Snap’s shutting down the app that put cool filters on your Zoom calls
When you open the app, it shows an announcement saying it’ll no longer be available.
On January 25th, Snap will be shutting down its camera app for Mac and PCs. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you may remember it as the program that let you apply silly filters to your face while you were on Zoom or other video conference calls. It’s also, as Verge alum Billy Disney pointed out on Mastodon, the reason a boss accidentally showed up to a work meeting as a potato in 2020:
my boss turned herself into a potato on our Microsoft teams meeting and can’t figure out how to turn the setting off, so she was just stuck like this the entire meeting pic.twitter.com/uHLgJUOsXk
Snap announced the change on its support page for Snap Camera, saying that it’ll “no longer be available to use or download” later this month. While the company points out that you can still access a wide array of Snapchat filters on the web version of the app, that’s not quite the same as being able to show up to your next daily standup using the dog filter.
Snap Camera was introduced in 2018, with the company pitching it as a way to spice up your Twitch streams. But it really came into its own as the pandemic started, when many people suddenly found themselves in video calls all day and got tired of staring at an unfiltered version of themselves. Snap’s fortunes have turned since then, though — in 2022, the company laid off 20 percent of its employees, and canceled projects like its Pixy drone.
Snap didn’t immediately reply to The Verge’s request for comment on why it was discontinuing Snap Camera. Part of the reason may be that it’s no longer as essential as it once was. Not only have many companies returned to in-person work, making video conferencing less of an everyday affair, but video chat apps have also been building in their own filters. Zoom has long let you dress up as an animal, or apply bizarre facial effects, and on Thursday it announced it was adding customizable human avatars as well. Perhaps it’s a bit too soon to compare the feature to Snap’s Bitmoji.
OLED plus E Ink: Lenovo’s ThinkBook Twist is halfway to my dream laptop
Image: Lenovo
Last month, I spent 15 whole minutes hunched over an HP Spectre x360 in a drafty Best Buy store — agonizing over whether its amazing OLED screen would destroy the laptop’s battery life and repeatedly googling for the answer. When I found out the answer was “yes, substantially less battery,” I had to walk away.
But why should I have to choose between a great screen and one I use all day? Why not both? That’s the idea behind the ThinkBook Plus Twist, a new laptop that Lenovo’s announcing at CES 2023.
Not only does it have a 13.3-inch, 400-nit, 60Hz 2.8K OLED touchscreen that covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut, you can swivel its screen around to reveal another 12-inch, color E Ink touchscreen around back — one that refreshes 12 times a second (12Hz), which definitely felt slow in a demo but isn’t bad for E Ink technology.
Image: Lenovo
Party in the front, business in the back. Also, a 1080p webcam with a shutter, two mics, and a fingerprint reader.
In case you need a refresher, E Ink is an ultra-low-power screen tech, thanks to dye-filled microcapsules that largely stay stable, continually displaying an image until you refresh the screen to show something else instead. They’re used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle that measure their battery life in months instead of hours but can’t display many colors or offer smooth refresh rates.
But with Lenovo’s laptop, they don’t necessarily need to — because you’ve also got that glorious OLED panel on the other side. As a writer who sometimes needs my laptop to go a full workday and beyond but also sometimes watches video, this could be the best of both worlds: Windows on E Ink for reading and writing, Windows on OLED for everything else.
Image: Lenovo
The E-ink side supports a pen, too.
Just don’t expect Kindle battery life out of a laptop like this since you’ve got the overhead of running Windows on its 13th Gen Intel processor (and up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage) rather than a simple e-reader chip. Lenovo’s estimating up to 21 hours of battery life from its 56Wh battery using the E Ink screen, and it isn’t providing context about what kind of content can run for 21 hours at a time.
This also isn’t quite my next laptop because it’s lacking any full-size ports, with just a pair of Thunderbolt 4 USB-C jacks and a 3.5mm audio jack to its name, and I hesitate to buy a laptop with a squared-off front edge that’ll likely dig into my wrists... plus the OLED screen should probably be a high-refresh-rate 120Hz 16:10 panel like the ones that Asus is shipping if you really want my money.
Here are the best Amazon Echo deals right now
Like Amazon’s Echo speakers, its various smart displays come in a range of sizes. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
Amazon’s current Echo lineup offers a broad selection of smart speakers and displays that can fit just about anywhere in your home. Whether you want to place a voice assistant in your living room, replace the bulletin board in your office, or pick up a touchscreen-enabled device to showcase recipes in the kitchen, there's an Echo device for just about every occasion and use case.
Regardless of why you might want one, there’s also always a way to save on Echo devices, from the last-gen Dot to the wall-mounted Echo Show 15. Even when they’re selling at full price, for instance, Amazon offers a 25 percent discount when you trade in select devices, meaning there are still other ways to save money when none of the models are on sale.
Below, we’ve rounded up the best deals available on each device in Amazon’s Echo lineup. The bulk of the discounts don’t rival those we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but some models — including the third-gen Echo Dot and second-gen Echo Show 5 — are still available at a steep discount.
Best Amazon Echo deals
The best Echo Dot deals
In September, Amazon announced the fifth generation of the Echo Dot. It looks more like a sphere than an actual dot — much like its last-gen predecessor — but offers twice as much bass as the prior model and a temperature sensor; it also doubles as an Eero mesh Wi-Fi extender, though, said functionality will also be coming to the prior model at some point via a free over-the-air firmware update.
Despite the arrival of the new model, you can still pick up the third-gen Echo Dot, which retains the puck-like design of earlier models and is on sale for $24.99 ($15 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. As for the fifth-gen model, it’s currently on sale at Best Buy, Lowe’s, and Amazon for $34.99 ($15 off) with up to six months of Amazon Music Unlimited.
If you’re looking to upgrade, Amazon and Best Buy are also selling the latest Echo Dot with a built-in LED display that showcases the time, weather, and other info for $44.99 ($15 off).
The best Echo Dot Kids deals
Like the fourth-gen Echo Dot Kids, the fifth-gen iteration is as spherical as the adult version but is designed to look like a variety of creatures, specifically an owl or a dragon. It also comes with a year of Amazon’s Kids Plus service, which provides access to a slew of kid-friendly content, including audiobooks and games. That said, the latest edition features better sound, a temperature sensor, and other enhancments found on the standard model.
