The Best Smart Home Tech at CES 2026

Tech-news Best of Gizmodo, CES 2026, Smart Home January 10, 2026

The smart home has been drifting into a world of interoperability lately that I never would have expected just a few years ago. And at CES 2026, that was on display—from smart locks that will support the new universal Aliro digital key standard to cameras that work with Matter, and therefore (eventually) with every major smart home platform in existence, there’s plenty to look forward to if you’re a fan of not being locked into any one ecosystem.

I also saw companies exploring new technologies (especially in smart locks, where on-device authentication in the form of palm vein scanning and facial recognition seemed to be everywhere), new hubs, sensors, and AI ideas that seem to make sense and aren’t the focus of the show. There was also a lot of maturation in certain categories, from robotic lawn mowers to pool cleaning bots. Even Thread, a key wireless protocol for the Matter standard that lets smart home devices form a mesh network independent of home Wi-Fi, made a good showing.

Best Smart Lock

Lockin V7 Max

No smart lock has it all, but the V7 Max feels like it’s close. Wireless optical charging, palm and finger vein scanning, facial recognition, Matter support, and indoor and outdoor touchscreens and video cameras—all in a slick-looking, slender mortise door lock—make it one of the most compelling smart locks on its way to the market. Will it be expensive? Oh my, yes—Lockin hasn’t announced pricing, but its predecessor, the V5 Max, started at 39,990 New Taiwan dollars, or around $1,270 U.S. dollars.

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200

Smart thermostats have almost exclusively been the domain of Nest and Ecobee for years, but Aqara debuted what could be a banger of an alternative at CES 2026: the Thermostat Hub W200. It’s more than just a thermostat; it has a millimeter wave presence sensor (that’s the kind that can tell if a person is in the room even if they’re sitting still), can work as a video doorbell monitor with Aqara video doorbells, and functions as a smart home hub for both Aqara and third-party Matter devices. Aqara is also the first company to announce compatibility with Apple Home’s new Adaptive Temperature and Clean Energy Guidance features.

Govee Ceiling Light Ultra

Govee’s new Ceiling Light Ultra lies in a murky area between smart light and display, thanks to a 616-LED array of lights sitting under its plastic cover. With these, the 21-inch light can show vibrant colors, sure, but it can also display images with a lot more detail than something like its Curtain Lights. As a result, at CES 2026, I could make out the fuzzy animated visual of a rotating Earth just under this Matter-compatible light’s cover. There was a lot of lighting at the tech show, but the Ceiling Light Ultra was the most interesting that I saw, by far.

Philips Hue Spatial Aware

Signify’s Philips Hue didn’t have anything in the way of new products to show, but still managed to impress me with its new SpatialAware feature. The feature lets you use your smartphone’s camera and LiDAR sensor to identify where Hue lights are positioned relative to one another, in order to use that information in scenes. In the company’s CES 2026 suite, that meant that one scene spread color over many lights so that they resembled a sunset. One brighter, yellow light served as the sun, while the remaining shades of yellow, orange, pink, and red appeared to radiate out from that to the other lights, their hue depending on where they were in the room. The feature is coming in spring 2026, but only to owners of the Philips Hue Bridge Pro.

Roborock Saros Rover

The Saros Rover can climb and clean stairs, something robot vacuum companies have been racing to achieve in recent years. That potentially beats even what I saw just a few months ago with the still-unreleased Eufy Marswalker or Dreame Cyber X, both of which are little mech suits/headcrab-likes that let separate robot vacuums drive up and down stairs to get between floors, but not clean the stairs themselves. At CES 2026, we saw the Saros Rover really could climb and clean stairs (very slowly). Of course, whether it’s worth paying however many thousands of dollars that Roborock will presumably ask for the Rover depends on whether or not it’s actually a good robot vacuum besides.

Aqara Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400

Aqara, which already makes the FP2, one of the best millimeter wave presence sensors I’ve used, is stepping up its game with the Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400. For the uninitiated, presence sensors are a bit like occupancy sensors, but more precise and able to tell if someone is in the room even if they’re not moving, and can trigger automations based on specific regions of a room. The FP400 builds on that by being able to track up to 10 people at once, and by triggering automations based on when someone stands, sits, or lies down, according to the company. Like past Aqara presence sensors, it’ll be Matter-compatible. Aqara didn’t announce a release date or pricing.

