Captain’s Log

For connected devices, the unboxing experience lasts until the thing actually works.

Matter 1.5 finally put cameras in the standard. Here's what that means for roadmaps, certification, and the parts of the experience you still have to own.

Owners will pay for video history, monitoring, and real ongoing work. They resent paying for the features they thought they already bought. Timing is half the battle.

Is Matter a real standard, who supports it, what a Thread border router is, how many a home can have, whether Zigbee is done, and what multi-admin means for your app. Plain answers, no hype.

Three survey scores walk into a smart home. Each one is great at its own moment, and each one gives you bad news late if you ask at the wrong time.

Most of the 'broken' devices I've seen weren't broken. They just never got past the first few minutes of setup.

HomeView and Apple Home Collection are official. The preview is over, and the homework starts now.

Your overall score says "fine." One firmware version might disagree. A hands-on walkthrough for connected products.

A thermostat, a lock, cameras and a tiny sensor, designed with Apple's input and sold under LG's name. Here's what the FCC filings show, and the question I keep asking: who picks up the phone when something breaks?