MacRumors reported that when the virtual assistant receives the voice command “What time is it?” Siri failed to answer, and directed people to their paired iPhone, with the response: "I found some web results, I can show them if you ask again from your ‌iPhone‌." 

The publication then reported that Apple appears to have fixed the issue, but Siri still can’t answer similar questions such as “Can you tell me the time?” and “What’s the time?” 

We’ve not encountered such issues ourselves, but HomePod-based Siris (or should that be Sirai?) have reportedly been stumbling over other commands, like being asked to turn off smart lights in a particular room. Such bugs and virtual-assistant slip-ups aren’t uncommon, but this report further cements the idea that Siri isn’t the smartest assistant in the virtual box. 

Silly Siri needs some clever chops 

While I use an iPhone 15 Pro Max, I almost never use SIri, preferring to bark commands or queries at the Google Assistant in my Nest Hub and other smart devices. And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

This fact, and now these time-telling troubles, tell me that it’s time Siri got a real upgrade in smarts. Sure, Apple products and software are pretty slick, but the folks at Cupertino appear to have been dragging their heels when it comes to making clever virtual assistants and adopting generative AI.

I’m not super-keen for Apple to go the Google route and make generative AI front and center to its devices, as the search giant did with its Google Pixel 8 series; I’d rather go for natural-looking photos than ones that have been heavily manipulated by clever algorithm. But I do feel that Siri isn't fit for purpose right now, and a little more seamless integration of AI into Apple’s various software platforms could be a boon to users, without raising fears of a robotic uprising.

With new iPads likely to be just around the corner at Apple’s Let Loose event on May 7, and WWDC 2024 coming not long after, we should get a glimpse at what Apple plans to do with generative AI, and what type of smart tools could be integrated into the likes of macOS, iOS, and the rumored iPhone 16.

The silver lining to all this, at least in my mind, is that when Apple does turn its hand to a segment of the technology world it’s a little late arriving to, it tends to do a very good job of integrating said tech into its devices and platforms. So my hope is that Apple will make smart use of generative AI so that it's genuinely useful to future iPhone users, rather than a gimmick to tout how smart algorithms can be.

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Simply boot up your Homey app, tap the plus icon in the top right corner of the My Home tab, and tap New Mood. You can then select the lights you want to include, set the ambience you prefer by altering the color and brightness of your smart bulbs, and then save your custom setup. Alternatively, you can select one of Homey’s many preset Moods if you aren’t sure where to start.

Moods have gone live today for both the Free and Premium Homey service, as well as Homey Pro (2023 model) with the Homey Pro v11.0 and the Homey app v8.2 updates.

If you own an older Homey Pro hub then you won’t be left out forever, as Homey has said that the option to unlock Moods will be arriving later this year for a one-time purchase of €10 (around $10 / £9).

Isn't this already a thing?

We know what you’re thinking – this kind of mood lighting control has been a common feature for smart lights for a while, so why is Homey’s announcement important? Well, the advantage of Homey’s version of the feature is you can sync up your mood settings across different smart bulb brands with one command. 

Let's say your living room is kitted out with a mixture of Philips Hue, Nanoleaf and Govee lights – all of which feature on our best smart lights guide. Rather than having to manually set the bulbs in their individual apps (or with three separate voice commands) you can simply use your Homey hub to set everything at once.

Those of you with a lot of smart home tech can take things one step further with a Flow which would incorporate a wider array of devices. One example Homey gives in its press release is “Movie Time,” this Mood may not only dim your living room’s lights, but automatically close your curtains and switch your TV on.

This kind of improved third-party hub controls make it easier to justify not sticking with one smart home brand just because that's the first product you bought. You can pick up the smart gadgets that best suit your needs and not have to worry about losing out on synergy because you’ve decided to mix and match.

In our eyes, that's a big win, and we hope that Homey's service only continues to improve in the future.

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Except now they can. Global tech brand Beatbot has gone full Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and made a robot cleaner designed for your swimming pool. The AquaSense swims around and sucks up dirt, leaves and other debris, so you don't need to mess around scooping it up manually. 

