Ikea and Samsung promise glitch-free Matter integration
… So it’s a little troubling to see this level of effort required to make Ikea’s promise of a cheap, accessible, and reliable smart home a reality.
Search
The impossible dream of the universal remote
… Here’s how to get every episode, and all our other fun stuff, as soon as it drops: The Version History podcast feedThe best universal remote you can buy | The Verge The Version History YouTube channel Our TikTok and Instagram accounts If you’re a Verge subscriber, you can also get access to Version… …
Thread Direct looks to solve Matter’s biggest setup headache
… The approach is similar to how Apple’s HomeKit worked pre-Matter, where Bluetooth devices could be set up and controlled locally with an iPhone, but required a Home hub for remote access and automations. …
Boox’s quirky page-turning remote won me over
… Image: The Tappy is much smaller than the Kobo Remote, but Kobo’s is more comfortable to hold. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/booxtappy2.jpg?quality=90&strip=all While the Kobo Remote looks like a streaming dongle accessory with a design that prioritizes ergonomics… …
A hacker ran me over with a robot lawn mower
… I’ve already learned that the danger goes far beyond the blades; that we live in a wild west where modern gadgets can expose your exact GPS location, remote-control live video of your home, and compromise your home network in one fell swoop. …
The secret to Roku’s success: not being cool
… Doing user research for the cable company was an eye-opener. “I’d go to people’s homes,” he recalls. “Some people would have remote controls where they taped over the buttons and tried to simplify it down to what looks more like a Roku remote.” Those attempts to dumb down devices continue in the st… …
A year of Walmart Plus is half off ahead of Prime Day
… Importantly, it also grants you early access to sales, including the upcoming Walmart Deals starting on June 22nd that coincide with Prime Day 2026. …
A million baby monitors and security cameras were easily viewable by hackers
… Sammy Azdoufal — the man from France who created a remote-controlled army of DJI Romo robot vacuum cleaners without really trying — tells The Verge he found 1.1 million remotely accessible Meari cameras almost the same way. …
Google I/O 2026
… Google TV developers can add motion-controlled input support for navigation on the home page and within apps. LG TVs have included its magic remote for years, but those TVs run webOS and not Google TV, so this could be a sign new Google TV pointer remotes are coming. …
How Roomba started a robot revolution
… If you missed last week’s season premiere, on the Harmony remote, make sure you catch up! …