Feed aggregator

Earlier this year, "quiet" was one word to describe the Virginia race for governor. Then came DOGE, a text message scandal down ballot, a redistricting surprise, the government shutdown and more.

(Image credit: Shaban Athuman)

Homescreen Heroes: Spotify for Creators helps podcasters grow, monetize, and manage their podcast

Google appears to be testing a more centered map in Android Auto, with a power-saving mode on the way too.

This little camera is a surprisingly affordable way to protect your home, though a few of its advanced features require a subscription.

Aqara Camera G100: two-minute review

Security cameras now come in many different varieties, including those meant solely for indoor use and those meant mainly for outdoors. However, what the Aqara G100 offers is, on the face of it, the best of both worlds

Weatherproof with an IP65 rating, it can be used indoors (to keep an eye on pets and children), or outdoors (to see who is at the front door or in the backyard). It’s small too, perfect for placing on a bookshelf or mounting upside down in a porch using the screw and wall plug provided.

However, what really differentiates the Aqara G100 from many of its competitors is its comprehensive smart home compatibility. Whereas many of the best home security cameras are now compatible with Amazon’s Alexa (including the Amazon-owned Ring and Blink, of course), the Aqara G100 is also compatible with Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and – crucially for those invested in the Apple ecosystem – Apple HomeKit including Home KitSecureVideo (HSV).

Not only can the camera’s built-in motion sensor and spotlight be used within home automation routines, it’s also possible to stream a live feed from the Aqara G100 on Apple TV. The only technical limitation here is that Apple caps the video resolution at 1080p for some reason, despite the camera being capable of a more impressive 2K resolution (2,304 x 1,296 pixels). It’s even possible to hook up your Apple Photos library to the Aqara camera to recognize faces it captures via the motion sensor.

Nor is smart home compatibility the only trick up the Aqara’s sleeve either. It works perfectly well as a standalone security camera too. Indeed that’s how most buyers will probably use it. Mains powered via a USB-C cable, it usefully boasts a MicroSD card slot for storing up to 512Gb of footage. This means you don’t have to pay a monthly fee to store video in the cloud as you do with many cameras, especially some of the cheaper models (Apple users can also use their iCloud storage via HomeKit Secure Video).

(Image credit: Chris Price)

You don’t even have to pay a monthly subscription fee for basic AI functionality. However, if you want the full shebang, including pet and parcel detection, then you will need to pay for Aqara’s HomeGuardian subscription service (see details below).

If you have multiple Aqara cameras, the HomeGuardian Unlimited package also includes an innovative Fire Detection feature based on a flame recognition function. However, this isn’t intended to replace conventional fire-detection systems such as smoke alarms and heat sensors

Finally, the camera offers two-way audio so you can reassure your pets if they seem distressed, or tell your family members when you’ll be home.

(Image credit: Chris Price)Aqara Camera G100: subscription options

HomeGuardian Single Camera: £3.99 (about $5 / AU$8) per month, or £39.99 (about $50 / AU$80) per year for a single device. Includes: 90 days of video event history, person, animal, vehicle, package, fire detection.

HomeGuardian Unlimited: £7.99 (about $10 / AU$16) per month, or £79.99 (about $100 / AU$160) per year. Supports unlimited cameras in one home, 90 days of video event history, person, face, animal, vehicle, package, fire detection, Premium AI Event Detection, AI Video Summary, AI Video Search.

Aqara Camera G100: price and availability

• Costs £34.99, $34.99, AU$89
• Available since July 2025
• Sold in the US, UK, and Australia

Generally, security cameras are not expensive to buy. Even the most advanced models offering solar power and mobile phone (4G/5G) connectivity tend to cost less than £200. However, many are priced quite cheaply because you need to pay a monthly fee to store video clips in the cloud.

