Smart bulbs, robot vacuums, thermostats, refrigerators, and even dishwashers are all among the smart home categories accounted for in the Matter standard that’s supposed to break down the walls between smart home brands. Security cameras, on the other hand, were one of the biggest categories left out of the party—until now, that is.  The Connectivity Standards Alliance, the consortium behind Matter, has announced that security cameras are finally part of the Matter specification, which smart home device manufacturers follow to ensure their products play nice with each other.   In addition to security cameras, Matter 1.5 adds support for soil sensors (used in conjunction with smart sprinkler systems to prevent unnecessary irrigation) while refining the way it handles closures such as smart window coverings, garage door openers, gates, and other controllable barriers. The updated Matter specification also includes new energy management functionality that, among other things, takes even tariffs into account (more on that in a bit).  But it’s Matter 1.5’s consideration of security cameras, which has been sorely missing until now, that’s the big headline here, and it’s a development that will help the standard fulfill its promise as the glue that binds Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and other key smart home ecosystems together.  Of course, as with all things Matter, some expectations need to be set. Just because Matter 1.5 supports security cameras doesn’t mean you can immediately peer through your Nest Cam’s viewfinder via the Apple Home app. The big smart home players must first roll out Matter 1.5 support across their respective platforms, and device manufacturers must make their cameras compliant with the new specification. All that’s going to take a while—think months, not weeks or days.  The good news is that the CSA believes most “modern” security cameras, including video doorbells, floodlight cameras, and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) models, can be retrofitted to work with Matter via software updates. Again, though, it’s up to manufacturers to decide which of their existing cameras will get Matter updates.  It’s also worth noting that Matter will only be able to handle some security camera functions, not all of them.  Broadly speaking, users with Matter-enabled security cameras will be able to view their live camera feeds on their various Matter controller apps, and they’ll also be able to control pan-tilt-zoom motors as well as configure motion and privacy zones.  But for now, the Matter specification doesn’t deal with storage of event videos, meaning if you want to play back a recorded video clip, you’ll still need to fire up the camera manufacturer’s app.   Matter also won’t handle on-camera AI object detection, such as for people, pets, vehicles, or cards, so it won’t be able to trigger automations based on such detection.  Even with limited support, though, the addition of security cameras to the Matter specification is a big step forward for the standard, and it’s possible that Matter will gain support for additional security camera features in the future.  As mentioned previously, Matter 1.5 is also adding a “refined and unified approach” to closures such as window shades, drapes, awnings, gates, and garage doors, complete with a “simplified, modular cluster design” that will let manufacturers use “building blocks” to specify motion types such as “sliding,” “rotating,” and “opening,” as well as closure configurations like “single-panel,” “dual-panel,” and “nested mechanisms.”  Matter 1.5’s soil sensor support will work together with Matter-enabled water valves and irrigation systems to aid in automated watering and plant-health monitoring. Finally, Matter-enabled home solar systems and other power-related devices will be able to incorporate pricing, tariff, and carbon data from utilities and grid operators, provided the data is delivered in a Matter-friendly format.  This article is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best security cameras. Read...

Peer Software enhances data orchestration with new features in PeerGFS and PeerIQ, boosting storage compatibility, analytics, and security for hybrid and multi-cloud use. Read...

TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Windows 11 Pro together for just $44.97 (MSRP: $418.99) for a limited time. If you’ve been putting off upgrading your PC, this bundle makes the decision easier than ever. For just $44.97, you can lock in a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Microsoft Windows 11 Pro — two tools that can completely change how your computer performs. Office Pro 2021 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, all redesigned with modern features to help you create documents, crunch data, or put together presentations more efficiently. No subscription fees, no renewals. Pair that with Windows 11 Pro, Microsoft’s sleek, secure, and productivity-focused operating system. With features like snap layouts, enhanced security tools, and Copilot — the built-in AI assistant that helps draft emails, summarize content, or even generate quick code suggestions — it’s a serious upgrade for entrepreneurs, remote workers, and anyone trying to extend the life of their current machine. Pick up this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and Microsoft Windows 11 Pro bundle while it’s just $44.97 (MSRP: $418.99) for a limited time. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro BundleSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

AWS unveils Kiro AI coding assistant with a new IDE, CLI tools, and features to boost code quality and collaboration for developers and teams. Read...

