The invention of Matter was a grand kumbaya moment for the smart home. Built on the foundations of almost every concept smart home companies had dreamed up — from Apple’s HomeKit to Google’s Thread — the idea was to create a new technology on top of existing ones. One common standard to make it easier for manufacturers to build smart home devices and easier for people to use them, no matter which smart home platform they use.
Technology
Z-Wave is remaking itself to find a new place in your smart home
But one protocol was left out of the party: Z-Wave, which is widely used in home security systems and embraced by the smart home enthusiast community. It was the latest example of Z-Wave getting left behind as the consumer smart home world explodes in popularity — and the latest reason to question whether the once-thriving standard still has a future.
Conceived in the late 1990s, Z-Wave is one of the original solutions for connecting IoT devices. It’s a local, RF-based wireless communications technology that relies on a central hub or gateway to talk to the cloud and other protocols. But that reliance on a hub is part of why it’s fallen out of fashion. You rarely see Z-Wave in mass-market smart home devices because other standards can connect straight to the internet. It was also a closed protocol, limited to one chip manufacturer, which could have driven up prices.
But in the five years since Matter launched, Z-Wave has been quietly reinventing itself. The once closed protocol is now open source. There’s a new version — Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) — that addresses a common limitation of the smart home by extending the range of devices like locks, lights, and sensors. Perhaps more importantly, the Z-Wave Alliance is now working on the structure and framework needed to bridge Z-Wave devices into Matter.
Today, Z-Wave is at a critical turning point. Apple, Amazon, Samsung, and Google are all-in on Matter, and Z-Wave isn’t present in any of those companies’ flagship products. If the standard is going to survive, its creators need to show it has a purpose that other protocols simply can’t match.
What is Z-Wave, and why should I care about long range?
Even if you’ve never heard of Z-Wave, it might be in your home. A mesh-based protocol focused on interoperability, reliability, privacy, and security, Z-Wave radios are found in most home security systems, including Amazon’s Ring, and smart home hubs from companies like Home Assistant, Aeotec, Hubitat, and Homey.
Z-Wave was embraced early on by the home security industry, including ADT, Vivint, Alarm.com, and others, which saw its security, baked-in interoperability, and backward compatibility as a way to allow customers to integrate smart home devices with their company’s proprietary security systems. It’s also the only UL-listed smart home protocol, a requirement for devices integrated into a security system.
”Everybody puts a Z-Wave chip in their security panel.”
“Every residential security system in the US, except one, uses Z-Wave,” says Avi Rosenthal, chair of the Z-Wave Alliance board of directors. “From your big Honeywells, ADTs, and Rings, all the way down to your little Alulas, everybody puts a Z-Wave chip in their security panel. The only exception is SimpliSafe.” Rosenthal says that by some estimates, Z-Wave is in 40 million homes in the US; there are also over 100 million Z-Wave devices in the wild worldwide.
Despite its sizable footprint, Z-Wave remains a niche protocol. Its reliance on a hub makes it less accessible to casual users accustomed to plug-and-play Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices. And as a mesh network, multiple devices or repeaters are needed to ensure a stable connection, which can be an issue if you just want to install one door lock or light switch.
Z-Wave Long Range addresses some of these limitations. Introduced in 2020, and now beginning to appear in products, ZWLR extends range up to 1.5 miles line of sight — four times standard Z-Wave — and replaces mesh with the ability for all devices to connect directly to the hub, not to each other.
This should reduce failures caused by weak mesh networks or limited range. And, as all Z-Wave devices have to be backwards compatible, ZWLR can exist alongside Z-Wave mesh devices on a hub, as long as it supports both.
For smart home manufacturer Zooz, ZWLR has been a game changer. “Now we have ultra-reliable connectivity with unparalleled range,” says Agnes Lorenz, a VP at Zooz. Its direct hub-to-device communication means no need for repeaters, making existing devices more reliable and expanding the possibilities around outdoor devices, like motion sensors, leak detectors in the attic, and garage automation. “Now we can more easily automate things that are hard to access,” she says
Adoption is starting to ramp up, with over one hundred ZWLR-certified devices now on the market. Zooz transitioned its entire lineup to ZWLR, Shelly is also using the protocol, and the Z-Wave Alliance is working on expanding it to Europe. Just last month, Kwikset introduced two new long-range smart locks.