Just like your regular indoor robot vacuum cleaner, it'll map the area it needs to clean – but here it's a bit more impressive, because it's a 3D space. It'll scrub the pool floor, then scale the walls like an aquatic Spider-Man. If you opt for the 'Pro' version, it'll even bob along the water surface and scoop up any debris floating there, too.

The internal tech uses AI and smart sensors to create a route across the pool floor, as well as up and down the walls and across the water's surface, with obstacle avoidance to ensure it can navigate effectively around your inflatable flamingo (or similar flotation aid of choice). This smart bot also distributes water-clarifying agents as it goes. Once it's done, it'll park up ready to be retrieved – either on the wall at the waterline (regular version) or on the water surface (Pro version).

Sure, keeping a pool clean isn't an issue that everyone has to worry about, but if you do, this sure does seem like a minimum-effort solution. And although it's certainly not cheap, it's not as expensive as you might expect for a swimming robovac – at ticket price the standard version costs $1,299 – and if you head to Amazon US, there's $200 off now. (It's currently only seems to be available in the US, but that works out at around £1,040 in the UK or AU$2,000 in Australia.) That's only slightly more than the Dyson 360 VisNav, and that guy can't even doggy paddle.

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According to a Ring representative, you can control how the motor turns via the official app. Ring believes the indoor cam is a great pick for business owners who want to see multiple angles from one location, and for people who want to keep tabs on their pets.

It also sports several features seen on other Ring models (and competing devices like Psync Camera Genie S). Whenever the Pan-Tilt camera detects someone moving in front of the lens, it’ll notify you through your smartphone via real-time motion alerts. Owners can then talk to the other person (or yell at their dog to get off the couch) thanks to Two-Way Talk since the device houses a built-in microphone and speaker for communication. Additionally, you can minimize the live video feed through Picture-in-Picture mode so you can watch while you browse the internet on your phone.

Covering your blind spots

Ring technically has a motorized camera already available. The Stick Up Cam Battery can be equipped with a special Pan-Tilt mount giving similar panoramic capabilities although this new model stands out in multiple ways.  For starters, it has a wider range of motion; the mount can only move up to 117 degrees vertically. Second, the Pan-Tilt camera has a privacy shutter. Flipping it closed automatically disables video recording and audio connectivity. You can also tweak the device’s privacy settings through the Ring app.

When asked about other notable features, Ring's representative confirmed that the Pan-Tilt cam supports color night vision and needs to be connected to an outlet. It doesn't allow battery packs. The overall package includes a 10-foot-long USB-A to USB-C Power Cable with an accompanying adapter.

Subscribing to a Ring Protect plan unlocks extra features such as Multi-Cam Live View. This lets you watch up to four different Live View streams from other Ring cameras on your smartphone or tablet.

Pre-orders for the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam are currently live in the US with a $79.99 price tag on Ring’s official website and Amazon. The shipping date for the device differs on whatever color you get. Your standard Black and White models will begin shipping out on May 30. But deliveries for the Starlight white, Charcoal gray, and Blush pink options won’t start until June 12.

For those in the UK and Australia, the Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera will be available to buy for £69.99 / AU$129 from May 31. If you're interested in other options, check out TechRadar's list of the best home security cameras for 2024.

Update 5-1-2024: A company representative told us three of the color options (Starlight white, Charcoal gray, and Blush pink) will not be available on June 12; however they didn't give us an exact date. All they told us is that the other three "will be available soon."

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• See all Philips Hue deals at Amazon UK

The best value bundle and a great buy if you want to dip your toe into the world of smart lights is this Philips Hue Bulbs (2-Pack) + Philips Hue Bridge for £79.99 (was £144.98). Not only does this bundle sit at a record-low price, but it comes with a pair of white and colour bulbs, plus the Bridge that you need to connect them to so you can customise your lights through the Hue app. You can also sync them with other smart home devices that use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

If it's LED strips you're after, then you might want to consider this Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus v4 + Philips Hue Bridge at Amazon for £92.99 (was £116.45). This bundle has been £10 cheaper before, but this is the lowest price since Black Friday for the colourful and flexible smart lighting option. You get 2m of lights, adhesive tape to secure it to any surface, and a connector should you wish to cut the strip down to a smaller size and reuse the excess elsewhere.

Check out more info on these two options below, as well as other Philips Hue lights on sale such as standing lights and extension kits.