Gizmodo is on the ground in Las Vegas all week bringing you everything you need to know about the tech unveiled at CES 2026. You can follow our CES live blog here and find all our coverage here.

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As the first week of trial in Musk v. Altman comes to a close, one person has emerged as a critical behind-the-scenes manager of communications and egos in OpenAI’s early years: Shivon Zilis.

A longtime employee of Musk and the mother to four of his children, Zilis joined OpenAI as an adviser in 2016. She later served as a director of its nonprofit board from 2020 until 2023 and has worked as an executive at Musk’s other companies, Neuralink and Tesla.

When asked about the nature of his relationship with Zilis in court, Musk offered several answers. At one point, he called her a “chief of staff.” Later, a “close adviser.” At another point, he said “we live together, and she’s the mother of four of my children,” though Zilis said in a deposition that Musk is more of a regular guest and maintains his own residence. Last September, Zilis told OpenAI’s attorneys that she became romantic with Musk around 2016 after she had become an informal adviser to OpenAI. They had their first two children in 2021, she said.

But OpenAI’s lawyers have made the case in witness testimonies and evidence that her most important role, as it pertains to this lawsuit, is being a covert liaison between OpenAI and Musk, even years after he left the nonprofit’s board in February 2018.

“Do you prefer I stay close and friendly to OpenAI to keep info flowing or begin to disassociate? Trust game is about to get tricky so any guidance for how to do right by you is appreciated,” Zilis wrote in a text message to Musk on February 16, 2018, days before OpenAI announced he was leaving the board. Musk responded, “Close and friendly, but we are going to actively try to move three or four people from OpenAI to Tesla. More than that will join over time, but we won’t actively recruit them.”

When asked about this exchange on the witness stand, Musk said he “wanted to know what’s going on.”

In the same text thread, Musk wrote, “There is little chance of OpenAI being a serious force if I focus on Tesla AI.” Zilis reaffirmed him, saying: “There is very low probability of a good future if someone doesn’t slow Demis down,” referring to Demis Hassabis, the leader of Google DeepMind, who Musk has said he didn’t trust to control a superintelligent AI system. “You don’t realize how much you have an ability to influence him directly or otherwise slow him down. I think you know I’m not a malicious person, but in this case it feels fundamentally irresponsible to not find a way to slow or alter his path.”

Roughly two months later, in an email from April 23, 2018, Zilis updated Musk on OpenAI’s fundraising efforts and progress on a project to develop an AI that could play video games. In the same message, she said she had reallocated most of her time away from OpenAI to his other companies, Neuralink and Tesla, but told him, “If you’d prefer I pull more hours back to OpenAI oversight please let me know.”

Almost a year earlier, in the summer of 2017, OpenAI’s cofounders had started negotiating changes to the organization’s corporate structure—Musk wanted control of the company to start out. In an email from August 28, 2017, Zilis wrote to Musk that she had met with OpenAI president Greg Brockman and cofounder Ilya Sutskever to discuss how equity would be divided up in the new company. She summarized points from the meeting, including that Brockman and Sutskever thought one person shouldn’t have unilateral power over AGI, should they develop it. Musk wrote back to Zilis, “This is very annoying. Please encourage them to go start a company. I’ve had enough.”

#Shivon #Zilis #Operated #Elon #Musks #OpenAI #Insidermodel behavior,artificial intelligence,openai,elon musk,sam altman,neuralink,musk v. altman trial">