The Aqara G100 is unusual in that not only is it very cheap, it also comes with a built in MicroSD card slot for video storage. Yes, you will have to buy a MicroSD card, but these only cost around $15 / £10 / AU$20 so you soon make your money back from not having to fork out the cost of a subscription. That said, you can pay a monthly fee for storage if you want (Aqara’s HomeGuardian costs from £3.99 (about $5 / AU$8) a month) if you want advanced AI functionality, such as the ability to differentiate between different people and objects.

Given its low price tag, it’s also worth noting just how well equipped the Aqara G100 is for the money. One of my criticisms of Aqara’s recently-launched G410 Video Doorbell is that, despite costing over £100, it didn’t incorporate waterproofing – unbelievably remiss for a product that’s going to sit on the outside of your house all year round.

Yet this G100 camera – which is intended for indoor and outdoor use – does feature decent IP65 water resistance. Not only that, but it also comes with other useful features that make it a very versatile piece of kit. These include compatibility with a number of smart home platforms as well as AI functionality.

• Value score: 5/5

Aqara Camera G100: design

• Versatile indoor/outdoor mounting
• Available in black or white
• Waterproof connectivity

Again, one of my criticisms of the recently reviewed Aqara G410 video doorbell was its design which was extremely big and bulky. In fairness, that’s partly because it is powered by four AA batteries, whereas the G100 only uses mains power. Nevertheless, it’s true to say that its stablemate, the G100, is a much more compact and better-looking piece of kit – similar in looks to a Nest camera, but not quite so sturdy.

Available in black or white (we tested the black), it comes with a simple mount for standing on top of a cupboard or bookshelf. Alternatively, you can do what I did and install it inside a cabinet using the wall plug and screw provided (remembering to change the viewing setting to upside down in the Aqara app). Usefully, the camera can be rotated 360 degrees within the mount to get the perfect angle, while the field of view is a decent 140 degrees.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

While most people will probably choose to use the camera indoors, there is the option for mounting it outdoors providing you have access to mains power (it doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable lithium battery). Unusually, the USB-C cable provided connects to the camera via a waterproof sleeve below the camera. This can easily be swapped over to a much longer USB cable if you're running the cable from an indoor power source.

A waterproof cover is also provided for the MicroSD card slot and reset buttons while at the back of the camera is a small speaker. On the front of the camera is the lens itself plus a surprisingly powerful spotlight, blue power light button and a microphone.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Aqara Camera G100: performance

• 2K image quality
• Good night vision
• Slightly complex menus

When it comes to performance it’s fair to say that the Aqara Camera G100 is solid, rather than spectacular. Certainly, the 2K camera won’t win any awards and the field of view isn’t the widest either. However, for the super-low price tag we didn’t have any major complaints – it simply does the job.

Night vision is actually quite good thanks to dual night vision modes that gives you a choice between color night vision (with the built-in spotlight) or black and white night vision which is the default mode. The camera isn’t overly sensitive either which is a good thing as sometimes they are triggered by the slightest movement.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Less impressive is the two-way audio through the tinny speaker, but again this isn’t unusual and in reality you probably won’t use it that often (unless you want to have a chat with your dog while you are out!). One unusual feature is the voice disguising option which can turn your voice into that of a robot or clown, or otherwise disguise it.

This feature is also provided on Aqara’s recently launched G410 video doorbell where it makes more sense, especially for women who may want to protect their identity from those ringing the doorbell. However, it probably isn’t that useful on a general camera which is probably going to be used mostly indoors.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

One small gripe is around the onscreen menus within the app which take a little bit of getting used to, partly because there are so many different options. For example, as well as being able to see a Live View from the camera, you can view a Video Event history divided into different categories (person, motion etc). You can also program different actions, such as turning on the lights in the house when the motion sensor is triggered or opening and closing the curtains.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

For advanced users, these are all useful perhaps, but if you want a simple plug and play solution, then there are easier cameras to use. That said, it's not difficult to set the camera up in the first place thanks to voice-based instructions, and we didn’t have any issues with broadband connectivity between the camera and router despite the device only working on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequency, not 5GHz. It was also straightforward adding the Aqara camera to Apple HomeKit, although as previously noted, picture resolution is restricted to 1080p.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Aqara Camera G100?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Put simply, the Aqara is unbelievably good value for money. Featuring a MicroSD card slot you don’t even have to pay a monthly subscription for storing video clips.