“This is one of the most compelling Z-Wave updates,” says Joshua Hodgson, product marketing manager at Kwikset. “Over a mile range versus 300 feet for standard mesh means connectivity challenges are no longer an issue.”
But does Z-Wave Matter anymore?
Even as the tech improves, Z-Wave’s biggest problem is that relatively few direct-to-consumer companies are implementing it in their devices.
While manufacturers such as Kwikset, who have used the protocol for years, still see Z-Wave as vital despite Matter’s rise, the fact is that there are very few “fun” Z-Wave gadgets out there. Much of what does exist are simple, utilitarian devices like sensors, lights, switches, and locks. There hasn’t been a splashy new Z-Wave product in years, and if you are looking to start a smart home with Amazon, Apple, or Google hardware, Z-Wave is just not part of the equation. That doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon.
However, there is a hope for Z-Wave’s future in a Matter world. While Z-Wave’s reliance on a hub has arguably been its biggest barrier to adoption, Matter’s initial promise of a hub-free world hasn’t materialized. Matter controllers are essentially hubs, as are Thread border routers — both are necessary to use Matter devices. The smart home has come back around to the idea that you need a small computer somewhere in your home to run your devices. If these hubs must exist, why not include Z-Wave?
“Ultimately, it’s all about consumer choice,” says Jeff Sandoval of Kwikset. With Matter sparking renewed interest in smart homes, the idea of a universal hub to unify devices is gaining traction (again). Many advanced smart home hubs — including Homey, Home Assistant, and Hubitat — support both Z-Wave and Matter, but they remain niche. To survive, Z-Wave needs to co-exist with Matter and find its way into mainstream consumer products like smart speakers.
One strategy is to bridge Z-Wave devices into Matter ecosystems like Apple Home, Home Assistant, and Amazon Alexa, similar to how Philips Hue, Ikea, and Aqara are bridging devices to Matter. While bridging has been part of the spec since Matter launched, Rosenthal says it’s not been possible to certify a Matter Z-Wave bridge.
“There are plenty of silicon solutions available today, but nothing has been ‘blessed’ by both alliances,” says Mariusz Malkowski of Trident IoT, the newest Z-Wave chipmaker, which also manufactures chips for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee. “We want to simplify the process for manufacturers to make a commercial product to support both Z-Wave, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter.”
While some Z-Wave-compatible hub manufacturers have found ways to connect Z-Wave and Matter devices in their ecosystems, there’s no official way to integrate them, meaning there’s no simple, straightforward way to use Z-Wave devices in mainstream Matter ecosystems.
“Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.”
The Connectivity Standards Alliance tells The Verge that it welcomes the Z-Wave Alliance’s efforts here. “We are happy to see efforts to make the adoption of Matter easier for manufacturers and consumers, including simpler ways to bridge devices to Matter,” says the CSA’s Daniel Moneta. Rosenthal says the Z-Wave Alliance is actively working on certification parameters and rules to define a standard Z-Wave to Matter bridge for its members.
Once this standard is released, adding Z-Wave devices to Matter ecosystems will become simpler. Manufacturers will just need to add a software stack to their hubs that, as long as it contains a Z-Wave radio, could bridge Z-Wave devices connected to the hub to any Matter platform, including Apple Home and Google Home.
The benefit is that if Z-Wave devices integrate with Matter, it will help bring Matter’s ambition of “one smart home standard to rule them all” closer to reality. That would both strengthen Matter’s position in the industry and give Z-Wave a compelling reason to stick around. “So that, to the consumer, everything magically works,” says Malkowski.