If you want to buy the newest, kid-centric Echo Dot, it’s available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Kohl’s right now for $44.99 (about $15 more than its best price to date).
The fourth-gen Amazon Echo also received a makeover in late 2020. The latest model sports a sphere-shaped design like the newer Echo Dot models, but one that’s noticeably bigger. That said, it also touts a built-in smart home hub and produces better sound than the fifth-gen Dot thanks to a pair of 0.8-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer.
As of right now, the fourth-gen Echo is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target with up to six months of Amazon Music Unlimited for $74.99 ($25 off), which remains one of the speaker’s best prices to date.
If you’re interested in an Alexa smart speaker with better audio quality and Dolby Atmos support, the Echo Studio is the Amazon product to check out. Unfortunately, however, it’s currently only available at Target, Best Buy, and Amazon for its usual asking price of $199.99. Like with other Echo devices, the latter retailer is also offering six months of Amazon Music Unlimited for free with each purchase.
If you are looking for a compact Echo device that functions more as a smart clock than an entertainment speaker, the Echo Show 5 is the Echo device to consider. The latest edition, which launched in 2021, features an always-on microphone, an upgraded 2MP camera, a 5.5-inch display, and a physical shutter, allowing you to block the camera’s view.
Right now, the second-gen Echo Show 5 is available at Amazon and Best Buy in blue, black, or white for $44.99 ($40 off), which is nearly an all-time low on the capable smart display.
The best Echo Show 5 Kids deals
The Echo Dot isn’t the only Echo device with a kid-friendly design. The Echo Show 5 Kids offers all of the same features as the standard, second-gen Echo Show 5, only with a vibrant print on the rear and a year of Amazon’s Kids Plus service, which grants your family access to a trove of videos, games, and other kid-friendly content. It even comes with a two-year warranty, providing a bit of protection from whatever your child might (literally) throw at it.
As far as pricing goes, the Echo Show 5 Kids is currently discounted at Amazon to just $44.99 ($50 off), which nearly matches the smart display’s best price to date.
Like the Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8 is typically available in two distinct models, both of which feature 8-inch displays and dual speakers. However, unlike the first-gen Echo Show 8, the latest model is equipped with a 13MP camera and some unique software tricks, one of which grants it the ability to keep the subject centered in the frame as they move around.
We recently saw the second-gen Show 8 drop to an all-time low $69.99 ($60 off), which is merely $10 less than the smart speaker’s current sale price at Amazon, Best Buy, and Kohl’s. Amazon is also offering the second-gen model with six months of Amazon Music Unlimited, though the retailer doesn’t stipulate how to qualify for the latter promotion.
Two years ago, Amazon introduced a third-gen Echo Show 10. The device features a 10.1-inch HD screen and, unlike the Show 5 and Show 8, the 2021 model allows you to adjust the angle of the screen. It’s also mounted on a motorized, swiveling base that allows the display to follow you as you move. If you plan on doing a lot of video calling, this is the model to get.
Unlike other smart displays in Amazon’s Echo lineup, the new Echo Show 15 is a large, wall-mounted device with a 15.6-inch touch display. It’s designed to replace the likes of bulletin boards and calendars, and as such, it functions as a shared hub for families where everyone can see digital sticky notes, upcoming calendar appointments, shopping lists, and other reminders. It also features support for Alexa, meaning it offers the same functionality as other Echo displays and smart speakers, and you can even use it as a decent 1080p TV in your kitchen or to display photos and artwork. It’s compatible with an optional stand, too, though, we’d argue it remains a better fit for your wall than your countertop given its size.
Having launched at the end of 2021, we’ve only seen a handful of discounts on the Echo Show 15. That said, you can currently buy it at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $249.99, its full retail price and $80 more than its sale price during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The BMW i Vision Dee is a future EV sport sedan that can talk back to you
The BMW i Vision Dee is basically KITT with a kidney grille. | Image: BMW
KITT with a kidney grille? With a minimalist design, a HUD across the whole windshield, and a digital assistant that talks back, this could be the most polarizing BMW concept yet.
Everyone always has something to say about BMW.
The Bavarian automaker has long had a knack for setting the benchmarks with cars like the 3 Series and X5, but when the vehicles change with the times, BMW’s superfans don’t hold their tongues.
Now, at CES 2023, a new BMW concept asks: what if the car had something to say as well? And if a car could talk, how would it interact with its user?
This is the BMW i Vision Dee, which stands for “Digital Emotional Experience.” It’s one of BMW’s most radical — yet, in some ways, plausible — concept cars in years. It’s a minimalist electric performance sedan that leans hard into digital features like augmented reality and voice-driven virtual assistants. Think the metaverse or Amazon Alexa but in sport sedan form. The concept also offers the ability to create a driver avatar profile, which can even be projected onto the side window.
More than that, the i Vision Dee’s color-shifting grille is like a “face” with its own expressions on top of the virtual voice. This is a BMW that talks back and may even have hot takes of its own. “My father was an E30,” is one thing the car said to me at a recent tech demonstration, and early social media promos for the concept evoked the ‘80s talking car action show Knight Rider.
“The headlights and the closed BMW kidney grille also form a common phygital (fusion of physical and digital) icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to produce different facial expressions,” the automaker said in a news release. “This means the BMW i Vision Dee can talk to people and, at the same time, express moods such as joy, astonishment or approval visually.”
Like the i Vision Circular from 2021, the i Vision Dee is just a concept car, meant to preview potentially forthcoming designs and technologies that could make their way onto dealer lots eventually. At the same time, the design itself feels like something that could preview a future electric 3 Series or i4 of some sort.
Visually, the i Vision Dee almost looks like a cross between a Tesla Model 3 and one of BMW’s classic sport sedans, like a 2002 or an E30. The kidney grille sweeps across almost the entire front of the concept and a rear light bar does the same across the trunk. The white, almost featureless body is a stark contrast to the fussy designs of many current BMWs, while still keeping signature features like the “Hofmeister kink” of the rear windows.
While BMW won’t directly confirm that this design is intended for production, it’s fairly safe to assume it will influence future cars. BMW’s concepts have a way of turning into reality—see the i8 supercar and i3 city car from the past decade. BMW even calls this “another milestone on the road” to Neue Klasse, BMW’s upcoming EV-specific car platform. That setup is named for the “New Class” of sport sedans and coupes that defined BMW’s image in the 1960s and ‘70s.