5/5

Design

Available in black or white, the Aqara is a compact circular shaped camera with a versatile mount and waterproofing for installation either indoors or outdoors.

4.5/5

Performance

Offering 2K video quality, the Aqara Camera G100 provides reasonable quality images although sound quality from the built-in speaker isn’t the best.

3.5/5

Overall

An extremely versatile security camera with a very competitive price tag. Can be used indoors or outdoors and with multiple smart home platforms - including Apple Home.

4.5/5

Buy it if

You need a versatile home security solution

Undoubtedly this is one of the most versatile security cameras on the market, suitable for either an indoor or outdoor installation and compatible with multiple smart home platforms.

You have a limited budget

It’s difficult to imagine a security camera offering better value for money, especially when you consider you can store video clips on a MicroSD card rather than having to pay a monthly subscription.

Don't buy it if

You want to install outdoors but don’t have mains power nearby

The Aqara can certainly be used outdoors but will need to be connected to the mains as it doesn’t offer battery power. At the very least, you will probably need to invest in a new USB-C lead for outdoor use.

You want the highest sound and video quality available

Don’t get me wrong, the Aqara’s sound and video quality is OK, but there are much better performing security cameras around if you have a bigger budget.

Aqara Camera G100: also consider

Product

Aqara Camera G100

Blink Outdoor 4

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (Battery)

Eufy 4K S330 Security Camera

Subscription price

From £3.99 a month

From £2.50 a month

From £4.99 a month

None

Viewing angle

140 degrees horizontal

143 degrees horizontal

140 degrees horizontal

360 degree view

Network connection

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4GHz)

Wi-Fi (2.4G/5Hz)

Wi-Fi/4G

Audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Two-way audio

Video

2,304 x 1,296 pixels

1080p

1080p Full HD resolution

4K video resolution

Power

Mains

Battery

Battery

Battery, solar

Hardware price

£34.99

£69

£199 (battery model only)

£189 (with solar panel)

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro (battery)

Available in black or white, this outdoor security camera boasts two 3000°K spotlights. You can also buy a mains-powered version as well as a separate solar panel.

Read our full Ring Spotlight Cam Pro review

Eufy 4K S330 security camera

An extremely innovative battery and solar-powered camera, the Eufy 4K S330 can be used with the supplied 4G Sim card to capture recordings - ideal for those who live in areas with poor Wi-Fi/broadband.

Read our full Eufy 4K Security Camera review

How I tested the Aqara Camera G100

• I used the camera indoors
• I installed it myself
• The camera was connected to Apple Home

As is clear from the review, the Aqara Camera is a very versatile piece of kit, so I installed it in several places around the home – including the kitchen and my home office. However, it wasn’t installed outside because I didn’t have a suitable mains power connection outdoors.

Using the wall plug and screw provided I mounted the camera inside a cabinet to focus on a small balcony. I also adjusted the mount to focus on the door and other areas of the room to see how sensitive the lens was to movement (it is quite sensitive).

The camera was used over a period of seven days mostly via the Aqara app. However, I also connected it to Apple Home, where I was also able to control the camera’s functionality including switching the spotlight on and off, testing two-way audio and viewing live footage.

First reviewed October 2025

The lowest-ever price for this super-cheap power bank

A fire and explosion at a convenience store in northwestern Mexico killed at least 23 people, including children, and injured 12 others, state authorities said.

(Image credit: Abraham Tellez)

President Trump met with President Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last week. APEC's host, South Korea, is carefully balancing its relations with the U.S. and China.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

Overworked, underfunded and understaffed — the doctors and nurses of Oregon's finest return. Here's how to watch St. Denis Medical online and from anywhere.

