Want to build a smart home in 2026 but don't know where to start? This step-by-step guide covers choosing an ecosystem, best starter devices, automations, and security.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic an ultimatum this week: Open its artificial intelligence technology for unrestricted military use by Friday, or risk losing its government contract.

Echo, Nest, Ring, Philips Hue, Arlo — we rank the best smart home devices of 2026 by category, with buying advice and Amazon links for every pick.