Z-Wave isn’t a threat to Matter. With the majority of the smart home industry behind it, Matter still has plenty of momentum despite some early stumbles. However, without support from Matter, Z-Wave could become obsolete. Maybe not anytime soon, but the possibility exists. Bringing Z-Wave into Matter would be better for everyone — manufacturers and smart home users alike.
In the meantime, Z-Wave is pushing forward with its reinvention, hoping to find its role in this brave new world. Its new long-range capabilities, shift to an open-sourced standard, and finally having more than one silicon vendor make this a much easier path. As Rosenthal puts it, “Reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.”
It’s the world’s worst kept secret that Nvidia is about to announce its own Arm-powered laptop chips at Computex this weekend, and now Microsoft, Nvidia, and Arm are all openly teasing the announcement. The Windows and Nvidia GeForce accounts on X both posted “A new era of PC” earlier today, and now Arm has followed up with an identical post.
All three posts include coordinates pointing to where Computex is hosted in Taipei. Nvidia is holding a Computex keynote in Taipei at 8PM PT / 11PM ET on Sunday night, where it’s rumored to be announcing its new N1 and N1x laptop chips.
These Arm-powered Nvidia processors have been long-rumored, with reports earlier this year suggesting that both Lenovo and Dell have been preparing new laptops with the N1X chips. We first heard rumors about Nvidia’s laptop processors in 2023, and Dell CEO Michael Dell hinted at the possibility of an AI PC with Nvidia during an interview in 2024.
Nvidia’s entry into Windows on Arm will mean Qualcomm will no longer have an exclusive license for Microsoft’s Windows 11 Arm variant of its operating system. That’s good news for laptop competition, even if Qualcomm is trying to keep entry-level laptops affordable with its new Snapdragon C platform.
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Hyundai wants to bring humanoid robots into American car factories in a big way. The company is looking at a future where Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robots work alongside people inside U.S. auto plants.
These human-shaped machines can bend, lift, balance and move through spaces built for workers. That could change how cars get made. It could also raise new questions about factory jobs, safety and how much automation consumers are willing to accept.
Here’s what Hyundai is planning and why Atlas could become one of the most closely watched robots in American manufacturing.
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BMW PUTS HUMANOID ROBOTS TO WORK BUILDING EVS
Hyundai Motor Group plans to bring Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robots into U.S. auto factories as early as 2028. (Hyundai)
Hyundai Atlas robots are headed to U.S. factories
Hyundai Motor Group reportedly outlined plans to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas robots developed by Boston Dynamics across Hyundai Motor and Kia manufacturing facilities. The plan appeared in investor relations materials tied to a JPMorgan Chase-hosted session.
The company also plans to build annual production capacity for 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028. Hyundai has not released a detailed public schedule for every plant. However, Kia CEO Song Ho-sung said the robots are expected to begin work in 2028 at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia. Kia’s Georgia plant would follow in 2029.
Why Hyundai wants Atlas humanoid robots
Hyundai faces the same pressures as other automakers. It needs faster production, flexible factories and better ways to handle labor shortages. Humanoid robots may help because they can work in areas designed for people. That can reduce the need to rebuild a factory from scratch.
Atlas could also help with physically demanding jobs. Lifting, carrying and moving awkward objects can wear down workers over time. If robots take on some of that work, factories could become safer. Still, this technology will need careful oversight. A humanoid robot working near people must move predictably and stop safely when something goes wrong.
INDUSTRIAL EXOSKELETONS HELP WORKERS DO MORE WITH LESS STRAIN
Hyundai’s robot rollout could reshape auto manufacturing while raising questions about jobs, safety and automation. (Hyundai)
How Boston Dynamics trained Atlas to lift
Boston Dynamics recently showed Atlas handling a heavy object in a new technical demo. The robot squatted down, picked up a mini-fridge, rotated its torso and carried the object while keeping its balance. The company says Atlas learned this behavior through reinforcement learning and simulation training. In simple terms, the robot practiced in a computer world before testing the skill in real life.