While current BMWs tend to be built to offer a mix of internal combustion, hybrid, or EV power — the electric i4 and ICE-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe are essentially the same vehicle, for example — the next round of models is designed from the ground up to be electric for better range and better battery packaging.
BMW says the i Vision Dee also represents a significant evolution of the E Ink color-shifting technology that debuted at last year’s CES and, as a result, can transform its exterior into 32 different colors — and not just one color, either. The concept’s body is divided into 240 E Ink segments, each of which can be controlled individually, BMW says. It’s the first time E Ink is used on the entire outside of a car, and BMW has said the technology could be close to commercialization at the consumer level.
For BMW, it’s evidence that the sport sedan is still important to the company’s image and bottom line, said BMW design boss Domagoj Dukec at a press preview in Germany last year.
“We want to show our customers, if the world is changing, we will adapt, but certainly we will always be familiar,” Dukec said. “Everybody who’s working within my team, from different cultures and different generations, they love the brand and they know their history. They don’t want that to go away.”
Dukec added, “It’s also BMW. When you talk about the core product… it’s the 3 and 5 Series.”
Who needs screens when you have a windshield?
The i Vision Dee brings good news for drivers who hate the explosion of in-car touchscreens lately: there are no screens here.
The concept’s bare-bones stark gray interior is even more minimal in design than the outside, with a pared-down steering wheel, seats, and what BMW calls the “Mixed Reality Slider”: a touch panel that controls how much information the driver sees on the advanced Heads-Up Display.
There’s also bad news for drivers who hate screens: the whole windshield is now essentially a display, mixing the functions of a dashboard with an infotainment system and adding in augmented reality features.
Using the windshield to host displays is nothing new; many modern cars project vehicle speeds, navigation, and other data there (and have in various forms since the 1980s). But this concept takes that idea to a whole new level.
Images projected onto the screen include social media posts and AR displays in addition to vehicle diagnostics. The other windows are dimmable, too, if drivers and passengers want to go full VR mode. Would this create a giant distraction? Maybe, but BMW says it’s safer than taking your eyes fully off the road to look at a dashboard-mounted screen.
“Projection across the entire width of the windscreen allows information to be displayed on the largest possible surface — which only becomes recognizable as a display once it is activated,” BMW said in a statement. “[The car] visualizes how an advanced Head-Up-Display could also be utilized in the future for the display and operating concept.”
A version of this system, presumably a pared-down one, will make its debut on the Neue Klasse cars starting in 2025.
“An intelligent companion,” not just a car
But while many of the features previewed on the i Vision Dee certainly won’t be ready for primetime in 2023, they feel like a believable approach to where the increasingly digitally focused automotive industry is going.
“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalization to transform the car into an intelligent companion,” said Oliver Zipse, BMW’s board chairman, in a statement.
That’s cold comfort to the diehards who want BMW to go back to the way things used to be — however they choose to perceive that. It also won’t do for critics of the technologies found in the i Vision Dee. After all, Amazon Alexa did little more than set billions of dollars on fire in 2022, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to pivot to the metaverse has been met with outright scorn. The question remains whether drivers even want some of the features on the i Vision Dee, especially the sweeping displays across the windshield or the talking virtual assistant.
Even as it struggles with things like getting drivers to accept subscription features in cars, BMW says yes. The future isn’t going to be high-revving inline-six engines and manual transmissions, so BMW has to find a way to convince the diehard faithful that “performance” can be defined by things like software speed, charging time, and electric range. The cars it produces in the immediate next few years probably won’t be as wildly ambitious as the i Vision Dee, but it does show that BMW is already thinking in that direction.
Amazon to axe 18,000 jobs citing economic uncertainty
Amazon chief points to company’s rapid hiring in recent years while saying layoffs mainly to hit its brick-and-mortar stores
Amazon has announced it will cut more than 18,000 jobs from its workforce – the largest set of layoffs in the US company’s history – while business software maker Salesforce is to cut 8,000 workers in the latest purge of tech jobs.
Amazon cited “the uncertain economy” and said the e-commerce giant had “hired rapidly over the last several years” in making the announcement on Wednesday.
‘AI is going to reinvent how you do everything on Windows,’ says Microsoft’s Windows boss
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Panos Panay is the man in charge of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft hardware, and he has CEO Satya Nadella’s ear. So when he says that AI is the future of Windows, we’re definitely paying attention.
“AI is going to reinvent how you do everything on Windows, quite literally,” he told an audience at AMD’s CES 2023 press conference, pausing for effect.
The context: AMD has just announced its new Ryzen 7000 mobile processors, and the company’s boasting that they’re the first x86 chips to contain a dedicated AI engine — one that, it claims, also happens to be 20 percent faster than the one in Apple’s MacBook Pros with M1 Pro chips.
(Dragging Apple was a bit of a theme during the early part of AMD’s keynote, though it’s worth noting that Apple is overdue to refresh those laptops with M2 Pro chips, and its existing MacBooks have largely unbeatable battery life. AMD CEO Lisa Su claimed AMD’s new chips can offer 30 hours of battery life, though a slide behind her clarified that they can reach 30 hours of video playback specifically.)
But back to AI: “You’ve told me: every TOP I’m going to put on that machine, I’m going to use,” Su related. “I’m going to try!” Panos laughed during the presentation.
Unfortunately, he didn’t go into much detail about how Windows might use them — for today, his one suggestion was that a PC’s webcam could add background blur, detect eye contact, and automatically frame someone on a conference call while using far less battery, all part of Windows Studio Effects. He namedropped natural language models as well.
That’s not all that compelling by itself, but it’s intriguing to think that Microsoft might have bigger plans, especially because AMD’s mobile chips won’t be the only x86 ones with onboard AI engines for long. They’ll also be included in Intel’s Meteor Lake chips, due later this year, and they’ve been a part of ARM-based chips for some time now.
impressive demo from @sbathiche and @panos_panay of the latest Windows 11 Voice Focus feature on ARM-based devices. It completely wipes out background noise. Yes Nvidia, Discord, and others can do this, but this uses 0% of your GPU and CPU pic.twitter.com/xppsxsttnc
Gran Turismo 7 is getting a free VR upgrade for PSVR2’s launch
Jim Ryan reveals Gran Turismo 7’s VR update at CES 2023. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Gran Turismo 7 will be getting a free upgrade to let you play the game on PlayStation VR2, PlayStation head Jim Ryan announced during Sony’s CES 2023 press conference on Wednesday. The update will be available when PSVR2 launches in February, and more than 30 games are “on track” for the PSVR 2’s launch, Ryan said.