Police said two people who were wounded remain in a life-threatening condition after the attack on Saturday. Passengers reported scenes of panic and chaos ,with many running through the carriages.

(Image credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Best Buy's first wave of Black Friday deals ends today, and I'm rounding up today's top offers that I'd buy right now on TVs, iPads, laptops, appliances, and more.

Five German mountaineers died after being hit by an avalanche in South Tyrol, in northern Italy, rescuers said on Sunday.

(Image credit: Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico/AP)

The festive flavor of a German Christmas market, ready within one minute.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

If you're in the market for a premium Samsung phone, there are quite a few new ones on the way.

A future M5 Max chip’s extra 275GB/s of memory bandwidth could save professionals thousands of dollars in time and costs on AI and video projects.

GL.iNet Comet: 30-second review

The GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1) is a compact, hardware-based KVM-over-IP device. It allows you to remotely control a computer (desktop, server, or headless system) at the BIOS level, even if the OS isn’t running. It’s designed for IT professionals, homelab enthusiasts, and anyone needing reliable remote access without ongoing subscription fees.
With a base price of around $80-90, and discounts for bulk purchases, this isn’t an expensive option for those who need to control computers that aren’t in the same location.

Yes, it is entirely possible to achieve that purely with software, but that assumes you have a mechanism to remotely power the system on, and those options are generally limited in terms of screen resolution and performance.
Acting like a conventional KVM, with cables that connect to USB, HDMI and Ethernet, and powered by USB, the GL.iNet Comet circumvents many of the classic issues with this type of technology by clever design and provisioning.

There are alternative options, like JetKVM, that offer a WiFi connection the Comet doesn’t include, but they are also more expensive.

For another $13, GL.iNet makes a small board that can be fitted to a desktop PC, which will help remotely power up that machine without getting Wake-on-LAN to work reliably or having someone physically power it up. The brand also has another gizmo intended to help power remote laptops: the Fingerbot, which is designed to press the laptop's power button.

One good reason not to buy this device, from our perspective, is that the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE) exists —a version of this hardware that can be powered by a PoE network connection for even greater flexibility. That costs another $25, but it allows you to use this with systems that don’t power their USB ports when they shut down.

Overall, the GL.iNet Comet is a product that lives up to its promises, and for a small outlay, it could avoid unnecessary journeys or the need for assistance.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)GL.iNet Comet: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $90/£90/€90
• When is it out? Available now globally
• Where can you get it? Direct from GL-iNet and online retailers.

GL-iNet keeps the pricing of the Comet remarkably straightforward, costing $89.99 in the USA, £89.90 in the UK and €89.87 in Europe. That seems like a better deal for Americans, for some inexplicable reason, but GL-iNet picks up the bill for international shipping for US, Canadian, European, and Asia Pacific customers.

The two potential accessories are the ATX board for desktop systems, costing $15.90/£12.90/€18,92 and the hilariously named Fingerbot, which is $29.99/£22.90/€30.93, making the UK the best place to source those items.

As an alternative made by GL-iNet themselves, the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE) is  $109.99/£106.99/€119.99, but his model has proven so popular that it's out of stock in some regions at this time.

Most of these items can be found on Amazon for the same prices, if you prefer that retailer. I'm seeing it on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk right now.

The most popular product with a similar capability is the JetKVM, which sells for the same price in the UK via wisfPi. And the makers of that hardware also have a $19 ATX card and a $35 separate PoE splitter. What they don’t offer is anything like the Fingerbot, yet.

There are some options for cards that combine the functionality of the Comet with the ATX card, but these are exclusively for desktop or server installs. These can be found as cheaply as $60.

