The SwitchBot Hub 3 smart home controller is now available for purchase. The Matter-capable device is quite different than other smart home hubs we've tested, starting with its rotary knob that can adjust the target temperature on a smart thermostat, the brightness of smart lighting devices, or the volume level of a connected speaker. Another feature that makes the 120 controller so interesting is the USB-C cable that connects it to its power supply: The cable senses the ambient temperature and relative humidity in the room where the Hub 3 is installed. These readings are shown on the hub's display. We have a hands-on review of the all-new SwitchBot Ultra, which is also shipping today.

Amazon's latest Alexa device feels like the missing piece in making a home fully smart and acts as a hub for controlling lights, doors, cameras, timers and heating. The Echo Hub arrives ready to be the touchscreen controller for your smart home, and is a cut-price option for a device that usually has to be either professionally installed, costing thousands, or a DIY job that requires more than a little expertise. Able to be wall-mounted or placed on a stand, the Echo Hub costs 170 ( 200/ 180) and acts as a clock and digital photo frame when idle, displaying a range of stock shots or pulling snaps from your prerequisite Amazon account or Facebook on its 8in LCD screen. When woken up, it is filled with buttons and widgets for controlling things around the home. A list of rooms on the left lets you see every device connected to Alexa, while a row of buttons at the bottom gives you quick access to categories of things, such as security devices, cameras, thermostats and lights. Routines can be programmed and turned on, such as dimming the lights in the evening or opening the curtains in the morning.

Your message has been sent. There was an error emailing this page. You don't need to live in a smart home to benefit from a Wi-Fi-connected smart speaker. Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, and other digital assistants can help you in dozens of ways, and you don't have to lift a finger to summon them--just speak their names. If you already know you want a smart speaker, scroll down for our top recommendations.

Amazon's Echo is the undisputed king of the nascent smart home market -- a tabletop speaker with a disembodied online "smart assistant" named Alexa, available at your beck and call to answer your questions, tell you a joke or control dozens of compatible networked products in your house. But with the release of the Google Home, Google's own voice-controlled smart speaker, the Echo is finally getting some serious competition. Google, of course, already knows as much or more about you than Facebook, thanks to your web history, your Gmail metadata and tracking the GPS records on your phone. And now the tech giant is aiming to use that data to out-Alexa Amazon, making the little countertop speaker a friendly face for its search-engine-powered online brain. Google Home pulls info from your Google account to keep you informed about your calendar appointments, and the traffic on your commute.