Today's best Philips Hue deals at Amazon

If you want to read more before you hit that buy button then check out our very positive Philips Hue review that praised the ease of use, great customisation options and handy app experience. I've also dropped a few more of today's best smart light deals below so you can compare them to everything available now.

The Govee T2 is one such lightstrip that I wish I’d bought a few months ago, but instead I bought the Nanoleaf 4D. The Nanoleaf 4D LED lightstrip is still a great product, and the way it mimics colours on the screen which are then projected onto the wall behind, has proven to be far more immersive overall than the LG G3 OLED alone that I watch my movies on. 

The Nanoleaf 4D relies on a single camera positioned above the TV (it can also be installed below the screen) to ‘see’ what’s being displayed so it can mimic the colours as they’re cast onto the wall behind the screen. The Govee T2 meanwhile has two camera lenses, one for each side of the TV, meaning it should be more accurate when it comes to colour reproduction. And right now, it’s hit its lowest Australian price ever on Amazon, thanks to a 40% discount at Amazon,

My Nanoleaf 4D is still a great backlight, but I have noticed on occasion that the colour of light being projected onto the wall behind isn’t accurate – it sometimes projects green when the image on screen is actually black. I can’t be entirely sure if this is due to the single camera not being able to see the entire screen effectively, or if the software just isn’t as capable as I expected. 

Because the Govee T2 has two camera lenses and 60 LED lights per metre, it should prove to be more accurate. We haven’t reviewed the Govee T2 here at TechRadar, but our colleagues at GamesRadar have, and they found it to be a genuinely useful and immersive upgrade for gaming sessions in particular. User reviews on Amazon are strong too, and it currently holds a 4.5 rating out of five based on over 2,000 reviews.

What also seems to be apparent is that the Govee T2 lightstrip uses a strong adhesive to stick to your TV, and it has additional clips to ensure it stays in place. 

I’ve always been interested in the Govee T2, but its regular price of AU$229.99 was too expensive for me, which is why I went for the more affordable Nanolead 4D. But now Amazon has slashed 40% off its price, it could be one of the wisest investments you ever make for your home cinema. 

• For more Amazon deals and discounts, check out our round up of the latest Amazon coupon codes

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The Nanoleaf Skylight is an alternative indoor lighting solution that can provide everything from strong white lighting to subtle mood lighting in whatever brightness or color you desire, and easily sits among some of the best smart lights. The simple square panel design belies the true nature of the device, which reveals itself once it’s brought to life in brilliant technicolor via the app or PC/Mac software. 

It’s not all sweetness and light though. The installation is a bit more involved than the usual Nanoleaf ‘stick the LEDs onto something and plug them into a power outlet’ scenario. 

The main panel is the same as any other ceiling light, in that it’s hardwired into the lighting circuit. If you have experience installing traditional light fittings, you shouldn’t find it too challenging, but, as always, get a professional to install it if you’re at all unsure; this is dangerous work.

Once the lights are up and running, you can control them with the free Nanoleaf software for PC, Mac or phone app, and it soon becomes apparent just how flexible the system is. I put it through its paces for a couple of weeks and its performance impressed me. I can see a broad range of uses within my home, but the cost seems prohibitive and I did have a fair few teething issues. So, is it worth the asking price? Read on.

Nanoleaf Skylight review: price and availability

• List price: starts at $249 / £229 / AU$469 for a three-light starter kit. Other options include;
  • Expansion pack (1 panel): $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.99
  • Starter kit (6 pack): $459.96 / £418.61 / AU$609.90
  • Starter kit (9 pack): $669.93 / £623.64 / AU$889.90
  • Starter kit (12 pack): $879.90 / £828.66 / AU$1,309.90
• Available in the US, UK and Australia 

The Nanoleaf Skylight was released in February 2024 and the starter kit is available for $249 / £229 / AU$469 directly from Nanoleaf’s US, UK and Australian websites and Amazon. 

The starter pack consists of one main unit, which is wired directly into the mains electricity, and two expansion panels. Larger kits are available from Nanoleaf consisting of six, nine, and twelve lights, and there’s also a single-panel expansion pack. 

