the internet—the specification says so. But theory and reality don't always match up.
Aug 27, 2024 -
Aug 15, 2024
Aqara FP1E Presence Sensor Review: No Escape from The Watchful Eye of mmWave!
The Aqara FP1E is a slimmed-down version of the FP2, but you lose the ability to detect in different zones—and you'll need a Zigbee hub to bridge this into Matter. But if you just a basic but reliable presence sensor, it's great.
Aug 15, 2024 -
Aug 8, 2024
Google Launches TV Streamer, a Matter-Compatible Thread-Routing 4K TV Box
Taking a swipe at the Apple TV 4K, the new Google TV Streamer is an all-in-one powerful streamer and Matter smart home hub, with Thread border routing and home control app.
Aug 8, 2024 -
Aug 1, 2024
How Does the Matter QR Code Work?
QR codes are a key part of the Matter protocol, designed to make the process of commissioning a Matter device into your home easy. But what even is a QR code, and how does Matter use them? Let's take a deep dive, in today's technical explainer.
Aug 1, 2024 -
Jul 24, 2024
Govee X Evangelion Gaming Wall Lights Review: Prepare to Geek Out
Govee has released a series of EVA Unit 01 themed modular gaming light fixtures. But they didn't just put some purple scenes into the app; they went all in with an industry-first fixture printing and design that must be seen to be believed.
Jul 24, 2024 -
Jul 16, 2024
Aqara Offers 20-30% Off for Prime Day
Prime Day is great time to expand your smart home, and Aqara has some great products in the line up.
Jul 16, 2024 -
Jul 12, 2024
What's The Difference Between IoT and Matter?
You could think of Matter as a subset of IoT devices, but the differences go far beyond that.
Jul 12, 2024 -
Jul 9, 2024
SwitchBot Prime Day Deals 2024: Matter-Compatible Hub Mini, Curtains, Lock Pro, Robovacs, and More
Been waiting for a bargain on SwitchBot devices? Now's the time to buy at deep discounts.
Jul 9, 2024 -
Jul 2, 2024
How Does a Thread Mesh Network Work & What Are Its Advantages?
Mesh networking is critical to the smart home, and it's partly why Thread is the network of choice for Matter.
Jul 2, 2024 -
Jun 28, 2024
How Will AI Integrate into Matter Devices in the Future?
With the current boom in AI, it won't be long before we all have a HAL9000 to manage our smart homes for us.
Jun 28, 2024 -
Jun 20, 2024
Apple Puts Swift on Cheap ESP32 Boards—And Shows How to Make DIY Matter Accessories
Now you can make a DIY Matter accessory... in Swift!
Jun 20, 2024