Sony also revealed a big new title coming to PSVR2: Beat Saber, which is arguably one of the marquee titles for VR. It’s now “in development” for the platform, according to Ryan, and more details about the release will be shared in the “near future.” Developer Beat Games is owned by Meta, but a PSVR2 release of Beat Saber isn’t completely out of the blue; the game is already available for the original PSVR.
PSVR2 promises to be a big upgrade over the first PSVR, with features like an OLED screen, a 110-degree field of view, support for 4K HDR and framerates of up to 120Hz, and four cameras built into the device. It also has new Sense controllers that can detect finger touches and, like the DualSense for PS5, they also have haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. But if you wanted to play your PSVR games on the new model, you won’t be able to.
PSVR2 is set to launch on February 22nd for $549.99. Preorders are available now on Sony’s PlayStation Direct website, no invitation required. One of the marquee launch titles is a new VR game in the Horizon universe, titled Horizon Call of the Mountain, but you’ll also be able to play through Resident Evil Village’s new VR mode as part of a free update available on day one.
Coming soon: smart homes where the electricity isn’t so dumb
The Schneider Pulse smart electrical panel, one component of this system. | Image: Schneider Electric
I don’t know if Schneider Electric will be the one to crack it, but I like what it’s promising here at CES 2023 — a smart home where the electrical circuits themselves are smart enough to keep your house powered, save on your energy bill, manage solar, and charge electric vehicles, all through a single app.
Schneider Electric isn’t a household name, but there’s a good chance you’ve got one of its Square D circuit breakers in your home — the company says four in 10 US households already do. Today, it’s announcing an ecosystem of gadgets that won’t be hidden inside your walls, including:
an entire smart main electrical panel called the Schneider Pulse that can control its own relays and acts as the brains
a 7.6kW inverter large enough for whole-home solar and a pair of batteries, with a dedicated EV charging port
a wall-mountable, stackable 10kWh battery called the Schneider Boost that can fit right beneath the inverter
an 11.5kW level 2 EV charger
an array of smart outlets, dimmers, and light switches that the system can both control and monitor and which work with Alexa and Google Home
Image: Schneider Electric
Specs: 200A panel, 10kWh batteries, 7.6kW inverter, 11.5kW / 48A level 2 EV charging.
“What’s the big deal?” you might ask. “Can’t you buy all those pieces from any number of companies?” Yes, you can, and some systems try to balance solar, battery backup, and car charging to some degree.
But if you buy two or more of these “Schneider Home” products, the company is promising some snazzy synergy.
Want to know how much power every individual device in your home is using? Combine the main panel and outlets and you’ll be able to measure that three different ways — not only can it calculate consumption at each outlet but also every breaker, and it’s got an integrated algorithmic energy monitor (powered by Sense) that can try to estimate what each individual device is using by listening for its electronic signature.
Image: Schneider Electric
Flip off major offenders.
Power outage? If you’ve got the inverter and battery backup, the app promises to let you selectively choose which devices should keep running and which to turn off at the circuit, outlet, switch, or light fixture level. In Schneider’s example, it’ll even nudge you into choices that might make a difference, like remotely turning off an air conditioner or EV charging. Then, it’ll tell you when the power returns so you can resume.
Image: Schneider Electric
Get notified when you can resume consumption.
And with the main panel and inverter, Schneider claims, homeowners will be able to install an EV charger even if the electrical service line running to their house would normally be undersized for the task.
I can relate! I wanted to get a 200A main panel upgrade myself for upgrades like that, but my solar company informed me that my service line was too skinny, and PG&E wanted an incredible sum of money to rip up my front yard and get a thicker one trenched underneath the sidewalk. “You can upgrade just the panel itself, not the electrical service, and save lots of money,” Schneider VP Jaser Faruq tells me.
Image: Schneider Electric
A peek inside the smart electrical panel.
That said, upgrades like these will still cost a pretty penny. “Think on the order of $10,000 if you’re including all the parts of the system here,” says Faruq, adding that the installation cost will vary widely. The Pulse panel alone might cost $5,000 with labor and hardware, double that if you’ve got to pay your utility to upgrade a service line, and full-home battery backup might mean four batteries and two inverters if you want to last through a 12-hour blackout.
On the plus side, there are some federal credits: the Inflation Reduction Act gives you a 30 percent tax credit on the battery, as well as 30 percent (capped at $600) toward a smart electrical panel.
You’ll also need an electrician to install most of these pieces and / or a solar contractor if you want solar panels, as Schneider doesn’t sell that piece of the puzzle itself. Plus, the company admits most of these upgrades will require an inspection from your local municipality.
If, like me, you’ve already installed solar, you may also have to consider the sunk cost of your existing inverter, which you’d need to replace to get the full benefits of Schneider’s offering. “We’re targeting customers who are entering this world of solar and electrification first,” says Faruq. “Because over 90 percent of homes in the US don’t have solar or energy storage, that’s the big priority.”
He says people don’t need to buy all the components to get benefits, though, and that parts of the system are interoperable with third-party parts. You should be able to plug most batteries, solar, and EV chargers into the panel and / or inverter, and they’ve even got a miniature backup control switch you can pick instead of the main panel if you just want a battery and inverter. But the goal, he says, is to control it all with a single app and a minimum of boxes on your garage wall.
Schneider’s new parts are still in the process of getting their certification, but the intent is to start the first installations this summer and ramp in the second half of 2023.
Death of the narrator? Apple unveils suite of AI-voiced audiobooks
Exclusive: tech firm quietly launches new audiobook catalogue narrated by AI – but move expected to spark backlash
Apple has quietly launched a catalogue of books narrated by artificial intelligence in a move that may mark the beginning of the end for human narrators. The strategy marks an attempt to upend the lucrative and fast-growing audiobook market – but it also promises to intensify scrutiny over allegations of Apple’s anti-competitive behaviour.
The popularity of the audiobook market has exploded in recent years, with technology companies scrambling to gain a foothold. Sales last year jumped 25%, bringing in more than $1.5bn. Industry insiders believe the global market could be worth more than $35bn by 2030.