Zoho has revamped Zoho One, enhancing collaboration with unified AI features, improved integration, and a new user-centric interface across 50 apps. Read...

If you’ve been itching to upgrade your 21-inch or even 27-inch monitor to something bigger, or if you need a new monitor for that dazzling new mini PC you just ordered, then you should absolutely check out this Acer Nitro 34-incher that’s on sale at Best Buy. It’s currently half off, down from its original price to an insanely affordable $210! View this Best Buy deal The Acer Nitro ED340CUR is a superb budget gaming monitor, with its 34-inch diagonal and crisp 21:9 ultrawide 3440×1440 resolution. You’ll have a ball with this display whether you’re gaming or streaming media, especially the former with its 120Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. Though not exactly top-tier in specs, it’s a true bargain when you can snag it at this low of a price. Seriously, it’s only $210! This Acer monitor has a gentle 1500R curve for reduced eye fatigue as it wraps around your vision, plus HDR10 for excellent contrast despite its VA panel. Other nice features include AMD FreeSync Premium for reduced frame stutter, a 100×100 VESA mount to put it on a monitor arm, and double HDMI plus DisplayPort as connection options. Monitors in this range normally sacrifice something big, like sticking to 21-inch or 24-inch sizes or lesser refresh rates, but more importantly you just won’t find a 1440p ultrawide at this price. This is your chance to get it for just $210 at Best Buy with this early Black Friday deal! Save 50% and score this 34-inch 1440p ultrawide for an insane priceBuy via Best Buy Read...

Gemini for Home has only been working on Google’s Nest smart speakers for a month, and users are still getting used to what costs extra and what doesn’t. But Gemini surprised some Google Home users recently when it suggested an upsell for an old Google Assistant feature that should be free.  A Gemini for Home user complained on Reddit that Gemini on their Nest Mini speaker declined to give a definition of a word, saying instead that “Live conversations are only available if you buy the Premium subscription.”  Now, it is true that Gemini Live, the freewheeling conversational mode that allows you to have back-and-forth chats with Gemini, requires a paid subscription.  Specifically, you’ll need to pay $10 a month for Google Home Standard, which also includes 30 days of video history for Nest cameras, intelligent camera alerts, the AI-enhanced Gemini for Home assistant, and the ability to create Google Home automations using natural language queries. (There’s also a pricier tier that we’ll get to in a minute.)  But during its big Gemini for Home reveal in early October, Google promised that any standard duties previously performed by the soon-to-be-legacy Google Assistant would still work for free, and that includes defining and translating words.  Luckily, a Google rep joined the chat (as reported by Android Authority) with an explanation:  We are aware of an issue where Gemini for Home incorrectly states that a subscription is required for certain translation and definition queries. We are working on a fix as soon as possible and will provide an update once it rolls out. Thank you for your patience.  Phew!  Still, the kerfuffle underlines Gemini’s growing pains as it makes its way to Google’s smart speakers, as well as the lingering confusion over what’s free and what costs extra for Gemini for Home users.  Google has previously warned users that Gemini for Home might behave in unexpected ways, such as forgetting what was said in previous chats or allowing recent banter to affect its subsequent responses. And yes, Gemini for Home is prone to hallucinations, as are all other LLMs.  Then there’s the fact that a fair number of Gemini for Home features cost extra, while the vast majority of Google Assistant’s functionality was free. Aside from the aforementioned Google Home Standard, there’s also the $20-a-month Google Home Advanced tier, which adds AI-generated descriptions to Nest Cam video events and serves up a Gemini-composed “Home Brief” that summarizes key smart home events of the past 24 hours, among other features.  This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers. Read...

