Smart home devices are getting more common, and more households are inviting everything from smart assistants to internet-connected thermostats and appliances into their homes. Why? According to a survey sponsored by Home Depot, the growth is primarily being driven by children and security.

Amazon announced a whole bunch of new devices Thursday, from updates to its line of Echo speakers to all-new products like the AmazonBasics Microwave and Smart Plugs. Most of the devices aren't available quite yet but if you head over to Amazon, you can pre-order them—and just might get a bonus.

During Amazon's wild day of new product announcements, the company managed to sneak in an upgrade to a product made by the recently acquired Ring. Amazon revealed an update to the Ring Stick Up Camera that includes a new body design and an improved, 1080 HD camera to livestream any action caught on cam.

Nest Hello can identify faces that appear at your door, making it great at stopping unwelcome guests from entering. But in this case, it was a little too good at its job. The smart doorbell's camera mistook a man's Batman T-shirt for an intruder and locked him out of his own home.

Amazon's checkout-less convenience store, Amazon Go, is now open in Chicago. It's the first of the stores not located in the company's home city of Seattle. The stores feature a high-tech system that allows shoppers to simply "grab and go" without having to stop at a checkout.

You probably don't give much thought to the air you're breathing, but you should. You consume it all day long, so it better be safe. Alea's Air, a smart vent system that uses sensor-filled vents and machine learning, will make sure that your air quality is superb in every room of your home.

There are more than 50,000 Alexa skills that allow Amazon's popular voice assistant to perform all sorts of tasks. Now, the company is planning on killing off those skills -- or at least the need to install them. Alexa will eventually be able to find skills that fit a person's request all on her own.

It's been three years since Dyson introduced the 360 Eye robot vacuum, but it's back and better than ever with a new update. The Dyson 360 Huerist vacuum has an upgraded processor that improves its performance and a new LED lighting system that allows it to better navigate in the dark.

Apple’s HomePod may have been lean on features at launch, but it continues to improve via software updates, and the upcoming HomePod OS 12 is bringing some interesting new features like support for multiple timers and the ability to make and answer phone calls. The update is available September 17.

Voice assistants are designed to respond to any request humans give them, but it doesn't mean they like it. When Amazon's Alexa is asked to play the irritatingly catchy kid's song Baby Shark, the artificial intelligence issues an epic rant about how it doesn't like playing the tune.

The smart home appliances in your house might not just be convenient for you -- they could be tools for cyber-attackers as well. Researchers at Princeton warn that hackers could hijack unsecured connected devices and turn them into a botnet that could take down power grids.

A startup called Brilliant is suggesting that the future of smart home control isn't rooted in any device but rather in tech users themselves. The company's long-anticipated smart home panel, which promises easy installation and offers voice control over all kinds of connected devices, is now available.

There are few things worse than discovering a mess on the toilet seat that you didn't make. Whether it's a reckless adult or a child learning how to use the toilet, Whizz Bang believes it can keep the seat clean by turning bathroom visits into a game by giving people something to aim at.

The unique, all-in-one coffee maker from Bonaverde handles every part of the coffee-making process. It roasts, grinds, and brews the beans in the same machine. Now, thanks to user feedback, the company has improved the machine to expand its offerings. It can be used with any type of coffee bean.

Bixby is often forgotten amid the voice assistant field dominated by Alexa and Siri. Samsung is hoping to fix that by adding support for third-party developers to create apps for the A.I. assistant. Samsung will soon release developer kits that will allow Bixby to be integrated into other apps and services.

If you've ever caught yourself talking to inanimate objects, you're in luck. Now they'll respond -- assuming they're made by GE or Electrolux. Smart appliances from the companies are getting new functionality that will make them respond to voice commands through Google Assistant.

If you're purchasing smart speakers on the secondary market, security experts warn that you could run into added privacy risks, such as hackers bugging the devices to listen in on your conversations. And because the attack isn't software based, simply undergoing a factory reset won't protect against it.

Smart home company Eve introduced three new products at IFA 2018 that aren't all that sexy but are designed to make your home smarter. The company announced an internet-connected light switch, light strip, and power strip — all of which feature Apple HomeKit compatibility.

You don't need hanging light fixtures and lamps to light up your room. The Nanoleaf Canvas modular lights can be layered on your wall in any pattern to create a unique lighting experience that places you in total control of your lighting environment. The product made its debut at IFA 2018.

Setting up a smart home security is typically expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Kangaroo, a New York startup, is setting out to bring down the cost of keeping your home safe by introducing a new line of internet-connected motion sensors that start at $30 per sensor.

Getting your Amazon Prime subscription could also mean getting your kids to develop good reading habits from a young age. Amazon's Prime Book Box is a subscription service that delivers curated books specifically for kids. It's now available to all Amazon Prime subscribers.

It's easy for dirt and grime to settle in unexpected places. According to home expert Bob Vila, there are 10 places in your house that are dirtier than the rest, and some might surprise you. According to the list, a number of your favorite pieces of tech are likely dirtier than you think.

Amazon is paying employees to say nice things on Twitter about working in the company's fulfillment centers following reports of poor working conditions. The "FC Ambassador" accounts all share a standardized format and make similar, positive comments about working for Amazon.

Facebook turns ten tomorrow, but today it reinvented its image with Paper. The social network and news reader hybrid is available for iOS devices.

Looking for a new browser? WebNote is a browser meant for sharers. Part web navigator, part social network, WebNote streamlines the sharing process.

The Ravens and 49ers meet in the Super Bowl this weekend to determine who is the best team in the league, which means there has to be a winner and a loser. In this week's mobile news recap, we'll take a look at some of the winners and losers in different areas of the mobile world.

While Thursday was all about being thankful, the rest of the weekend is all about regretting that you ate so much. If you're just waking up from a food coma, you may have missed Jolla's Sailfish OS, Google skipping December, and Instagram's record setting day. Don't worry, we've got it all and more in the weekly mobile wrap.

The chat room is getting revived. Bindle is bringing back group chats with modern flairs like GIFs, emojis, hashtags, and @mentions.

Curious what mobile projects are coming out of SXSW? We have a round up of all the projects, apps, and devices that will debut in Austin.

With football season upon us, we round up the best tailgating apps so your can get your chilling, grilling and winning on without a hitch.

The HTC One M8 is the latest and greatest handset from HTC, but that doesn't mean it's without problems. Here are some of the most common issues and fixes for the handset.

With the holiday shopping season almost upon us, HTC is helping you get an early start by sharing a Hot Deal every Tuesday for the next few weeks.

Rest in peace two-year contracts on Sprint. You will be missed by no one. The service provider is doing away with contracts in favor of monthly fees.

It's hard to keep track of everything that happens in the tech world. We compiled a list of the top 10 tech stories: Samsung's Galaxy View and more.