Twitter sued over $136,260 in unpaid rent after Elon Musk takeover
Landlord alleges the social media company owes back rent for its California Street branch in San Francisco
Elon Musk is trying to slash expenses at Twitter as close to zero as possible while his personal wealth shrinks – and this apparently has included falling behind on rent payments at the company’s offices.
Twitter owes $136,260 in overdue rent on its offices on the 30th floor of a building in downtown San Francisco, according to a lawsuit filed by the building’s landlord last week.
It’s a 24.1-inch 1080p G-Sync panel that’s unfortunately saddled with TN screen technology, known for its refresh rates rather than viewing angles or wide color gamut. But the monitor pulls a pretty cool trick: the stand lets you pop in and out its feet to fit in narrower spaces and lock them in place.
Image: Asus
Asus’ 540Hz monitor has adjustable locking feet.
The other thing it has over the Alienware is a price: Asus rep Cat Tompkins tells The Verge it should cost $899 USD.
Image: Asus
A rear view.
It’s also got a built-in ESS Quad DAC with “near-zero audio latency,” presumably to pipe killer audio from your PC to its 3.5mm headphone jack. Asus boasts that it actually has “above 90% DCI-P3” in terms of the colors it can display. Its twin HDMI ports are HDMI 2.0 rather than 2.1, which means you probably won’t have variable refresh rate for your game consoles, though you’ll probably be using DP 1.4 from your PC to achieve the high refresh rates anyhow. Like the Alienware and some earlier monitors, it comes with Nvidia’s Reflex Latency Analyzer.
I still think 500Hz monitors are overkill for the reasons I laid out this morning: “the response time difference between a 360Hz panel and a 500Hz one is less than one-thousandth of a second — 0.78 milliseconds, to be exact — and only in games where your graphics card or chip can actually deliver 500 frames per second,” I wrote.
Image: Asus
Another angle on the 540Hz monitor.
But if that’s exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll have at least two options this year.
Here are the best Kindle deals right now
The 2021 Kindle Paperwhite is on sale as part of a discounted bundle starting at $169.97. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
When it comes to finding a device to use to read your ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on Twitter. If you are looking for something to strictly read books, e-readers, while niche, are designed to store all of your books in a virtual library with limited functionality.
Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons. The bulk of the devices function as simple ebook readers; however, with the Kindle Scribe, Amazon looks to be moving beyond books and into the realm of writing — something that should make future Kindles function more akin to physical paper.
Below, we’ve listed each model currently available. Sometimes, there isn’t a deal for one or any of the products — which is often the case following shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday — but we’ve mentioned the most recent sale price in those instances. Also, keep in mind that Amazon offers 20 percent off all of its Kindles when you trade in select devices, so there are still other ways to save money when none of the models are available at a discount.
In case you missed it, Amazon announced a new entry-level Kindle last year, one that’s designed to replace the 2019 model. The latest Kindle — which starts at $99.99 — puts Amazon’s base e-reader more in line with the most recent Kindle Paperwhite, providing a number of quality-of-life improvements in the process. The new model features longer battery life, a 300ppi screen, and now charges via USB-C instead of Micro USB. It also touts 16GB of storage by default and comes in a new “denim” color, which resembles the soft blue you might associate with jeans.
The new base Kindle wasn’t the only e-reader Amazon introduced in September. The new entry-level model has arrived alongside a new Kindle Kids, which is identical to the standard model but comes with a handful of accessories and provides age-appropriate content for younger readers who prefer digital books. Like the last-gen Kindle Kids, the new model retails for $20 more than the base model, bringing the MSRP to $119.99.
In terms of add-ons, the new Kindle Kids edition consists of four items: the device, a case, a two-year extended replacement guarantee (in the event the device breaks), and one year of Amazon Kids Plus. The latter is the biggest selling point of the device aside from the kid-friendly patterns, as it allows parents to grant their kids access to a digital library of kid-friendly books like Percy Jackson and the entire Harry Potter series at no additional cost.
Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is identical to the standard model but features wireless charging and a sensor to automatically adjust the backlight.
Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite is its 11th-gen model, which comes with USB-C support, longer battery life, and a larger 6.8-inch display. Given the e-reader launched just last year, however, we haven’t seen a ton of steep discounts yet. Thankfully, you can still pick up the last-gen model, which is frequently available for far less than the standard retail price.
The 2021 Kindle Paperwhite comes in three main configurations: an 8GB model with ads for $139.99, an 8GB model without ads for $159.99, and a 32GB ad-free Signature Edition for $189.99. The latter is identical to the standard Paperwhite except it also features Qi wireless charging and a sensor that will automatically adjust the backlight when needed. Amazon has also rolled out a Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition for $159.99, which comes bundled with a kid-friendly cover, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and a year of Amazon Kids Plus, much like the aforementioned Kindle Kids. All 2021 models are also similar to the 2018 model in that they feature a waterproof design and Audible audiobook support.
We recently saw the ad-supported Paperwhite drop to $99.99 for Amazon Prime members, which is just $5 more than the e-reader’s all-time low. Right now, however, it’s only available starting at $139.99 at Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. Just note that the latter retailer is also offering three months of Kindle Unlimited at no additional cost along with an ad-free model for $159.99, which equates to about $30 more than the slate’s most recent sale price.
Lastly, if you’re looking for the Kindle Paperwhite Kids Edition, it’s currently available at Amazon starting at $159.99, the e-reader’s full retail price and significantly more than its all-time low of $104.99. If want to outfit your child with additional storage, the 16GB model is also available at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $169.99 (its full retail price).
The Kindle Oasis is the most expensive of the lineup, starting at $250. The device comes in two storage configurations, 8GB or 32GB, and like the other models, you can get it with or without ads on the lock screen.
The 2019 Kindle Oasis looks very similar to the previous model. It retains its waterproof 7-inch 300ppi E Ink display and supports Audible audiobooks via Bluetooth. However, unlike previous models, it can adjust the color temperature to a yellow-toned display, making it easier to read at night.
In the past, we’ve seen the 8GB Kindle Oasis drop to as low as $174.99, which remains the lowest price to date for the standalone configuration. Unfortunately, the ad-supported Oasis is only retailing at Amazon and Best Buy right now starting at $249.99. If you prefer the model without ads, you can pick it up on Amazon for $269.99 with three months of Kindle Unlimited. Lastly, if you need additional storage, the 32GB model is available on Amazon with ads for $279.99 or for $299.99 without.