How Shivon Zilis Operated as Elon Musk’s OpenAI InsiderAs the first week of trial in Musk v. Altman comes to a close, one person has emerged as a critical behind-the-scenes manager of communications and egos in OpenAI’s early years: Shivon Zilis.A longtime employee of Musk and the mother to four of his children, Zilis joined OpenAI as an adviser in 2016. She later served as a director of its nonprofit board from 2020 until 2023 and has worked as an executive at Musk’s other companies, Neuralink and Tesla.When asked about the nature of his relationship with Zilis in court, Musk offered several answers. At one point, he called her a “chief of staff.” Later, a “close adviser.” At another point, he said “we live together, and she’s the mother of four of my children,” though Zilis said in a deposition that Musk is more of a regular guest and maintains his own residence. Last September, Zilis told OpenAI’s attorneys that she became romantic with Musk around 2016 after she had become an informal adviser to OpenAI. They had their first two children in 2021, she said.But OpenAI’s lawyers have made the case in witness testimonies and evidence that her most important role, as it pertains to this lawsuit, is being a covert liaison between OpenAI and Musk, even years after he left the nonprofit’s board in February 2018.“Do you prefer I stay close and friendly to OpenAI to keep info flowing or begin to disassociate? Trust game is about to get tricky so any guidance for how to do right by you is appreciated,” Zilis wrote in a text message to Musk on February 16, 2018, days before OpenAI announced he was leaving the board. Musk responded, “Close and friendly, but we are going to actively try to move three or four people from OpenAI to Tesla. More than that will join over time, but we won’t actively recruit them.”When asked about this exchange on the witness stand, Musk said he “wanted to know what’s going on.”In the same text thread, Musk wrote, “There is little chance of OpenAI being a serious force if I focus on Tesla AI.” Zilis reaffirmed him, saying: “There is very low probability of a good future if someone doesn’t slow Demis down,” referring to Demis Hassabis, the leader of Google DeepMind, who Musk has said he didn’t trust to control a superintelligent AI system. “You don’t realize how much you have an ability to influence him directly or otherwise slow him down. I think you know I’m not a malicious person, but in this case it feels fundamentally irresponsible to not find a way to slow or alter his path.”Roughly two months later, in an email from April 23, 2018, Zilis updated Musk on OpenAI’s fundraising efforts and progress on a project to develop an AI that could play video games. In the same message, she said she had reallocated most of her time away from OpenAI to his other companies, Neuralink and Tesla, but told him, “If you’d prefer I pull more hours back to OpenAI oversight please let me know.”Almost a year earlier, in the summer of 2017, OpenAI’s cofounders had started negotiating changes to the organization’s corporate structure—Musk wanted control of the company to start out. In an email from August 28, 2017, Zilis wrote to Musk that she had met with OpenAI president Greg Brockman and cofounder Ilya Sutskever to discuss how equity would be divided up in the new company. She summarized points from the meeting, including that Brockman and Sutskever thought one person shouldn’t have unilateral power over AGI, should they develop it. Musk wrote back to Zilis, “This is very annoying. Please encourage them to go start a company. I’ve had enough.”#Shivon #Zilis #Operated #Elon #Musks #OpenAI #Insidermodel behavior,artificial intelligence,openai,elon musk,sam altman,neuralink,musk v. altman trial

mwasimuddin125 0

As the first week of trial in Musk v. Altman comes to a close, one person has emerged as a critical behind-the-scenes manager of communications and egos in OpenAI’s early years: Shivon Zilis.
A longtime employee of Musk and the mother to four of his children, Zilis joined OpenAI as an adviser in 2016. She later served as a director of its nonprofit board from 2020 until 2023 and has worked as an executive at Musk’s other companies, Neuralink and Tesla.
When asked about the nature of his relationship with Zilis in court, Musk offered several answers. At one point, he called her a “chief of staff.” Later, a “close adviser.” At another point, he said “we live together, and she’s the mother of four of my children,” though Zilis said in a deposition that Musk is more of a regular guest and maintains his own residence. Last September, Zilis told OpenAI’s attorneys that she became romantic with Musk around 2016 after she had become an informal adviser to OpenAI. They had their first two children in 2021, she said.
But OpenAI’s lawyers have made the case in witness testimonies and evidence that her most important role, as it pertains to this lawsuit, is being a covert liaison between OpenAI and Musk, even years after he left the nonprofit’s board in February 2018.
“Do you prefer I stay close and friendly to OpenAI to keep info flowing or begin to disassociate? Trust game is about to get tricky so any guidance for how to do right by you is appreciated,” Zilis wrote in a text message to Musk on February 16, 2018, days before OpenAI announced he was leaving the board. Musk responded, “Close and friendly, but we are going to actively try to move three or four people from OpenAI to Tesla. More than that will join over time, but we won’t actively recruit them.”
When asked about this exchange on the witness stand, Musk said he “wanted to know what’s going on.”
In the same text thread, Musk wrote, “There is little chance of OpenAI being a serious force if I focus on Tesla AI.” Zilis reaffirmed him, saying: “There is very low probability of a good future if someone doesn’t slow Demis down,” referring to Demis Hassabis, the leader of Google DeepMind, who Musk has said he didn’t trust to control a superintelligent AI system. “You don’t realize how much you have an ability to influence him directly or otherwise slow him down. I think you know I’m not a malicious person, but in this case it feels fundamentally irresponsible to not find a way to slow or alter his path.”
Roughly two months later, in an email from April 23, 2018, Zilis updated Musk on OpenAI’s fundraising efforts and progress on a project to develop an AI that could play video games. In the same message, she said she had reallocated most of her time away from OpenAI to his other companies, Neuralink and Tesla, but told him, “If you’d prefer I pull more hours back to OpenAI oversight please let me know.”
Almost a year earlier, in the summer of 2017, OpenAI’s cofounders had started negotiating changes to the organization’s corporate structure—Musk wanted control of the company to start out. In an email from August 28, 2017, Zilis wrote to Musk that she had met with OpenAI president Greg Brockman and cofounder Ilya Sutskever to discuss how equity would be divided up in the new company. She summarized points from the meeting, including that Brockman and Sutskever thought one person shouldn’t have unilateral power over AGI, should they develop it. Musk wrote back to Zilis, “This is very annoying. Please encourage them to go start a company. I’ve had enough.”

