Technology

Z-Wave is remaking itself to find a new place in your smart home

Published

11 months ago

April 4, 2025

Z-Wave is remaking itself to find a new place in your smart home

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.

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.

ZWLR devices connect directly to a hub up to 1.5 miles line of sight, whereas Z-Wave mesh devices rely on repeaters or other Z-Wave devices to connect to the hub.

Image: Silicon Labs

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.

How non-Matter protocols can co-exist with Matter through bridging.

Image: Silicon Labs

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.”

Technology

Samsung’s Digital Home Key lets you use your phone as your key

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Samsung’s Digital Home Key lets you use your phone as your key

Just days after showing off the Galaxy S26, Samsung is finally rolling out the ability for users to unlock their home with a tap of their phone or by simply approaching their door. The new feature, called Digital Home Key, will live inside Samsung Wallet and is powered by the Aliro smart home standard.

Samsung first teased its Digital Home Key feature in 2024 and said the feature would be available in 2025. That didn’t pan out, as the CSA’s Aliro standard — which will let users unlock smart locks with any phone — only arrived in February of this year. The new standard uses near-field communication (NFC) for its tap-to-unlock technology. It also supports ultra-wideband (UWB), giving users the ability to unlock their door as they approach and without pulling out their phone.

To add a Digital Home Key to your wallet, you’ll need to set up a compatible smart lock through SmartThings using Matter. Only some Galaxy smartphones support both NFC and UWB, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and up, as well as the Galaxy S22 Ultra and up. You can view the full list of compatible devices on Samsung’s website.

Technology

China’s ultrasound brain tech race heats up

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

China’s ultrasound brain tech race heats up

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

When you hear “brain-computer interface,” you probably picture surgery, wires and a chip in your head. Now picture something quieter. No implant. No incision. Just sound waves directed at the brain.

That is the approach behind a new wave of ultrasound brain-computer interface companies in China. One of the newest is Gestala, founded in Chengdu with offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The company says it is developing technology that can stimulate and eventually study brain activity using focused ultrasound.

Yes, the same basic technology is used in medical imaging. But this time, it targets neural circuits.

Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Brain imaging highlights the regions researchers study as companies explore noninvasive ultrasound brain-computer interface technology. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What is an ultrasound brain computer interface?

Most brain-computer interface systems rely on electrodes that detect electrical signals from neurons. Neuralink is the most visible example. It places tiny threads inside the brain to record activity. Ultrasound works differently.

Instead of measuring electrical signals directly, it uses high-frequency sound waves. Depending on intensity and focus, those waves can:

Create images of internal tissue
Destroy abnormal tissue such as tumors
Modulate neural activity without open surgery.

Focused ultrasound treatments are already approved for Parkinson’s disease, uterine fibroids and certain tumors. That clinical history gives companies like Gestala a foundation to build on. However, studying or interpreting brain signals with ultrasound is far more complex than delivering targeted stimulation.

WHAT TRUMP’S ‘RATEPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE’ MEANS FOR YOU

Unlike implant-based systems such as Neuralink, ultrasound brain computer interface research focuses on stimulating the brain without surgery. (Neuralink)

How Gestala plans to treat chronic pain with focused ultrasound

Gestala’s first product is focused on chronic pain. The company plans to target the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region linked to the emotional experience of pain. Early pilot studies suggest that stimulating this area can reduce pain intensity for up to a week in some patients. The first-generation device will be a stationary system used in clinics. Patients would visit a hospital for treatment sessions. Later, the company plans to develop a wearable helmet designed for supervised use at home. Over time, Gestala says it wants to expand into depression, other mental health conditions, stroke rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s disease and sleep disorders. That is an ambitious roadmap. Each condition involves different brain networks and clinical hurdles.

Can ultrasound read brain activity without implants?

Like other brain tech startups, Gestala is also exploring whether ultrasound could help interpret brain activity. The long-term concept is straightforward in theory. A device could detect patterns linked to chronic pain or depression, then deliver stimulation to specific regions in response.

Unlike traditional brain implants, which capture electrical signals from limited areas, an ultrasound-based system may have the potential to access broader regions of the brain. That possibility is one reason researchers are paying attention. Still, translating that concept into reliable data is a major engineering challenge.

The global race to build noninvasive brain interfaces

China is not alone in exploring ultrasound brain-computer interface systems. Earlier this month, OpenAI announced a significant investment in Merge Labs, a startup cofounded by Sam Altman along with researchers linked to Forest Neurotech.

Public materials from Merge Labs mention restoring lost abilities, supporting healthier brain states and deepening human connection with advanced AI. That language signals long-term ambitions. Yet experts caution that real-world applications are still years away.