The ad-free Kindle Scribe is Amazon’s biggest e-reader to date — one that also represents a departure from past Kindle models. It packs a 10.2-inch display with 300 dpi, along with the same great battery life for which Kindles have become known. What separates the Scribe from other models, however, is that it comes with one of two styli, which can be used to annotate books, doodle, or jot down notes. We found the e-reader’s note-taking capabilities to be lacking in our testing, but Amazon plans to improve the software as time goes on, which will hopefully bring it up to speed with other E Ink competitors.
Twitter says it will allow more political ads as it tries to claw back revenue
Twitter had banned political advertising, but it’s going to “expand” what’s allowed. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Twitter is going to “expand” the political advertising it allows on the platform in “the coming weeks,” the Twitter Safety account tweeted on Tuesday. Twitter banned all political advertising in late 2019, but the company is apparently loosening its rules just a couple of months after major ad agencies recommendedagainst buying ads on the platform.
Exactly what will change under the new policies outside of what’s mentioned in the tweet is unclear. But the return of political ads could have a major effect on the platform, especially ahead of the 2024 US presidential election. We asked Twitter for details, but the company has dissolved its press office since Elon Musk took over, so we’re not expecting a response.
However, this isn’t the only advertising change Twitter is announcing on Tuesday. The company is also “relaxing” its policies for “cause-based” ads (i.e., on topics like climate change or social equity) in the US. For this one, we found concrete changes on a Twitter website that indicate what’s changing.
According to this Twitter page, ads have certain restrictions; they are limited to “geo, keyword, and interest targeting,” for example, and shouldn’t “have the primary goal of driving political, judicial, legislative, or regulatory outcomes.” But according to a bullet point added sometime Tuesday (it does not appear in this cached version from earlier in the day), “advertisers whose cause-based ads target only within the United States are exempt from the above-listed restrictions.”
Twitter justifies the change by saying that “cause-based advertising can facilitate public conversation around important topics.” It’s unclear if the rules will be relaxed in places other than the US in the future.
More broadly, Twitter says that it will “align” its advertising policy “with that of TV and other media outlets.” It also says that with any changes, it will “first ensure that our approach to reviewing and approving content protects people on Twitter,” which is perhaps an acknowledgment that it will slow down on drastic changes like the sudden ban on links to competitors that was quickly reversed.
Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge
@TwitterSafety’s latest tweets about advertising policy changes.
What matters about Matter, the new smart home standard
The Verge
A comprehensive guide to the products that work with Matter — the Amazon, Google, Apple, and Samsung-backed smart home standard — and what you can buy right now.
Matter is a common language for smart home devices designed to simplify everything about the smart home, from purchase to setup and everyday use. Its biggest promise is making smart devices work with each other across platforms and ecosystems, no matter who made them. No more checking for the “works with” HomeKit, Google Home, or Alexa badges — Matter devices work with all of them. It’s also entirely local, so gadgets should respond more quickly. Yes, Matter should make your smart light bulb work just as fast as your non-smart light switch.
All this means you won’t have to pick a platform when adding Matter devices to your home. You can control your smart lighting, smart locks, etc., simultaneously with Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and even Bixby, should you want to. You can also easily switch your gadgets between platforms.
This article is a breakdown of the basics around Matter and how it will work in your home. Including which products and platforms will work with the new standard and when. For more on the technology behind Matter, check out this deep dive into the new standard: Matter’s plan to save the smart home.
As new information comes out, we’ll keep this article updated.
Developed and run by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, Matter is supported by a long list of companies. From platform owners like Apple, Google, and Amazon and major manufacturers such as Samsung and LG to smaller accessory-focused players like Nanoleaf, Eve, and Wyze, there’s an unprecedented industry coalition behind Matter. Which is why it’s probably going to work.
Matter isn’t a new protocol; it’s a specification for how devices should talk to each other. It runs over existing protocols: Thread for low-power, low-bandwidth devices such as light bulbs and sensors, and Wi-Fi or ethernet for higher bandwidth devices like streaming media players and cameras (when they arrive).
A key feature of the specification is that all devices can run locally in your home; they do not require an internet connection to work or to work together, although cloud connectivity is an option and allows for out-of-the-home control and integration with cloud services.
Early 2023 is when you can realistically expect to use Matter in your home.
What do I need to use Matter?
Image: Thread Group
This diagram explains how devices will communicate across the different protocols supported by Matter.
A Matter controller
To add and control Matter devices, you need a Matter controller. Unlike proprietary hubs and bridges from companies such as Philips Hue and Lutron Caseta, Matter controllers are not brand-specific. As long as it’s a Matter controller, it can control a Matter device — no matter who made it. (It doesn’t get old)
Matter controllers are built into the latest versions of Android and Apple’s operating systems, and all the flagship smart speakers and devices are now Matter controllers: including the Apple HomePod Mini, Apple TV 4K, Amazon Echo and Google Nest Hub speakers and displays, and Samsung SmartThings hubs.
Many different types of devices can be Matter controllers: smart speakers, voice assistants, apps, or hubs with apps. Their primary role is to manage communications, control, automations, and remote access (when enabled). Because of this, your Matter controller is ideally a device that is always in your home, always powered, and has a direct connection to your home network.
It’s worth noting that Matter controllers aren’t necessarily Matter devices. You probably won’t be able to control an Amazon Echo Show with your Google Nest Hub Max or a Samsung Family Hub fridge with your Apple TV.
A Thread border router
Matter works over Wi-Fi, ethernet, and Thread. Matter controllers take care of Wi-Fi and ethernet devices, but if you have Thread devices, you need a Thread border router to talk to the Matter controller. Helpfully, some Matter controllers are also Thread border routers.
Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge
The Thread logo
Thread is a low-power, low-latency wireless protocol that creates a self-healing mesh network. This means the more devices you have on it, the better the range and reliability will be. Similar to the Zigbee protocol, Thread works on the same 2.4GHz spectrum and is designed for the same low-power devices: sensors, light bulbs, plugs, and shades.