#Shivon #Zilis #Operated #Elon #Musks #OpenAI #Insidermodel behavior,artificial intelligence,openai,elon musk,sam altman,neuralink,musk v. altman trial">How Shivon Zilis Operated as Elon Musk’s OpenAI Insider

As the first week of trial in Musk v. Altman comes to a close, one person has emerged as a critical behind-the-scenes manager of communications and egos in OpenAI’s early years: Shivon Zilis.

When asked about this exchange on the witness stand, Musk said he “wanted to know what’s going on.”

#Shivon #Zilis #Operated #Elon #Musks #OpenAI #Insidermodel behavior,artificial intelligence,openai,elon musk,sam altman,neuralink,musk v. altman trial

TL;DR: The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable is on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99) and combines fast charging, data transfer, and built-in tools in one compact design.

$21.99
$49.99 Save $28.00

If you’re always untangling cords or looking for the right adapter, this small upgrade can make travel or your daily routine a lot easier. The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC cable is built to replace a handful of cables and tools with just one compact pick, and it is currently on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99).

It’s a 100W charging cable, so it can handle everything from your phone to your laptop. All you have to do is just plug into a compatible charger. You’ll get faster charging than standard cables, plus quick data transfer when you need to move files.

Mashable Deals

By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

The 8-in-1 comes from all the added features. You get universal connectors like USB-C and Lightning, so you can charge most devices without carrying extra cords. There’s even an LED display for a quick check to see if your device is charging.

Aside from charging, it makes everyday transport easier. A magnetic wrap keeps the cable tangle-free, while the built-in carabiner makes it easy to clip to a bag or keychain. There’s also a bottle opener and a small, safety-designed cutter tucked into the design for quick, practical tasks.

This kind of all-in-one cable makes the most sense for people who travel often, commute with multiple devices, or just want to cut down on clutter. Instead of carrying separate cords for your phone, laptop, and accessories, you’ve got one cable that covers most of the basics.

At $21.99 (reg. $49.99), the GoCable is an easy way to streamline your setup without spending a lot on multiple chargers. If you’re ready to stop digging for the right cable, this quick swap helps keep things organized.

Mashable Deals

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to the latest Connections.

#8in1 #cable #simplifies #charging">

mwasimuddin125 0

TL;DR: The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable is on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99) and combines fast charging, data transfer, and built-in tools in one compact design.

$21.99
$49.99 Save $28.00

If you’re always untangling cords or looking for the right adapter, this small upgrade can make travel or your daily routine a lot easier. The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC cable is built to replace a handful of cables and tools with just one compact pick, and it is currently on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99).
It’s a 100W charging cable, so it can handle everything from your phone to your laptop. All you have to do is just plug into a compatible charger. You’ll get faster charging than standard cables, plus quick data transfer when you need to move files.