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Specs

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Design

• Minimalist and unobtrusive (when they’re off)
• Modular design allows for a multitude of configurations
• Unique ceiling-mounted lighting system

Anyone who enjoyed playing on the Atari 2600 in the 70s will get a kick out of the look of these lights. I like the pixel-esque aesthetic and would love to create some huge ceiling icons with a 9x9 square - if only it were possible to control the color for each square individually. I mean, who wouldn’t want a 2.7-square-meter Space Invader or Pac-Man on their ceiling? Unfortunately, that would set me back approximately £5.5k and 1300 Watts, so this vision will forever be a dream.

The combined equal depths of the housing and diffuser are nicely proportioned to the 300 x 300 face but I’m not completely sold on its shiny surface. Maybe a matt finish wouldn’t diffuse the light so well or look any better, though.

The cable management inside the units is well-designed but a little fragile. Each side has two cable routing holes that allow for some more interesting offset configurations if you don’t just want a symmetrical layout. The rubber bungs for these holes can be left in situ as the cables can be passed through slits in them. 

Little features like this make it feel like Nanoleaf spent a great deal of time and effort getting the hardware design right, but then rushed the component selection and software testing. I’ll cover this in more detail in the performance section. 

As is the running theme with this review, the Nanoleaf Skylight’s design is akin to the troubled second album by your favorite band. You buy the record because you love what they do but feel they have let you down.

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Installation

If you skipped over the one-minute review, I will reiterate: if you have experience installing traditional light fittings, you shouldn’t find it challenging, but, as always, get a professional to install it if you are unsure.

Your existing wiring will likely be too inflexible to follow the path to the connectors in the Skylight and it only requires two wires. The rest of the wiring must be out of the way above the ceiling. I replicated the connections within the existing light fitting and increased the size of the hole in the ceiling to do this. 

The next hurdle is the rather poor installation instructions, which erroneously show the plasterboard self-drilling fittings as being screwed through the housing, for example. In reality, the fittings should screw directly into the ceiling and the screws should go through the housing and into those fittings. I say “should screw directly into the ceiling” as during my installation, two of the supplied fittings broke off in the ceiling before I gave up with them. 

Fortunately, I had some more robust metal fittings to hand, which saved the day. To be fair, my ceiling is ‘mature’, and perhaps drilling a 4mm guide hole first would have reduced the mortality rate of the plastic fittings. There are, however, plenty of other inaccuracies in the installation instructions, which add to the confusion. If these instructions were a cake, the missing ingredient would be “care”.   

A bit more wiggle room in the screw holes would also be of benefit as screwing or drilling into a ceiling is prone to error unless you are Spider-Man. Usually, fittings have a combination of horizontal and vertical slots that allow for errors made during drilling or screwing. I’d also recommend ensuring that someone is available during installation to provide placement directions, as it’s not easy to get things straight on a ladder facing upwards. 

Once the primary unit is up, the others are very straightforward. I found it much easier to install the data wires (the short wires with square connector blocks at the ends) between the light units first, and then push through the power wires. Alternatively, the rubber grommets can easily be removed but they may be needed at a later date, should you want to move or reconfigure the lights. Routing the cables between the lights is made easier by the numerous clips built into the unit for this purpose, but, as I learned when I managed to break one, they are a little fragile.

After restoring power at your dwelling’s fuse box and flicking on your light switch at the wall, the Skylight will initially come on at low brightness. It will then increase in brightness to signify that it’s ready to pair with the Nanoleaf app.

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Performance

The first thing that struck me about the Skylight was how much light it gives off. If you sometimes need a bright, even white light while assembling something or taking things to bits, this light is your friend. It’s reminiscent of old-school fluorescent lighting without the irradiation and mercury poisoning. 

The Skylight can, of course, emit any color you wish, but be warned that the color is not uniform across the surface of the diffuser. Inevitably, though, you will need to address the elephant in the room – the Nanoleaf app.  

In previous reviews of Nanoleaf products, I’ve described the Nanoleaf app as “wayward”. Perhaps I am just unlucky, but every time I add a new Nanoleaf product to my network there is a period of chaos. Some of the mayhem may be due to the many and varied devices that I have, and the synchronization between the home automation systems and their cloud accounts. Whatever the root cause, there will be a couple of days of rebooting, deleting, and adding devices until everything works again. The app will invariably have a different view of reality, which may or may not change depending on whether you look at it. Schrödinger’s app.