But for self-contained solutions, the Comet seems reasonably priced, and the accessories also won’t bust the budget.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4/5

GL.iNet Comet: Specs

Feature

GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1)

Type

KVM-over-IP (hardware-based)

Video Support

Up to 4K @ 30fps, audio passthrough

Remote Access

BIOS-level (even if OS/network is down)

Connectivity

Ethernet only (no Wi-Fi)

USB Ports

1 x USB-A 2.0 (no USB 3.0/3.2)

Power Input

USB-C (5V/2A, adapter not included)

Onboard Storage

8GB eMMC

Web Interface

Yes (no client software required)

Security

Hardware isolation, 2FA, Tailscale VPN

Accessories

Optional ATX board, Fingerbot

Subscription Fees

None

Firmware

Updatable

Dimensions

80 x 60 x 17.5mm

Weight

85g

Included Cables

All except the power adapter

Warranty

2 years

GL.iNet Comet: design

• Small and potent
• Lacks a power adapter
• No through-ports

There is a fine irony with this device, in that GL.iNet made it remarkably small at just 8cm long and 60 cm wide, but the number of cable connections makes it seem much larger.

Thankfully, you don’t need to attach every cable, and I was able to get the review Comet operational with just four wires.

Obviously, the box needs power, and it accepts a 2A USB-C input, the sort of power that modern phone chargers output.

One slight curiosity is that the GL-iNet website states that you should only use the PSU provided, even though no PSU is actually included. Despite that confused messaging, I found it worked with a phone charger with no problems. Maybe, if you have a PC that supports the charge-while-off feature on one of its ports, you could power it from the host system.

The obvious weaknesses of this design are that it doesn’t have through-HDMI or through-LAN capability. The lack of a through HDMI solution means that if the host system has only a single HDMI port, it must be unplugged and reconnected to a local monitor to use it locally.

If the host has dual video outputs, then that’s not an issue. But what GL.iNet needs to consider is a USB-C connected version where the video comes over that connection, along with keyboard, mouse and LAN port, making deploying that model even simpler.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Ethernet port is less of an issue, but it does require two network lines to operate both the host system and the Comet. A cheap five-port 1GbE Switch would solve that issue if only a single line is available.

To make this solution work locally, only the Comet's IP address is required. However, those wanting to connect from another network, on the other side of the world, will need to use a Cloud service. Unlike some similar products, there are no ongoing costs for Cloud connections, irrespective of use or the number of Comets you use.

What I didn’t try with my Comet was the ATX card or the Fingerbot, as neither of these was supplied for this review. From what I understand, the ATX card is designed for server or PC installation, where it connects between the power and reset buttons and the motherboard, so you can press those buttons remotely. And, the port on the Comet marked USB 2.0 is designed to connect to the external backplane plate of the ATX card to square that circle.

As we’ll get into in the user experience section, the Achilles heel of any remote KVM technology is finding a reliable way to power a system back up from either a shutdown or hibernation. If you have a system that wakes from USB input (keyboard or mouse) or can be woken via Wake-on-LAN, you should be able to deploy the Comet successfully.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 4.5/5

GL.iNet Comet: In use

• Windows and Mac app
• Slow virtual media
• Security options
• Needs a fall-back plan

As I mentioned previously, it is possible to have direct access to the system on the same network by knowing its IP address and having a login to that system. Those wanting to control a system from farther away need to register for a GL.iNet account and use the web portal to select the target device.

I used the Windows application, which lists all the registered Comets and provides more control over the connection once it's established.

When you first connect, the system will be presented as being in its typical screen resolution, and the speaker and microphone will be disabled. But the settings control of the app allows these to be enabled, which might prove to be highly useful for someone trying to fix an issue with the help of someone standing next to the computer.

One mild confusion I had was that by default, there are two mouse cursors, one on the remote system and another on my viewing PC. The remote cursor follows my local one around with a tiny delay, which is odd to see. However, I soon discovered you can disable this by toggling ‘Show Local Cursor’ and have only the local mouse pointer.

Using the settings sidebar, you can set alternative resolutions, orientations, the quality of the graphics, and choose between WebRTC H.264 or Direct H.264. On a local LAN, I didn’t notice any significant difference in high quality. The LAN port on the Comet is 1GbE, but for those connecting from another site over the Internet, the broadband performance could be the limiting factor to the quality and lag levels you might experience.