Mashable Deals

By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

The 8-in-1 comes from all the added features. You get universal connectors like USB-C and Lightning, so you can charge most devices without carrying extra cords. There’s even an LED display for a quick check to see if your device is charging.
Aside from charging, it makes everyday transport easier. A magnetic wrap keeps the cable tangle-free, while the built-in carabiner makes it easy to clip to a bag or keychain. There’s also a bottle opener and a small, safety-designed cutter tucked into the design for quick, practical tasks.
This kind of all-in-one cable makes the most sense for people who travel often, commute with multiple devices, or just want to cut down on clutter. Instead of carrying separate cords for your phone, laptop, and accessories, you’ve got one cable that covers most of the basics.
At $21.99 (reg. $49.99), the GoCable is an easy way to streamline your setup without spending a lot on multiple chargers. If you’re ready to stop digging for the right cable, this quick swap helps keep things organized.

Mashable Deals

By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

StackSocial prices subject to change.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to the latest Connections.

#8in1 #cable #simplifies #charging">This $22 8-in-1 cable simplifies charging on the go

TL;DR: The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable is on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99) and combines fast charging, data transfer, and built-in tools in one compact design.

$21.99
$49.99 Save $28.00

Mashable Deals

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to the latest Connections.

#8in1 #cable #simplifies #charging

Roblox’s daily active users continued to slip last quarter due in part to its rollout of age checks on its platform. According to its latest earnings report, Roblox currently has 132 million daily active users globally, down from 144 million at the end of last year, which was a drop from 152 million in Q3 2025. In the US and Canada, the number of active users dropped by one million from the previous quarter, while Roblox’s revenue still grew to $1.4 billion.

Roblox says Q1 growth was “tempered by greater-than-expected headwinds” due to the rollout of its age-check features, which “slowed new user acquisition.” Russia’s December 2025 ban on Roblox also helped drive the number of daily active users down.

Earlier this month, Roblox expanded its age restrictions to include the types of games users in different age brackets can access, and the company will “implement additional improvements designed to facilitate age-appropriate access to content and product features” over the next few quarters. The company says its safety push will lower Roblox’s “expectations for topline growth in 2026.”

Thursday’s earnings report says 51 percent of global daily active users have gotten their age checked through the end of the first quarter. In the US specifically, 65 percent of active users have age-checked.

Roblox has also recently pushed to increase the number of games on its platform targeted at users who are older than 18. On Thursday, the company announced that it’s increasing its Developer Exchange rate by 42 percent for in-game spending from age-checked users over 18.

#Robloxs #daily #users #continue #drop #agechecks #slow #growthGaming,News,PC Gaming,Tech">

Roblox’s daily users continue to drop as age-checks slow growthRoblox’s daily active users continued to slip last quarter due in part to its rollout of age checks on its platform. According to its latest earnings report, Roblox currently has 132 million daily active users globally, down from 144 million at the end of last year, which was a drop from 152 million in Q3 2025. In the US and Canada, the number of active users dropped by one million from the previous quarter, while Roblox’s revenue still grew to .4 billion.Roblox says Q1 growth was “tempered by greater-than-expected headwinds” due to the rollout of its age-check features, which “slowed new user acquisition.” Russia’s December 2025 ban on Roblox also helped drive the number of daily active users down.Earlier this month, Roblox expanded its age restrictions to include the types of games users in different age brackets can access, and the company will “implement additional improvements designed to facilitate age-appropriate access to content and product features” over the next few quarters. The company says its safety push will lower Roblox’s “expectations for topline growth in 2026.”Thursday’s earnings report says 51 percent of global daily active users have gotten their age checked through the end of the first quarter. In the US specifically, 65 percent of active users have age-checked.Roblox has also recently pushed to increase the number of games on its platform targeted at users who are older than 18. On Thursday, the company announced that it’s increasing its Developer Exchange rate by 42 percent for in-game spending from age-checked users over 18.#Robloxs #daily #users #continue #drop #agechecks #slow #growthGaming,News,PC Gaming,Tech

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Roblox’s daily active users continued to slip last quarter due in part to its rollout of age checks on its platform. According to its latest earnings report, Roblox currently has 132 million daily active users globally, down from 144 million at the end of last year, which was a drop from 152 million in Q3 2025. In the US and Canada, the number of active users dropped by one million from the previous quarter, while Roblox’s revenue still grew to $1.4 billion.

#Robloxs #daily #users #continue #drop #agechecks #slow #growthGaming,News,PC Gaming,Tech">Roblox’s daily users continue to drop as age-checks slow growth

#Robloxs #daily #users #continue #drop #agechecks #slow #growthGaming,News,PC Gaming,Tech