Hammerspace launches version 5.2 of its Data Platform, boosting AI and HPC performance, expanding cloud support, and enhancing security features across environments. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Excellent stand with plenty of ergonomic adjustment Great color performance Good motion clarity with up to 210Hz refresh rate Cons HDMI ports limited to 144Hz No USB connectivity Limited contrast ratio Our Verdict The KTC 27M1 is a good choice if you want a do-it-all budget monitor that’s solid for both gaming and productivity. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: KTC 27M1 Retailer Price $229.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Buying a budget gaming monitor (or any budget monitor!) isn’t easy, as you face literally hundreds of displays with nearly identical specifications. The KTC 27M1 manages to stand out from this crowd with several unusual features. It’s not perfect, but it’s a good choice if you want an inexpensive do-it-all monitor. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best gaming monitors for comparison. KTC 27M1 specs and features The KTC 27M1 is a 27-inch gaming monitor with a 2560×1440 resolution. It also supports a refresh rate up to 210Hz alongside Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, and G-Sync. In short, the display specifications cover everything I’d expect from a budget gaming display, and then some. Display size: 27-inch 16:9 aspect ratio Native resolution: 2560×1440 Panel type: Fast IPS-LCD Refresh rate: 210Hz Adaptive sync: Yes, Adaptive Sync, FreeSync, G-Sync HDR: Yes Ports: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x 3.5mm headphone Audio: 2x two-watt speakers Extra features: Ergonomic stand, headphone hanger, shielding hood Price: $229.99 retail However, the KTC 27M1 expands its appeal with several added features. It has a headphone hanger and a display hood (though the hood isn’t perfect, as I’ll discuss in a moment). The ergonomic stand also provides more adjustment than most available at this price. Speaking of price, the KTC 27M1 retails at $229.99 on Amazon, which is competitive. Less expensive monitors are available but typically stick to 1080p resolution and/or a lower refresh rate. Most 1440p monitors with a 180Hz to 240Hz refresh rate retail for $180 to $250. KTC 27M1 design The KTC 27M1’s design seems typical at first glance. It’s primarily made from matte-black plastic and includes a few subtle design flourishes, including a silver strip on the rear with “Key to Combat” engraved on the right side. It’s all rather normal for an inexpensive gaming monitor. However, a few oddities stand out. The stand is slightly slanted away from the user. That’s a bit odd, but it actually has an advantage. This design places the monitor slightly further away from the user, which is handy if your desk is narrow. The stand also has a clicky swivel operation with a wide range of operation (60 degrees in either direction) and a carrying handle. Matthew Smith / Foundry The monitor has a hood, too—kinda. A display hood is a shield that attaches to the top or sides of a display. It’s normally meant to reduce ambient light on a display so that the image looks brighter and more accurate. And that’s kind of true here, too, except that the hood is missing the top. It still does reduce ambient light a bit, but I’m a bit puzzled why the top of the hood is absent. Getting back to the stand, it’s great. The base is small and flat, yet the stand offers a wider range of ergonomic adjustment than most monitors. In addition to up to 120 degrees of swivel it also offers 40 degrees of tilt and150mm of height adjustment. It can pivot 90 degrees into portrait orientation, too. Most competitive monitors also offer ergonomic adjustment, but the 27M1 moves more than most. A 100x100mm VESA mount is also available for use with third-party monitor stands and arms. Oh, and the rear of the monitor includes a headphone hook. It feels flimsy but it does the job. The KTC 27M1’s stand is great — it’s small and flat and offers a wider range of ergonomic adjustment than most monitors. KTC 27M1 connectivity KTC’s unusual yet arguably advantageous choices continue with the monitor’s connectivity. It has two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports for a total of four video inputs. Most budget monitors only have two or three video inputs. It’s not all good news, though. The HDMI 2.0 ports only support a refresh rate up to 144Hz at 2560×1440. To be fair, it’s likely