But Thread is IPv6 based, which means it can talk to the internet directly, whereas Zigbee devices require a hub, and often a proprietary one. Thread also has lower latency and is an open protocol — Zigbee has become hopelessly fragmented. Like Matter controllers, Thread border routers are platform agnostic, so any Thread device can connect to them.
Thread border routers don’t need a hardwired internet connection. They just need continuous power and Wi-Fi. This means that, unlike traditional bridges and hubs, they can be almost anything from a smart light or smart speaker to a fridge, television, or thermostat. In the long run, it’s likely that your next Wi-Fi router will contain a Thread border router, so you won’t have to worry about this at all.
Today, existing devices from Amazon, Apple, Eero, Google, and Samsung have Thread border routers that support Matter.
Which smart home platforms support Matter?
The four big platforms — Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, and Samsung SmartThings — all support Matter. This means you can use any of their apps, smart speakers, hubs, and smart voice assistants as Matter controllers to manage your connected devices.
Because of a Matter feature called Multi-Admin — which lets you control the same Matter devices with multiple platforms — you don’t have to use one of the big four to control your devices. Several companies have already said their apps will become Matter controllers, including the TP-Link Tapo app, the Aqara app, and the Wiser app. And there will likely be more options soon.
You do need to use an app. Matter doesn’t have its own app. It isn’t a platform; it’s just the language the devices speak to each other. You’ll need to pick an app to manage that language and tell your smart thermostat to turn down and your lights to turn off when you lock your door. With Matter, these types of automations will run across devices from different companies that weren’t previously compatible.
So, yes, you will be able to control the new Nest Thermostat with Apple’s Siri or an Eve smart plug with Amazon Alexa. Plus, you can use the Apple Home app on your iPhone to turn on the living room light, and your partner can use the Google Home app on their Android phone to turn on the same lights.
Here is a rundown of what each of the smart home platforms has said it is doing to support Matter:
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
The Echo Dot with Clock will be a Matter Controller over Wi-Fi.
Amazon Alexa Matter support
A total of 17 Echo devices — including all of the current lineup — became Matter compatible in December 2022. So far, they only support Matter-over-Wi-Fi — and just three out of the first Matter device types: smart plugs, smart bulbs, and smart switches.
The Alexa app supports Matter on Android, and Amazon has said it will update the iOS Alexa app in 2023. Its flagship fourth-generation Echo smart speaker will also become a Thread border router “early next year.” Amazon’s Echo Studio, Echo Show 10, and Echo Plus speakers also technically have the capability to be border routers, but Amazon has not announced if those will be updated.
Amazon’s mesh Wi-Fi network company, Eero, has committed to supporting Matter, too. Most of its existing routers can already act as Thread border routers and will be upgraded to support Matter early next year. (See the full list below.)
Google Nest and Google Home Matter support
As of December 15, 2022, all Google’s Nest smart speakers and displays can act as Matter controllers. Newer products with Thread built in — such as the Nest Wi-Fi, Nest Wi-Fi Pro, Nest Hub Max, and second-gen Nest Hub — are also Thread border routers. Android devices and the Google Home app are also now Matter-compatible and can add Matter devices to Google Home smart homes.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
The new Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi + Ethernet is a Matter controller and Thread border router.
Apple Home Matter support
As of iOS 16.1, Apple’s HomePod, HomePod Mini, and 2021 and 2022 Apple TV 4K models are already Matter controllers. The HomePod Mini, Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi + Ethernet (2022), and Apple TV 4K (2021) are also Thread border routers. All Apple’s operating systems — watchOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and HomePod software — are now Matter certified, too.
“We believe all smart home accessories should work together to provide the most choice and interoperability for customers without compromising security and privacy,” Apple spokesperson Jacqueline Roy told me. “This is why we helped create and contribute to the new Matter standard so that all smart home accessories will have the same level of security, privacy, and ease of use that Apple customers enjoy today with HomeKit accessories.”
Samsung says its Galaxy smartphones and tablets, newer smart TVs and monitors, and its Family Hub refrigerators will get updated to support Matter-over-Wi-Fi.
The $35 SmartThings HubDongle will get Matter and Thread early next year. It already supports Zigbee and can be plugged into a smart TV or fridge to add full support for SmartThings-compatible Zigbee and Thread devices.
SmartThings hubs will not bridge existing devices into Matter. So your connected Zigbee and Z-Wave devices won’t show up in other Matter ecosystems — only in SmartThings.
Will I need to replace my existing smart devices?
Matter is designed to include devices already in our homes, and while some existing Thread devices that companies said might get upgraded to Matter now won’t, there are potential upgrade paths for many gadgets.
Zigbee devices can be bridged to Matter through their existing hub (both Philips Hue and Aqara have pledged to do this).
Some Wi-Fi devices can get Matter compatibility with an over-the-air firmware update.
Theoretically, some Zigbee devices could get device-level Matter-over-Thread support, though no such updates have been announced.
Aqara’s existing hubs, including theM2 Hub (left), G2H camera hub (center), and M1S hub (right), will be updated to bridge connected Aqara devices into Matter.
Current devices that can’t be upgraded to Matter will continue to work with the platforms they already work with. They will coexist with Matter devices on those platforms and can be used alongside them in routines and automations.
Bluetooth-only devices that don’t rely on bridges, such as Eve’s earlier line of security and sensor products or GE Cync’s Bluetooth mesh bulbs, can’t be updated to work with Matter since Matter doesn’t support Bluetooth except for device setup. Eve has already rolled out new Thread-enabled versions of almost its entire range of Bluetooth products.
Because the Matter specification was delayed several times and only finalized in late 2022, several manufacturers — including Nanoleaf, Belkin WeMo, and Schlage — shipped Thread products that they expected to update with Matter support, only to find that the hardware couldn’t handle the software requirements of the final version.
Instead, all those companies have announced plans to launch new Matter-enabled products next year. It’s a good idea not to buy any Thread products going forward until they have Matter support.
What about Z-Wave and Zigbee?
To date, we haven’t heard of any Z-Wave hubs that will expose their Z-Wave devices to Matter. Jaeyeon Jung, executive vice president and Head of SmartThings at Samsung Electronics, told me there is a significant technical complexity to doing this. “Looking at each legacy device and coming up with a way to convert each to Matter would be a huge process,” she said. “We still have to look at all the technical details to see if that would be possible.”