The sense of frustration was further compounded by the hardware itself misbehaving. I had a period where the light was flickering when set to white light at full power. Following this, the unit then point-blank refused to switch on even after I removed the face plate to press the reset button. Flash forward to the time of writing, I can’t replicate the flickering and it has behaved itself consistently for a few days. 

It’s like having a cat on your ceiling; you ask it to do something and it will ignore you, show you its backside, and walk away. Schrödinger’s app and cat… On the plus side, the supplied scenes are good, you can create your own or use scenes created by others, and these can all be synchronized and used in Apple Homekit. You could avoid using the Nanoleaf app altogether, but you would miss out on firmware and app updates. It’s a necessary evil. 

I have spent many hours with the Nanoleaf app thanks to one of my favorite bits of kit, the Nanoleaf 4D. I was looking forward to using Sync+ to extend the screen colors to the Skylight but, no, it does not work. So, I have two products that support Sync+ but do not support each other… right. 

Not to worry, as Nanoleaf should be applauded for developing a desktop app for both PC and Apple Mac (both Intel and Apple Silicon), which offers screen mirroring. The screen mirroring via the desktop app is a great idea and works well with the 3-pack starter kit laid out in a straight line, but I do wonder how the app would know if you have offset your units in a stepped layout. It also didn’t work with all of the games I tried. I wanted to watch a film via Apple TV+ while mirroring the screen to the Skylight, but the Mac was unhappy about sharing. Thank you, Apple. 

It’s a similar state of affairs with the rhythm feature – a great idea but it falls at the last fence. You can select which source the sound is coming from, but that doesn’t seem to work as well now as it did when I first received the device. Having said that, it is good enough and as I write the Skylight is gently pulsing color along to the music. Wonderful.

Unlike dumb lights, the best smart lights offer a host of control options but that’s not always a boon with wired lights like the Nanoleaf Skylight. When the Skylight has been powered off at the wall, it will take about a minute to appear online within your home automation system or the app when you flick the switch on again. 

Normally that’s not an issue with smart lights, but the problem with the Skylight then becomes the almost imperceptible little ticking noise that the skylight makes when it has power but is not on. It’s akin to Chinese water torture and drives you nuts after a while. I’d strongly recommend using one of the best smart switches for easier control and happier ears.

On top of all this is the lack of Matter support and no built-in thread border router as promised at CES 2023. I like Nanoleaf, I like its ideas and that it makes these feature-rich products happen, but a simple thing like testing could make them so much better. 

Nanoleaf Skylight: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

The Nanoleaf Skylight is, as far as I’m aware, a unique product, so it is difficult to find a direct equivalent. Here are some alternatives if you want to dip your toe into smart lighting, but don’t want to give it the full beans.  

Nanoleaf Skylight: How I tested

• I used the Skylight for work and play for over a month.
• I tested the PC/Mac application on both platforms where possible. 
• I controlled the device from both the Nanoleaf iPhone app and Apple Homekit.

I installed the Skylight in the room where I spend the majority of my time during the dark winter months. I tried to understand what each feature within the application does and how reliable/repeatable they are. Any inconsistencies were investigated but I have yet to find any form of event logging to help me understand exactly what it thinks it is doing.

I powered down my whole house to simulate a power cut to see how it would recover and also rebooted the Wi-Fi router and other devices in my smart home setup at various points.

I kept a log of any updates to the versions of the applications and the device’s firmware. I avoided using Beta versions of the application.

For the majority of the time it performed as expected but it is not bulletproof.

Evidence for this comes from a deep-dive into the latest version of the Google Home app by 9to5Google. It uncovered mentions of a "Nest Hub Max" sitting alongside reference to the current Nest Hub Max, along with a mention of "Nest Audio" that bears the same name as the 2020 Google Nest Audio smart speaker. 

Given these speakers are a good few years old, it’s not surprising that Google may be eyeing them up for a refresh. Although capable, we've seen a slew of newer audio devices creating increased competition – Google will need to bring something fresh to the table in order to ensure it retains its spot on on our best smart speakers list.