those ports will be used with game consoles, which don’t exceed 144Hz anyway. The monitor also has a 3.5mm headphone jack. There are no USB ports, though, which is a minor disappointment. A USB 2.0 port is included but only used for firmware upgrades. KTC 27M1 menus Like most monitors, the KTC 27M1 has a joystick tucked around the right flank for navigating the on-screen menus. It’s responsive and easy to reach, though the same is true with other monitors. The menus are well-labeled and have a bold, high-contrast font that I found easy to read. The menu system provides an acceptable range of image quality options. These include four precise gamma presets, though the color temperature presets only target vague labels such as “Warm” and “Cool.” The monitor also has six-axis color saturation calibration. The monitor has an sRGB color gamut preset, but doesn’t offer a preset for AdobeRGB, DCI-P3, Rec.709, or other common color gamuts. Matthew Smith / Foundry There’s also a typical range of gaming features such as an on-screen crosshair, timer, and FPS counter. A 4:3 aspect ratio mode is available, too. While the on-screen menu system is good, the KTC doesn’t have a Windows or MacOS app that can be used to control the monitor’s features. That’s a feature that better-known brands, such as Alienware and Asus, can offer. KTC 27M1 audio The KTC 27M1 has a pair of 2-watt speakers but, as is usually true for a monitor (at any price), they’re not great. They aren’t loud even at maximum volume and have a thin, tinny sound. The speakers are fine for listening to a podcast, perhaps, but not a good fit for gaming. KTC 27M1 SDR image quality The KTC 27M1 has a 27-inch IPS-LCD display with a resolution of 2560×1440…and those specifications actually don’t say much about the monitor’s image quality. IPS-LCD displays can vary a lot in brightness, color, and contrast. So, how does the KTC 27M1 perform? Matthew Smith / Foundry KTC comes out guns blazing with a maximum SDR brightness of 535 nits. That’s a huge level of brightness and, frankly, way too bright for most situations. However, if you need a monitor to use in a very bright room, the KTC 27M1 could do the trick. The monitor also has an anti-glare finish to reduce glare. Unfortunately, the brightness is also a downside. Why? Because the monitor’s minimum brightness dips no lower than 85 nits. That might be too bright if you use the monitor in a very dark room. Matthew Smith / Foundry I measured a maximum contrast ratio of 1520:1 at 50 percent of maximum brightness, and that contrast ratio was consistent at different brightness settings. A contrast ratio of 1520:1 is good for a budget IPS-LCD display. The monitor’s black levels are noticeably elevated, though, so the display suffers the “IPS glow” problem which causes dark scenes to look hazy and gray. However, as the graph shows, the same is true for other IPS monitors in this price bracket. The Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 deserves special mention due to its much higher contrast ratio. That’s thanks to the monitor’s Vertical Alignment (VA) panel, a type of panel that has better contrast and is the second most popular option, after IPS, for a budget monitor’s display panel. However, as the other graphs show, the Legion falls short in some other areas—so there’s a bit of a give and take. Matthew Smith / Foundry The KTC 27M1 offers a healthy color gamut that comes in at 100 percent of sRGB, 94 percent of DCI-P3, and 89 percent of AdobeRGB. While this isn’t top-tier performance in 2025 (many monitors can hit 95 to 98 percent of DCI-P3 and 90 to 95 percent of AdobeRGB), this is a good level of performance for a budget monitor. It’s also enough to make games look vivid and saturated. Matthew Smith / Foundry Color accuracy brings more good news, as the KTC 27M1 delivered a frankly shocking level of color accuracy. While color accuracy is generally great even among inexpensive IPS-LCD displays, the KTC 27M1 stands out with top-tier color accuracy performance. That’s not to say the image quality is perfect. I measured a default gamma of 2.3, which is off the target of 2.2 (and this was in the monitor’s gamma 2.2 mode). Color temperature was also way too high at 7700K, off the target of 6500K. Using the Warm color temperature mode only lowered the result to 7100K. So, if you prefer a warm image, you’re likely going to need to do some additional software calibration. Sharpness is fine but not exceptional. The monitor’s 2560×1440 resolution works