One of the classic limitations of LAN KVMs is that if you press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, the local computer will react, not the remote system. The app provides a clever way around that by having shortcuts for that and a few other special key sequences, and you can create your own.

You can also cut and paste to the remote system, send a Wake On LAN command and open a BASH terminal to the Comet, which, if you hadn’t guessed, runs Linux. And, you can SSH into it.

For those interested, the source code for this device is available in a GitHub repository, and it's based on PiKVM but with a newly created GUI by GL.iNet.

Where I was less impressed was with the Virtual Media functionality, a mechanism that GL.iNet put in the Comet that allows bootable images to be uploaded and mounted so the host system can boot off that virtual drive.

There are two issues with this, the first of which is how slow it is to upload images to the flash memory on the Comet. And the speed of that memory isn’t the only issue, as it only offers a total capacity of 5.73 GB. That’s barely enough for a Windows 11 distro, if you are prepared to wait long enough to load it on there. What this device needed was a USB 3.0 port to connect an external drive to and then mount it.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Security wasn’t an afterthought here, and it impressed me that when you initially set the Comet up, it doesn’t have a silly admin/admin default. You must set a password, and you will need this and that of the remote system to get to its desktop.

For those who are more security-minded, 2FA can be activated, and there is also now the option for Tailscale, a VPN solution built on Wireguard. This should be reasonably secure if you have the proper protocols in place for when those with passwords leave and regular changes are made every few months.

What I really liked about this hardware was that when it links to a host system that’s booting, the keyboard becomes active early enough to get into the BIOS, enabling all manner of changes to be made.

The only snags I ran into were getting the system to reboot after a full shutdown, since the system I picked to use for testing appeared to ignore wake-on-LAN magic packets on occasion.

Without the ATX card, or on a system that couldn’t use that or the Fingerbot, the best solution would probably be to set the BIOS to start on power loss and use a smart socket to toggle the power. And, even if WOL or hibernation work as intended, that might be a good backup plan if you can’t get the system to wake when required.

Overall, with the exception of the Virtual Media aspect, the Comet works exceptionally well, and is certainly fit for purpose.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• In Use: 4/5

GL.iNet Comet: Final verdict

There are only two valid reasons not to buy this excellent solution, and one of those is the PoE version also sold by GL-iNet. The other is the third incarnation of this concept, currently being promoted on Kickstarter —the Comet Pro —which bears an uncanny resemblance to the JetKVM, with its front-facing display. That hardware can be obtained for $129.99 via Kickstarter, suggesting it will cost more when sold through standard retail channels.

Before the Comet launched, the JetKVM held sway over the sub-$100 remote KVM market, but since then, tariffs have increased the device's cost in America and reduced its availability.

For that same market, the Comet is available and competitively priced, and does the job that many IT departments need.

I’d probably recommend the PoE version for those who use PoE, and I’ll be curious to see what extra the Pro model offers once it's available in retail.

Should I buy a GL.iNet Comet?GL-iNet Comet Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

One of the cheaper remote KVMs available

4/5

Design

Small device, but lots of cables, and you need a 5V power adapter

4.5/5

In Use

Works with any system, and you can even enter the BIOS

4/5

Overall

Does what IT people want with a few minor caveats

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need to remotely control a system
If the system you need to control is on the other side of the building, campus or in another country, the GL.iNet Comet works just as well. It’s OS-agnostic, and it offers options for remotely powering up systems.

You need a secure KVM
With WireGuard support via Tailscale, it's possible to establish secure remote control from one network to another across the internet. But you need a Tailscale account to have that option.

Don't buy it if...

If the host system is also used on a daily basis
Because there is no through port on the HDMI, if the host system only has one video output, it will be necessary to unplug this device for the system to be used locally. Which isn’t ideal.

For more connectivity solutions, we've reviewed the best business routers

The GL.iNet Comet is a simple-to-deploy device that can open a remote portal to a system from the other side of the world.