And there’s the kicker. There isn't exactly a deluge of rumors suggesting what the next-gen Nest speakers and hubs could come with in terms of features and upgrades. As 9to5Google points out, ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity would seem like one obvious addition to aid in the 'handoff' of audio from one device to another. And we'd bet on there being improved audio features and streaming options, too. 

However, with Google going big on generative AI – as seen with the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro – it’s likely that some of these smart features will come to new Nest hardware. We’d expect things like smart transcription – say when you’re cooking a new recipe and discussing what ingredients you’re using, but want to avoid touching a phone or notepad – in addition to smart translation features.  

Features like the ability to smartly pull together an agenda or come up with a plan for a week based on one’s calendar and verbal requests could also play a role in generative AI on a new Nest Hub and Nest Audio speaker. 

This is all speculation, of course, and Google could simply release mild updates of the two Nest devices with precious little changed from a user’s perspective. We’ll probably have to wait until at least mid-May before we hear more. 

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Plants and trees take carbon monoxide from the atmosphere. That’s common knowledge, but given the amount of pollutants we produce, both outdoors and in our homes, plant life can only do so much to clean our air. However, the bioengineering firm Neoplants has a new idea – and it may change the way you feel about houseplants and their air-cleaning capabilities.

This week, the French company launched its first product: Neo Px. It’s not technology in the traditional sense. In fact, almost all of it is organic or reclaimed. Inside a home, you might be challenged to even spot the product, which is the result of four years of bioengineering research and directed evolution. And where hardware and software engineers work in ones and zeros, Neoplant’s scientists worked with four letters, specifically the letters denoting four of the components of DNA – Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G), and Thymine (T) – to re-engineer toxin-eating bacteria and create a new kind of eco-forward house plant.

Sitting last week with the company’s co-founders, CEO Lionel Mora and CTO Patrick Torbey, PhD, who has a doctorate in genomic engineering, amid roughly 30 house plants, they directed my attention to one single, vibrant, marble queen pothos resting in a beige planter. This was no typical plant. The planter, or self-watering “shell,” as they called it is made of bioplastics from recycled agricultural waste, and features a vented shell and basket interior that holds the plant with “supercharged air purification capability.”

It can, they explained, pull from the air 30 times more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than a typical plant; or, more specifically, do on its own the work of the 30 other plants stuffed into the hotel room.

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♬ So Much Happiness - Lux-Inspira

The secret is not so much the plant as it is a symbiotic relationship between Neoplants' bioengineered bacterium and the leafy pothos. Every month, the plant gets a dose of Power Drops, a powered solution that you mix with water and then pour into the plant’s soil. This delivers the powerful bacteria (normal plants also have bacteria on them and in their soil, just as your biome has healthy bacteria on your skin and in your gut), which then live among the roots and pull in toxins through the leaves and soil (thanks to the vents in the plant basket that pull in air and move it over the roots), which they convert to nutrients for the plant.

While the bacteria occurs in nature, this is not the same bacteria you’d find in nature. Four years ago, Neoplants' researchers began traveling to polluted regions to look for bacteria that appeared to thrive in those conditions. The company then pressure-tested the bacteria to see which ones worked best with higher levels of VOCs. As it did this, it also identified the bacteria that were able to adapt to handle ever-increasing levels of pollutants. It was through this process of directed evolution that it engineered its custom, VOC-loving strain, also known as pseudomonas putida. The pairing with the pothos is also specific since, the co-founders told me, the company can’t guarantee the bacteria will be as effective with a different plant.

Now, the company is ready to start selling its first product, a Neo Px package that for $139 includes the plant, shell, six packets of the Power Drops mixture, and a glass beaker and stirrer (just like the lab) to mix it. Those who pay for a six-month supply of the bacteria upfront can get the package for $119. Quarterly Power Drops supplies cost $39. 

One plant covers the air quality for a typical-sized bedroom. If you want more coverage, you'll need more plants and Power Drops.

That’s not cheap, and it’s not clear how people who normally forget to water their regular plants will remember to feed their Neo Px plant the VOC-cleaning bacterium each month. It’s not hard to do, but people will forget, and others may balk at the upkeep price for what appears to be just a pretty plant.