Engineers changed the object’s weight, floor friction, grip force and placement during training. That helped Atlas learn how to adapt when conditions changed. That is important because factory work rarely happens in perfect conditions. Parts shift. Floors vary. Workers move around. Loads can feel different from one moment to the next. Atlas needs to react in real time, not freeze when a task changes.
What makes Atlas different from older robots
Many robots rely heavily on cameras. Atlas also uses proprioception, which means internal body awareness. That may sound technical, but the idea is easy to understand. When you carry a grocery bag and the weight shifts, you feel it. Your body adjusts before you think about it.
Atlas uses sensors and software to do something similar. It monitors balance, grip pressure, resistance and body movement as it works. Boston Dynamics says the new Atlas platform also helps reduce the gap between simulation and real-world movement. The robot uses a simplified hardware design, symmetrical limbs and only two actuator types.
Actuators are the robot’s joints and muscles. Hyundai reportedly plans to make more than 300,000 actuator units each year at U.S. facilities. That shows Hyundai wants control over the parts that make humanoid robots move.
Hyundai Atlas robots raise job questions
The biggest concern is obvious. What happens to workers when thousands of humanoid robots enter factories? Companies often say robots will take on dull, dirty or dangerous tasks. That may be true in many cases. However, workers will still want clear answers about training, staffing and job security.
The rollout could create new roles in robotics maintenance, safety monitoring and factory software. It could also reduce the need for some physically demanding jobs over time. That trade-off will follow Hyundai’s robot plan closely. The company will need to show that Atlas improves factory safety and productivity without pushing workers aside without support. For now, Hyundai has not provided enough public detail to answer those workforce questions fully.
HUMANOID ROBOTS HANDLE QUALITY CHECKS AND ASSEMBLY AT AUTO PLANT
Hyundai reportedly plans to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas robots across Hyundai and Kia manufacturing facilities. (Hyundai)
What this means to you
This story may sound like it only affects autoworkers or car companies. But it could eventually touch anyone who buys a car. If humanoid robots help factories move faster, automakers may adjust production more quickly when demand changes. That could affect wait times for popular models.
Robot-assisted manufacturing could also influence vehicle costs. Automation can lower some production expenses, although savings do not always reach buyers right away. The bigger shift may be trust. Consumers may soon ask how much of their vehicle was built by humans and how much was handled by robots. That does not automatically make the car better or worse. But it does change the story behind how that car reached your driveway.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Hyundai’s plan to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots in the U.S. marks a major shift for auto manufacturing. This is one of the clearest signs yet that humanoid robots are moving from demos into real industrial work. The Georgia rollout will be especially important. If Atlas performs well at Hyundai and Kia facilities, other automakers may feel pressure to speed up their own robotics plans. Still, the hard part starts on the factory floor. Atlas must work safely around people, handle unpredictable tasks and prove it can do more than impress in videos. The technology is exciting. The job questions are real. Hyundai now has to prove that both can be managed responsibly.
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Would you feel better buying a car built with help from humanoid robots, or would you wonder who got pushed off the factory floor? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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The Acer Nitro Blaze Link might run on Linux, but it’s no Steam Deck. Acer says it’s a “streaming-first handheld and companion device,” like a PlayStation Portal for your PC. Announced ahead of Computex on Friday, it’s launching in Q4 2026 with a 7-inch (1920 x 1200) display, Wi-Fi 6, just 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 8GB of eMMC storage. That’s technically not even enough RAM to run Stardew Valley, but the Blaze Link isn’t meant for playing games locally.
Logitech launched a similar handheld a few years ago, the Logitech G Cloud, that cost $350, included 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and ran on Android. It was a tough sell at that price considering that its performance was dependent on a good internet connection.
Acer hasn’t yet announced a price for the Nitro Blaze Link. But its specs suggest it could cost significantly less than proper handheld gaming PCs — which have been skyrocketing in price — potentially offering a more affordable and streaming-first alternative.
Correction, May 29th: The Nitro Blaze Link was announced ahead of Computex 2026, not at it.
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