Here are a few of the high-tech gadgets you might already have in your house: a programmable thermostat; a doorbell with a camera and an internet connection; a bevy of smart speakers; lighting you control from your phone. Or if you don’t have them yet, you may well be thinking it’s about time you did. Congratulations: You’re putting together a smart home.
Now home builders are getting in on the game and making their new construction ready for all that tech right from the get-go. Because home buyers are coming to expect that as standard. It’s a mutually reinforcing cycle, as CNET’s David Priest points out in his story about the trends: The smart home isn’t just getting easier to use; we’re also getting better at using it.
That story is among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don’t want to miss.
Commentary: For the first time, we’re peering clearly into an automated future.
![Amazon's Astro home robot](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)
As the industry reconsiders digital ownership, gamers are eyeing the line between playing to earn and playing for fun.
![Illustration showing video game controllers](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.png)
The tech giant plans to expand its already sizable video game division, but Activision is full of turmoil.
![Characters in the Overwatch game](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_299_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)
Commentary: Samsung has a history of adopting new tech early. But companies like Meta and Snap have been claiming the smart glasses and AR spotlights.
![Lenovo ThinkReality A3, nReal Light, Ray-Ban Stories and regular eyeglasses](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_96_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)
As more frequent and more severe storms erode coastlines, mapmakers must adapt quickly.
![Illustration showing a satellite and a person standing on a map](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_611_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.png)
Scientists test the strange phenomena of antimatter using an experiment that mimics an electric guitar.
![Illustration of a large starburst in a field of stars](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_775_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)
King of the Hill. Justified. Quantum Leap. The Santa Clause. Those things you used to watch are coming back so we can all just feel something.
![Characters in the King of the Hill show](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_60_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)
Facebook, Microsoft and a host of other companies are jockeying to define the next iteration of the internet.
![A man in a suit wears a VR headset](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_505_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)
Commentary: The upcoming Galaxy S22 will most likely include the Exynos 2200 chip, a big step forward for gaming.
![Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra](https://techsstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1642918337_901_9-great-reads-from-techsstory-add-this-week-Smart.jpg)