
Tumblr’s move to WordPress and fediverse integration is ‘on hold’
Automattic’s plan to move Tumblr’s backend over to WordPress is now “on hold,” Automattic founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg says in a Decoder episode published today. The company announced the plan to move over the more than half a billion blogs on Tumblr last year, saying that the change would “make it easier to share our work across platforms.” But Mullenweg says on Decoder that, “what we decided is that we want to focus as much on the things that are going to be notic...
Read More
This smart smoke alarm could be a worthy Nest Protect replacement
The new Place smart smoke and CO alarm from Gentex features a built-in nightlight, motion detection, and ambient temperature and humidity sensing. A new line of smoke and CO alarms from Gentex called Place is packed with smart features, including phone notifications, a nightlight, motion detection, and temperature and humidity sensing. There’s also optional air quality monitoring and a camera/intercom. The four Place models start at $139, and are available now at The Home Depot. With ...
Read More
Hundreds of data brokers might be breaking state laws, say privacy advocates
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and a nonprofit privacy rights group have called on several states to investigate why “hundreds” of data brokers haven’t registered with state consumer protection agencies in accordance with local laws. An analysis done in collaboration with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC) found that many data brokers have failed to register in all of the four states with laws that require it, preventing consumers in some states from learning what kind...
Read More
These battery-powered 4K cameras record 24/7
TP-Link’s new line of 4K-capable cameras works with its new Matter-compatible HomeBase hub. TP-Link just launched a bunch of new security cameras for its Tapo smart home brand, including a 4K-capable line for outdoors and a slew of inexpensive pan and tilt cams that can be used indoors and out. The company is also finally releasing its Tapo HomeBase H500 central hub, first shown at CES 2024, which brings facial recognition and expanded local storage to its cameras. The HomeBase will a...
Read More
Yale’s new Google Home smart lock is here — but it costs more thanks to tariffs
Yale’s new Matter-over-Thread smart lock is designed for Google Home. The Yale Smart Lock with Matter is launching tomorrow, June 24th, for $189.99 — $20 more than when it was first announced in March. Yale tells The Verge the price increase is due to the impact of tariffs. The lock will be available on Amazon and Yale’s website. According to Yale, the new smart lock was built for Google Home and Matter and designed specifically to complement Google Home’s Nest video do...
Read More
Trump’s FTC will approve an ad merger — with a gift to Elon Musk’s X
The all-Republican Federal Trade Commission agreed to approve a $13.5 billion ad merger if it includes a ban on steering ad dollars away from platforms or publishers based on “political or ideological viewpoints.” The order, which was reported by The New York Times earlier this month, would prevent ad giant Omnicom from wholesale avoiding platforms like X based on their political viewpoints without explicit direction from its advertiser customers. X lost advertisers in 2023 after placi...
Read More
Eufy’s new smart display keeps an eye on your security cams
Mount it on a wall or take it with you between rooms. Eufy is launching its first portable smart display, designed to allow multiple users to control and monitor security devices from a single hub. The Smart Display E10 is capable of displaying up to four live camera feeds simultaneously and can be paired with the company’s AI-supported video doorbells, smart locks, or the Homebase S380 data hub to unlock live notification and facial recognition features. The technical specifications for...
Read More
Wyze says its security cameras deserve your trust again
Wyze’s new VerifiedView feature adds an additional layer of security by matching a user’s ID embedded in the footage with that of the account requesting access. In an effort to restore trust in the security of its cameras, smart home brand Wyze has developed VerifiedView — a new layer of protection that embeds your user ID into the metadata of every photo, video, and livestream. Wyze claims the system matches this data to your account before playback, blocking unauthorized access...
Read More