I write one of these when something happens that could change a decision on this site: a launch, a Matter or Thread revision, a cloud shutdown, a product quietly revised. Each brief names its sources and ends with buy, wait or ignore. Quiet weeks get nothing, on purpose. Smaller changes go in the change log. Also as an RSS feed.
Local smart home news for October 24-30, 2026: Everything Presence joins Works with Home Assistant, HA OS 18.4, the Marketplace beta, and local Wallbox, Ecovacs X1, Sonoff S60 and Vaillant projects.
HACS is moving into Home Assistant as the built-in Marketplace, set for 2026.11. Your downloads migrate on their own; standalone HACS is blocked from 2026.11.
Local smart home news for October 17-23, 2026: ESPHome 2026.10.0, the Kasa authentication fix, local Nanoleaf Essentials and KEBA P40 integrations, and Oread voice ID.
TP-Link patched a high-severity Kasa authentication flaw, but the firmware fix can break Home Assistant local control until you flip Third-Party Compatibility.
Shelly's Presence Gen4 is on sale in the US at $84.99. What the specs say, where Home Assistant support stands, and whether it beats the Aqara picks.
Local smart home news for October 10-16, 2026: Apple's Home Collection, Jasco buying Zooz, 116 LEDVANCE Matter devices, and a local tado bridge.
Jasco announced it has acquired Zooz on October 13. Zooz says the hardware, factories and team aren't changing. What that means for the Zooz picks here.
Apple's October 2026 launch: a $299 HomeView display, LG/Schneider cameras, a lock and thermostats. Which pieces are Matter, and which only work through Apple.
Black Friday 2026 smart home deals for Home Assistant and local-control homes: the lowest price I've recorded for 100+ Zigbee, Z-Wave, Matter and Wi-Fi devices.
Hue firmware 1.164.2 lets newer bulbs speak Zigbee and Matter together, Ring's first smart lock runs on Sidewalk with no Matter, and ESPHome over Zigbee.
Amazon's Ring Smart Lock: fingerprint, keypad, a dial that recharges a dead battery, and Amazon Sidewalk. $249.99, early 2027, not yet FCC authorized.
Home Assistant 2026.10: trigger IDs get a point-and-click UI, SolarEdge gets a local Modbus integration, and Home Assistant Cloud becomes Link in December.
A stable local server for Roborock vacuums, a new OS that turns the 2016 Echo Dot into an Assist satellite, and a battery Zigbee CO2 sensor.
The CSA opened certification for Suzi, sub-GHz Zigbee, on September 2, 2026. What it is, why no Zigbee stick I recommend can run it, and whether to wait.
Aqara announced five Thread-and-Zigbee lights at IFA 2026: a floor lamp, a downlight, a strip and two outdoor sets. No retail prices and no launch dates.
The week of September 19-25, 2026: Schneider Electric is buying Shelly, and an Echo Dot and a Lenovo Smart Clock become local Assist devices.
Schneider Electric agreed on September 24, 2026 to bid EUR 70 a share for Shelly. What the deal promises, and whether to keep buying Shelly gear.
SONOFF's second-generation Zigbee radiator valve is smaller, costs more, and is supported in Zigbee2MQTT. A stopgap ZHA quirk shipped in zha-quirks 2.4.0.
Hue's Bridge Pro is $149.99 and the Bridge $79.99 on Hue's US store, after two rises this year. What the premium buys a Home Assistant or Apple Home house.
Google's Home MCP lets AI agents read and control your Google Home devices. What it needs, what it costs, and whether a local-first house should care.
Aqara's FP400 spatial sensor is out at $79.99 with Thread, Zigbee and 10-person tracking. What Home Assistant sees over Matter, and what needs the Aqara app.
iOS 27 adds AI video descriptions and natural-language clip search to the Home app, capped by iCloud+ tier: one camera on 2TB, five on 12TB.
Frigate 0.18.0 shipped September 12 and 0.18.1 followed October 13 with three security fixes: UI configuration, camera profiles, and breaking config changes.
Hue's September 2026 launch: Screen Sync, a cheaper gradient strip, a Nanoleaf module, Bridge Pro AI. What stays local and what needs the cloud.
Shelly's IFA 2026 news: ThreadLink turns the Gen4 Thread radio into a full IP network, and firmware 2.8.0 makes the Wall Display a Matter controller.