Smart Home

Users apparently can’t adjust the brightness on the new Nest Learning Thermostat, leaving the display too dim at times. Fortunately, it seems a fix is on the way, as Google has told 9to5Google that it will soon roll out a way to adjust brightness.

Google’s new, fourth-gen Nest Learning Thermostat finally launches today and is up for sale at retailers like the Google Store, Best Buy, and Amazon.

The $279.99 Pixel Watch-looking smart thermo comes with a new temperature sensor, Matter support, and AI for helping learn your preferences. Check out our initial hands-on from Jen Tuohy.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.

The SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10 Plus Pro ($600) arrives today with better navigation, more suction power, quieter operation, and increased corner cleaning ability over the K10 Plus.

The Plus is my current pick for a robot vacuum for small spaces. Its small self-empty dock and compact size make it great for a home office or small apartment. I’ll be putting the new model to the test soon.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.

Nic Splattstoesser, who repairs common 2018 HomePod issues, demonstrates the process in a video spotted by 9to5Mac.

Restoring the first HomePod, which wasn’t possible before now, involves connecting a custom USB adapter to a hidden debugging port on the bottom of the device. Splattstoesser credits David Syskalczyk and tihmstar with figuring out how to pull it off.

Google’s design chief, Ivy Ross, says, “I think it took a lot of courage to reimagine its design because when it launched, it was really the start of a new era where smart home devices weren’t just functional but beautiful, too.”

The Nest was no headphone jack, though. While the original brought beauty to home tech, precious few companies followed suit. Maybe this “courageous” new version will be the trendsetter.

The $50 FP1E is a wired sensor that can detect presence through movements as minimal as breathing, so your lights don’t shut off just because you’re sitting still.

It's a streamlined version of the $70 Aqara FP2, lacking features like zone positioning but still offering the precision of mmWave motion detection. The FP1E communicates over Zigbee, so requires an Aqara hub.

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.

Level, Chamberlain, Moen, Aqara, and Lutron are just some of the manufacturers the publication reports lack a dedicated way for security researchers to flag vulnerabilities — meaning a malicious hacker could potentially take advantage of a flaw before the company knows about it.

Check out the full report to see who’s on the naughty list — and who made the nice list.

The MS600 uses a combination of the super-precise radar tech, PIR, and light sensors to detect small movements, such as breathing, as well as general motion and light levels.

The sizeable sensor works over Wi-Fi and is powered via USB-C. It’s Matter-compatible, so works with Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and more. It’s available for preorder now at meross.com.