Plus, Neoplants can’t come to your home and prove the VOC cleaning capabilities. Most consumer-grade air-quality test systems, they told me, cannot measure the tiny molecule-sized particulate levels of VOCs (consumer air purifiers that rely on filters may also fail at this task) and there's no test kit included with the product because it’s not possible to measure without expensive equipment.

Still, the company can show you the receipts for all its testing and results. Its staff worked with a public university in France to test this system independently, and built a 160sq ft test facility with what they called "amplifiers" to test the effectiveness of their plants and bacteria. Even now, the company continues testing its products with third parties to prove its effectiveness.

Perhaps the costs will be balanced out by the peace of mind that comes with potentially lower VOC levels in the home.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VOC levels in the home are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors – and if you’re doing something like stripping paint, the numbers skyrocket. 

VOCs are invisible but, the EPA notes, their effects are not, and they range from causing nausea and skin irritation to cancer in humans and animals.

Neoplants' long-term vision goes far beyond VOC-hoovering house plants – the company is looking at developing products that could impact air quality outside the home, and maybe even someday help tackle climate change.

In the meantime, though, they’re just thinking about the Neo Px launch – and if they can satisfy some early adopters' desire for planter colors other than beige.

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There's no point of reference to estimate the circular screen's actual size, but the tipster says it shows a "glossy" HomePod with display, codenamed B720.

This isn't the first we've heard of an Apple smart display-enhanced HomePod, mind you. Back in October 2023, a leak posted by a KotsutamiSan (an X handle that seems to be no more, although it sounds remarkably similar to Kotsutami_Ito, author of the latest leak) also referenced a B720 HomePod with a bigger touchscreen which might be capable of showing images – of album covers, say. 

Just over a year ago in March 2023, the respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted a HomePod with a display would land at some point in 2024.

And the story goes back even further, to February 2022, when Siri allegedly started slipping up by mentioning a HomePod display of some kind – and let's not forget, that was long before the HomePod 2 arrived, in January 2023.

'Siri, we need to talk' 

Look, I don't think there's anything wrong with Apple's smart speakers design-wise – I loved the original HomePod's dimensions and configuration. More than that though, I loved the way it sounded. And I loved the swirling, almost haunted vibes from the distinctive top-plate; no notes there. 

It's no secret that I also loved the Apple HomePod Mini; a classy but inexpensive (for Apple) update that sounded far bigger than it had any business being, with a driver that sonically still leaves Amazon's Echo Dot (5th Gen) for dust. 

The thing is, it's also no secret that Apple's voice assistant (originally integrated into the iPhone 4S way back in October 2011, after starting out as an app for iOS in February 2010) is lagging behind. TechRadar's own senior news editor, Mark Wilson, recently lamented "Siri is truly terrible", and despite his optimism about its rumored iOS 18 reboot (due September 2024), he's not alone in voicing this opinion. 

Siri was largely left behind in Apple's most recent WWDC 2023 event, with the once-pioneering vocal subordinate's big 'update' being… a shortening of the wake-up phrase from ‘Hey Siri’ to ‘Siri’. Wow. It's easy to think that Apple simply no longer cares about Siri.

The problem as I see it has nothing to do with how impressive a bigger, more fully-featured screen on an Apple speaker might be. The issue is that an Apple HomePod with the current version of Siri at its core can't compete with the best smart speakers in the business in 2024. Since April 2023, we've bemoaned the fact that Siri is being left behind – and Apple knows it.

But wait! All is not lost; at the start of the month, Apple researchers revealed an AI breakthrough that could make Siri much smarter. The new paper (entitled 'ReALM: Reference Resolution As Language Modeling') contains intel from Apple on how the Cupertino giant’s own AI system will aim to consider both what's on your device’s screen and the tasks you're performing simultaneously (both in the foreground and the background) as stimuli to respond to your queries.

If your HomePod can understand the context and the direct request, Apple thinks that'll give its AI an edge. Might this stop it from playing the top 25 hits on Apple Music when I say, "Siri, play me a good song" (and instead consider the genres of music I actually like)? Or, might it mean that if I say "Siri, play the hits" it would play the actual hits, rather than the Backstreet Boys 2001 album that also happens to be called The Hits? We live in hope… 

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