The Z-Wave Alliance is promoting solutions to bridge existing Z-Wave devices into Matter. Chipmaker Silicon Labs has developed both software and hardware solutions to enable this. But none of these have yet made their way into products you can buy.
For now, if you have Z-Wave or Zigbee devices, stick with whatever hub you are already using or switch to SmartThings or Home Assistant if you want Matter and your current platform won’t support it.
Will I still need hubs and bridges to run my smart home?
Yes. If you have devices that work through a bridge today, you will need to keep your bridges and hubs to continue using these devices. This applies to things like Philips Hue lighting products, Aqara sensors, Z-Wave and Zigbee devices going through a hub like Samsung SmartThings or Hubitat, or Ikea smart home devices on its older Trådfri gateway.
In an ideal world, you should not have to buy any more bridges or hubs. “Matter is going to be cheaper for device makers. It’s going to be cheaper for a lighting company, for example, to make an IP-based bulb [than continue to build bridges],” says Chris LaPré, head of technology for the CSA. “In the long run, Matter will take over, and eventually, you’ll just get rid of all the bridges.”
However, Signify — which owns Philips Hue — has said it will continue to use a bridge with its Zigbee-based lighting products and has no plans to make any of its other products directly Matter enabled.
Image: Connectivity Standards Alliance
The Matter logo should appear on new Matter-compatible devices.
Which products will work with Matter?
Most companies that have announced Matter devices say they will start shipping in Q1 of 2023.
New products that are compatible with Matter should have the Matter logo on them (it looks a bit like a stick person wearing bikini bottoms). Many manufacturers are adding Matter support to existing devices with over-the-air firmware updates. (More on this in a bit.)
The first device types supported in Matter are:
Light bulbs and light switches
Plugs and outlets
Door locks
Thermostats and other HVAC controllers (mini-splits, etc.)
Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
The Eve Motion motion sensor will get a firmware upgrade on December 12th to support with Matter. Image: Philips Hue
The Philips Hue Bridge will bring Matter to existing Hue devices, though the devices themselves will not be updated.
Devices that should work with Matter in Q1 of 2023
*Tuya Smart is an IoT development platform service provider that supports over 446,000 developers with schematics for over 1,100 smart home products from robot vacuums to smart lights. It already has Matter certification for a number of light bulbs and smart plugs. Brands that use Tuya include Teckin, Gosund, Nooie, Lidl, and Iotty
How easy will it be to add a Matter device to your smart home?
Adding a Matter device to your smart home should be very simple and similar no matter which device you’re adding or which platform you’re adding it to. Although in early testing, I ran into some hiccups. But once all the software updates have rolled out things should be smoother. Essentially, it’s much like adding a device to Apple’s Home platform today.
Matter uses numeric and QR setup codes and Bluetooth Low Energy to add a device to your network. Open the device maker’s app or your smart home platform app, scan the QR code or manually enter the numeric code written on the device, and follow the prompts.
NFC pairing will be an option for some devices, letting you tap the device with your phone. And some platforms will support auto-detection, so your phone will just see there is a device ready to be paired and prompt you to add it.
Once your device is set up in one platform, you can add it to other apps and platforms using Matter’s multi-admin feature. The process to share is similar to onboarding, only you don’t have to have the device in hand, as the app creates a pairing code for you.
Is Matter private and secure?
Smart home adoption has been slow as people are concerned about their privacy and security. The CSA says keeping devices secure is a core tenet of Matter.
“We are secure by design, we take a zero-trust approach, we use specific industry-standard encryption technology, and every device gets authenticated before it joins the network,” says Michelle Mindala-Freeman, head of marketing at CSA. “Every message is secured on the network, and Matter supports secure over-the-air updates.”
In terms of your home’s data, that relationship remains between you and the individual manufacturers, says Mindala-Freeman. However, Matter’s privacy principles outline data privacy protections, including minimizing how much data is shared in any Matter interaction and defining the purpose of data sharing when requested. As a bonus, because Matter has trust built into the system, you won’t have to continually input your passwords to connect ecosystems, explains the CSA’s LaPré.
The significant advantage of Matter devices — direct IP control that lets them speak straight to the internet — is also seen as a possible security concern. The CSA says Matter’s security approach delivers security that is “strong, agile (to address the evolution of things like encryption types over time), and proactive, with a community of members who do threat modeling and mitigation,” says Tobin Richardson, president and CEO of the CSA.
The approach is one of resilient security while still getting the benefits of an IP-connected world “rather than security by obscurity,” he says. Until devices are out in the wild, confirming this approach’s proficiency is hard, but the intent checks all the right boxes.
Which smart home device categories won’t work with Matter?
Image: Ring
The new Ring Alarm Pro from the Amazon-owned company does not support Matter over Thread, says the company.
Smart security cameras don’t currently work with Matter, but the CSA has said they will be part of a future update. How that will work in practice is unknown. Apple contributed the framework of its HomeKit smart home platform to Matter, so it’s possible that its HomeKit Secure Video may also be part of that contribution. We’ll have to wait and see.
Smart sensors are part of Matter, but home security systems are not — yet. Many smart homes run with an alarm system as the main hub, so the lack of integration here could be a deal-breaker for some.
Mitch Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance — a technology used widely in home alarm systems for door / window sensors, motion sensors, and other devices — explains that there will be significant challenges to porting that technology to Matter. “Securing UL approval for security devices is exceptionally difficult, and Matter has numerous challenges here,” he says. “UL is a benchmark and often an insurance requirement. All professionally-installed security systems insist on UL approval.”
Speaking of cameras and alarm systems, one of the biggest smart home companies in both these spaces — Ring — hasn’t offered any indication it will support Matter. I asked how / if Ring Alarm might integrate into Matter last year, and a spokesperson stated: “Ring Alarm Pro does not support Matter over Thread.”
Whole home audio streaming (the tech from speaker companies like Sonos and Bose) is not currently supported, and we don’t know how Alexa, Apple, and Google’s current multiroom music streaming solutions will integrate with Matter. There is a Matter casting feature in the specification, but so far, there haven’t been any implementations of it announced.
Update January 3rd, 2023, 5:05PMET:Updated to reflect Matter updates and rollouts (and some delays) through the end of 2022.
Update November 16th, 2022, 3:45PM ET:This article was originally published in October 2021. Following the launch of Matter this month and the beginning of the availability of products. We have revised much of it to keep it current.
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