Apple’s new $299 HomeView combines a HomePod speaker with a small touchscreen and Siri AI, but its limited app selection and unclear purpose make it hard to recommend until real-world use cases emerge.
The HomePod mini 2 brings Siri AI, an S10 chip, Wi-Fi 6E, and Sound Glow lighting to Apple’s smallest smart speaker. It also enables four-speaker surround sound with the new Apple TV 4K. Pre-orders are open now at $149.
Apple has announced a home-focused product launch for 13 October 2026. Expected products include a long-rumored touchscreen home hub alongside a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini. And more?
Apple spent the entirety of its WWDC26 keynote responding to external pressures, including user complaints about Liquid Glass, community and regulatory worries regarding child safety, and the embarrassment of Siri delays and Apple Intelligence weaknesses.
Jason Snell’s annual Apple Report Card shows Hardware Reliability topping the list again, but the controversial Liquid Glass design dragged software scores to new lows, and Tim Cook’s relationship with the Trump administration caused Apple’s Impact on the World category to crater.
If you’ve been putting off the Home architecture upgrade introduced several years ago, it’s time to act. Support for the previous version ends on 10 February 2026, and you may be automatically upgraded.
Our latest reader survey confirms what you might expect: TidBITS readers are deeply committed to Apple’s ecosystem. From the Mac to the Vision Pro, discover which Apple products are central to our readers’ lives, where competing devices make inroads, and which categories haven’t captured our imagination (or dollars).
Adam Engst reviews the SmartWings Hazel shade and finds it a worthy addition to his HomeKit setup, despite minor issues with motor noise.
Apple’s latest operating system updates bring Apple Intelligence to more languages and regions, improve Photos organization, expand Mail categorization to the Mac and iPad, and address what must be a record number of security vulnerabilities.
In a rare move, Apple said it is delaying enhanced Siri features that would have offered awareness of personal context and the capability to perform complex actions across apps. Adam Engst argues that Apple should instead prioritize ensuring Siri works more reliably and consistently across devices.
After his heated mattress pad failed, Adam Engst looked into replacing it with a new HomeKit-compatible model and discovered that relatively few manufacturers promise compatibility with smart outlets.
The Kini motion detectors can now alert you to motion using email instead of or in addition to SMS, making them usable by those outside North America and opening up automation options. Kinisium is also testing a Stasis Mode that alerts you when a Kini hasn’t moved as anticipated.
Airbnb’s policy change to ban all indoor cameras at listed properties highlights the scourge of tiny cameras used for snooping. Here’s how to discover if you’re being watched in a rental, hotel, or elsewhere.
After a network hiccup caused his HomeKit-enabled smart thermostat to lose its network connection, Glenn Fleishman had to do tweaky network reconfiguration to get it to rejoin his Home setup.
If you have experienced issues with Apple Pay after wirelessly charging your iPhone 15 in your car, Photoshop tools, update problems with M-series MacBook Pros or the M3 iMac, Apple Watch battery drain, or Siri not paying attention on your HomePod, these updates promise to help.