GOOGLE DISMANTLES 9M-DEVICE ANDROID HIJACK NETWORK

Researchers use MRI guidance to precisely target the anterior cingulate cortex with focused ultrasound during chronic pain studies. (Gestala)

The technical limits of ultrasound brain interfaces

Ultrasound faces technical limits. First, the skull weakens and distorts sound waves. That makes it harder to obtain precise signals. In research settings, detailed readouts of neural activity have required special implants that allow ultrasound to pass more clearly than bone.

Second, ultrasound measures changes in blood flow. Blood flow shifts more slowly than electrical firing in neurons. That delay may limit applications that require fast, detailed signal decoding, such as real-time speech translation. In short, stimulation is one challenge. Accurate readout is another level entirely.

What this means to you

Right now, this technology is experimental. You are not about to buy a brain helmet at your local electronics store. Still, the direction matters. If noninvasive ultrasound devices can reduce chronic pain or support mental health treatment, more patients may consider therapy without facing brain surgery.

At the same time, devices that analyze brain states introduce new privacy questions. Brain-related data is deeply personal. Regulators, hospitals and companies will need clear rules about how that data is stored, shared and protected. Finally, the link between AI companies and brain interface startups shows how closely digital intelligence and neuroscience are becoming intertwined. That connection could reshape medicine, wellness, and even how we interact with technology.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Kurt’s key takeaways

Brain-computer interfaces used to feel far off and experimental. Now they are a serious focus of global research and investment. China’s push to develop an ultrasound-based brain-computer interface adds momentum to a field already shaped by companies like Neuralink and new ventures backed by OpenAI. Progress is steady but measured. The potential is significant. The technical hurdles are real. What happens next will depend on whether researchers can turn promising lab results into safe, reliable treatments people can actually use.

If sound waves could one day interpret your mental state, who should decide how that information is used? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

This Windows gaming handheld has a screen that folds in half

Published

24 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

This Windows gaming handheld has a screen that folds in half

Lenovo put a foldable display on a gaming handheld. The Legion Go Fold Concept is a Windows-based handheld with a flexible POLED display, detachable Joy-Con-like controllers, and a folio case to turn the whole thing into a mini laptop.

You can use it as a standard Steam Deck-esque handheld with the display folded down to 7.7 inches and controllers attached at its sides, or you can unfold it for a bigger experience. When unfolded, the controllers can be repositioned to all four sides, allowing you to play with the screen in vertical or horizontal orientations.

In vertical splitscreen mode, you can put your game on one half of the screen and a second window (like your chat or game guide) on the other half. Horizontal fullscreen mode gives your game the full 11.6 inches of real estate in a 16:10 aspect ratio. To go into laptop mode, you remove the controllers and mount the handheld into a folio case with a stand, built-in keyboard, and trackpad. The controllers can be put into a separate grip mount to unify them as one gamepad.

There are a lot of ways you can use this folding handheld, including turning one of its controllers into a vertical mouse like on other Legion Go handhelds, but there’s one thing it doesn’t do: fold down to close and protect its screen. The Go Fold only folds outwards, so don’t expect a Nintendo DS or GameBoy Advance-like clamshell that closes for portability. Instead, it’s all about getting bigger than your average gaming handheld and offering more. (Though we’ve tried bigger before.)

The Legion Go Fold has some formidable specs: an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Lunar Lake processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 48Whr battery. The plastic-covered OLED has a resolution of 2435 x 1712 and 165Hz refresh rate. And there’s even a second, circular toushscreen on the right controller, under the face buttons. It doubles as a touchpad and can be a support display, allowing you to swipe between extracted UI elements from a game (which I wouldn’t expect to be widely supported), a clock, system monitoring, or an animated GIF (just for fun).

During my brief in-person demo I didn’t get to play any graphically-intense games — just Balatro, which can practically play on a potato. The screen looked plenty sharp, but like any foldable there’s a crease down the middle; it’s very visible, but you learn to look past it and ignore it after just a bit. The build and feel of the whole thing felt a little fragile, and detaching and reattaching the controllers was definitely janky. Build quality will hopefully be improved if this device ever actually makes it to market.

The laptop mode was a pleasant surprise for me though. I did not expect a gaming handheld to double as a conventional computer you could get work done on. The Legion Go Fold’s case took quite a bit of fumbling before I set it up correctly, but it shouldn’t take too long to get used to if you actually lived with it.

Then again, I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to live with this thing — ever. I’d love for the Legion Go Fold to go from concept to real product like other out-there Lenovo ideas, but I shudder to think what it might cost. The Legion Go 2 is already priced well over $1,000. And with the ongoing RAMageddon crisis we’re living through, there’s no telling how much more expensive an actual Legion Go Fold would be if it came out in a year or more.

But even if it’s not the kind of foldable I expected, and even though it may never come out, it’s certainly cool. Now somebody please make a folding PC handheld that goes from kinda-big to really small. I think that’d be the one for me.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge