Lutron has simplified the control of your smart home, allowing you to do so without using your phone.

      Smart home voice control typically involves purchasing an additional speaker or hub. However, Lutron and Sonos have discovered a more straightforward solution: utilizing the speaker you likely already own.

      If you've lost track of how many remotes and apps you manage just to dim a light or skip a track, I have some good news for you. Lutron has introduced a new shortcut for its Caseta smart home collection, allowing you to control lights, shades, and Sonos playback with just your voice.

      For those unfamiliar, Caseta is Lutron’s DIY smart lighting system. It operates via a small hub that communicates with switches, dimmers, and plugs using a radio signal rather than Wi-Fi, which simplifies the overall management. While Lutron has partnered with Sonos for some time, voice control was the missing element—until now.

      So, how does this update impact you?

      By saying “Hey Sonos,” you can control everything from your Caseta lights and shades to your music, all without needing to interact with an app or reach for a switch.

      This development fills a peculiar gap: the two systems have been connected for years, but voice interaction was never included until now. In addition to simple commands, this collaboration allows you to create combined presets for adjusting lighting, window shades, and music at once.

      Moreover, you can automate your system to react based on your arrivals or departures (using the smartphone app). To set this up, link all your devices in the Lutron app, go to the Integrations menu, and activate “Sonos Voice Control.”

      Is there a downside?

      The main limitation is that voice commands are only functional with Sonos speakers that have a built-in microphone. Therefore, older models without a microphone won't be able to utilize this feature. Nonetheless, every device in the Caseta range, including switches, dimmers, and plugs, supports voice commands.

      For those starting from scratch, Lutron's starter kits remain budget-friendly. The basic Smart Switch Kit is priced at $94.95, while both the Smart Dimmer and Lamp Dimming Plug kits are available for $99.95. The paddle-style Diva Dimmer Kit is priced at $119.95. Each kit includes the Smart Hub necessary for voice control to function.

      For over five years, Shikhar has been adept at distilling advancements in consumer technology and making them easier to understand…

      The best smart home gym equipment

      Discover the connected fitness gear that is worth your investment.

      Today, the typical workout doesn’t just start with the first rep. It begins with the data you've already gathered. Smartwatches monitor your sleep and heart rate, smart rings assess recovery, and some fitness enthusiasts even utilize continuous glucose monitors to gain insight into how their bodies react to training and nutrition. Smart home gym equipment builds on this basis, merging connected devices with AI-driven coaching, adaptive resistance, and long-term progress tracking to translate health insights into more effective workouts.

      Smart fitness has greatly expanded beyond streaming workout sessions. The latest equipment can automatically adjust resistance as you increase your strength, evaluate your performance over time, and integrate with the health devices you already have. Some even employ AI to suggest workouts tailored to your goals and training history, enhancing the personalization of each session. If you're contemplating whether investing in connected fitness aligns with your lifestyle, take a look at our guide on whether a smart home gym is a worthwhile investment.

      An easy recommendation for anyone seeking a cordless vacuum that is genuinely user-friendly.

      With two young children and two dogs, my floors put vacuums to a daily test under real-life conditions. Constant crumbs, pet hair, dirt tracked in, and more create an ongoing need for cleaning. The Tineco Pure ONE Station 5 Pro effectively addressed these issues for me. It can operate for more than an hour and a half on a single charge, and its base station dustbin has a larger capacity than many conventional upright vacuums I've tested.

      My smart home experiment has reached its natural limit.

      While smart-home technology continues to evolve, the ease of automation doesn’t inherently make everything worth automating.

      The first device I integrated into my smart home was a light bulb; it felt like the safest starting point. I could control it from anywhere, set schedules, and eventually incorporate it into routines with other devices.

      Then I pressed the button in the app and waited. The delay was just half a second, but that brief wait becomes quite noticeable compared to a wall switch that responds instantly and has never required a firmware update. Using my phone was even less convenient; I had to unlock it, locate the app, navigate to the appropriate room, and then tap the light which I could have turned on much more quickly with a switch.