Smart homes don't need to be complicated or expensive. Take a methodical approach and keep an eye out for bargains and you can enjoy many of the conveniences of living in a smart home without spending much at all. The secret is to start slow, and to invest in a few solid products that will have the most impact, I'm talking electrical outlets, lighting, climate control, and the like. In other words, you can probably get by without a smart washing machine, but installing a smart thermostat will be a game changer for both your comfort and living expenses. One of the keys to successfully getting a smart home up and running is to ensure everything you install is fully compatible and interoperable. Many smart home ecosystems were originally designed around a central hub and wireless protocols that were supposed to hit it big, but that either never really took off or have faded in importance and mainstream appeal.

Amazon was quick to pledge support for the Matter smart home standard, and now it's clear just when (and if) you can expect the technology to reach your household. The company has confirmed that 17 Echo devices, plugs, switches and bulbs will support Matter over WiFi in December, with 30 Echo and Eero products offering support by early next year. You'll initially need Android to set this up (Apple only released the Matter-friendly iOS 16.1 days ago), and the focus will be on lighting. However, support for iOS, Thread and more smart home tech is also due in early 2023. The support will extend to years-old Echo products.

As companies unveil their new smart home devices at the 2022 CES tech show, underway now in Las Vegas, much of the hype involves Matter, an open-source connectivity standard built around a shared belief that smart home devices should seamlessly integrate with other systems and be secure and reliable. If you like devices, you are probably among the 66% of households that have smart home devices, according to Deloitte. We also know you don't just stick with one company or brand, but probably have purchased from at least half a dozen different companies. That's why for any company launching a smart home device this year, having Matter support will be helpful. Not only is the protocol being developed by some of the biggest tech companies -- think Apple, Amazon and Google -- and smart home device makers, it is designed to finally fix the issues around fragmented smart home systems so that all of your devices can be easily set up and routed from one place.

Matter, the open-source smart home standard that promises to unite Amazon's, Apple's, and Google's smart home platforms, is one of the most exciting developments that we're tracking in the smart home space. Now comes word that most Amazon Echo speakers will receive firmware updates enabling them to support Matter. The announcement, made during Amazon's Alexa Live developer conference today, means that almost all Alexa-powered Echo devices will be able to control Matter-enabled smart products, a development that will give the upcoming standard a major boost. All current and many legacy Echo speakers will get the Matter update, Amazon says. Indeed, only three older Echo speakers won't work with Matter: the first-generation Echo and Echo Dot speakers, as well as the Amazon Tap, a long-discontinued portable Bluetooth speaker with Alexa on board.