out to about 110 pixels per inch. Obviously, that’s not as pixel-dense as a 4K monitor, which provides about 163 pixels per inch. At this price, though, 1440p is a fine resolution. It’s also a good fit for gaming, in particular, because 4K resolution is much more demanding on GPU hardware than 1440p. While it has oddities, such as the unusually high minimum brightness and rather cool color temperature, the KTC 27M1 offers good SDR image quality overall. It is strongest in color performance and accuracy but also provides exceptional brightness. I was rather pleased with the image quality in most situations, as it struck me as vivid and alluring. KTC 27M1 HDR image quality The KTC 27M1 can display an HDR signal, but HDR is not promoted in the monitor’s marketing, and the monitor lacks VESA DisplayHDR certification. It’s no surprise, then, that the monitor’s HDR leaves a lot to be desired. HDR scenes look a bit brighter than in SDR, but the monitor lacks both the brightness and contrast to provide the extra detail HDR is supposed to offer in bright portions of a scene. The color gamut also isn’t wide enough to handle HDR content correctly. However, the same is true of all budget monitors. You’ll need to spend more on an OLED or Mini-LED monitor, such as the Acer Predator X34 X0, if you want good HDR performance. KTC 27M1 motion performance The KTC 27M1 can reach a refresh rate of 210Hz with overclock, or 200Hz without. That’s an unusual number, but I didn’t notice anything unusual about the monitor’s motion clarity. The 210Hz refresh rate can provide excellent fluidity in fast-paced games and leads to a responsive, immediate feel. Keep in mind, however, that the maximum refresh rate is only available over DisplayPort. HDMI is limited to 144Hz. The monitor also supports Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync, and Nvidia G-Sync for smooth frame pacing. It worked as expected in my testing with an AMD Radeon 7800 XT. This is table stakes for a gaming monitor, though. KTC provides an enhanced pixel response time mode, which boosts clarity but can also cause distracting artifacts and an over-sharpened look. It also has an MPRT mode that inserts black frames between regular frames to reduce motion blur. One downside of MPRT is that it reduces perceived brightness by roughly half, but the KTC’s extreme brightness means that isn’t really an issue. With that said, MPRT is something of an acquired taste, as it can create a “double image” effect. While the KTC 27M1’s overall motion performance won’t win awards, it’s solid for a budget gaming monitor. Fast-paced games look reasonably crisp and details are usually legible, though fast text or tiny interface elements (like HP bars) can be a bit hard to discern. It’s a big leap from any 60Hz display and competitive in the budget gaming monitor arena. Should you buy the KTC 27M1? While it’s not the best pick for every game, the KTC 27M1 has good image quality and unique features that help it stand out. Like most IPS-LCD monitors, the KTC 27M1 has a modest contrast ratio and has trouble handling dark scenes. The 27M1 also lacks USB connectivity and doesn’t have a software utility for controlling monitor options. Yet the KTC 27M1 strikes back with an excellent stand that has a wide range of ergonomic adjustment, a total of four video inputs, and strong color performance. It has a display hood, though it only covers two sides of the monitor. I think the KTC 27M1 is a particularly good choice if you want a do-it-all budget monitor for gaming and work. It offers the ergonomic adjustment and color accuracy shoppers might look for in a budget content creation monitor alongside enhanced motion clarity and fluidity. Read...

Official support for Windows 10 was discontinued last month, but despite that, there are features from the older OS that are still missing from Windows 11. One such feature? The detailed calendar view in the taskbar. Fortunately, this one’s coming soon! Microsoft announced during yesterday’s Ignite 2025 presentation that it will be adding a new “Agenda view” to the taskbar calendar that helps you streamline your day and prepare for meetings. The Agenda view will give you a quick chronological overview of upcoming events in your calendar, and you’ll be able to hop into meetings directly from this new view. Windows Insiders will be the first to get access to the Agenda view starting in December. Microsoft did not mention when the feature is expected to come to the general public. Read...