Enlarge / This guy? This guy can be tricked into offering remote control if you give it a long name. But he's too old for his maker to care much about that.

I once co-owned a coworking space. The space had doors with magnetic locks, unlocked by a powered relay. My partners and I realized that, if we could switch power to the system on and off, we could remotely control the door lock. One of us had a first-generation Wemo plug, so we hooked that up, and then the programmer among us set up a script that, passing Python commands over the local network, switched the door lock open and closed.

Sometimes it would occur to me that it was kind of weird that, without authentication, you could just shout Python commands at a Wemo and it would toggle. I'm having the same feeling today about a device that's one generation newer and yet also possesses fatal flaws.

IoT security research firm Sternum has discovered ( and disclosed ) a buffer overflow vulnerability in the Wemo Mini Smart Plug V2 . The firm's blog post is full of interesting details about how this device works (and doesn't), but a key takeaway is that you can predictably trigger a buffer overflow by passing the device a name longer than its 30-character limit—a limit enforced solely by Wemo's own apps—with third-party tools. Inside that overflow you could inject operable code. If your Wemo is connected to the wider Internet, it could be compromised remotely.

Enlarge / Several of Belkin's Wemo smart home accessories support the Thread networking protocol, but the company is holding off on Matter support for now. (credit: Belkin)

Belkin is pumping the brakes on its support for the nascent Matter smart home standard, according to The Verge . Devices from Belkin's Wemo smart home brand may still support Matter eventually, but Belkin will "take a big step back, regroup, and rethink" its product strategy before supporting Matter in any of its products. This is a reversal for Belkin, which had announced at CES 2022 that it planned to support Matter in several of its new accessories when the standard was ready.

Some Wemo devices already support Thread, the underlying network protocol that Matter uses to allow devices in your home to communicate without flooding your Wi-Fi router. But at least for now, those devices remain tied to Apple's HomeKit ecosystem.

The oft-delayed Matter standard was finally released in the fall of 2022 . It promises to break down the walls between smart home fiefdoms, taking the guesswork out of buying accessories and allowing for control of devices without having to install any device-specific apps. Matter devices should work whether you use HomeKit, Amazon's Alexa, Google Home, or even some combination of all three. Matter-compatible devices will also retain a basic level of functionality even if the company that made an accessory goes out of business or gets acquired and shut down.

Enlarge / An iPhone 13 Pro stuck to Belkin's MagSafe camera mount for laptops. The desktop version works similarly, just with a different design for thicker screens. (credit: Andrew Cunningham)

The Continuity Camera feature was one of the headliners in the macOS Ventura update : Any Mac can now use any compatible iPhone as a webcam via a Lightning cable or a wireless connection. And any iPhone camera is a significant upgrade over the 720p and 1080p webcams that ship with iMacs and most of the 1080p desktop webcams from the likes of Logitech, Microsoft, and Razer (for Mac mini and Pro owners with no built-in webcam).

The problem is finding a place to put your iPhone while you try to use it as a camera. Belkin made a MagSafe mount that could quickly clip an iPhone to the top edge of a MacBook, but the retention clip is too narrow to use with most desktop monitors. A new version of the mount, announced today, has been created with a wider base and a sort of kickstand to help it fit on top of most desktop monitors.

Belkin's MagSafe iPhone mount for desktops has a thicker base that sits on top of monitors, plus a kickstand that braces it against the back of your screen. (credit: Belkin)

As of this writing, the Belkin iPhone Mount (Magsafe Compatible) for Mac Desktops is listed on Apple's site for $29.95, though a Belkin representative informed us that the correct price is $39.95. The product photos show it sitting astride a Studio Display, which includes a front-facing camera similar to the one Apple includes in iPads, but image quality has been a mixed bag.

Enlarge (credit: Wemo )

When the smart home compatibility standard Matter finally arrives , it promises to simplify and improve the connections and compatibility between different device brands, using Thread as its secure, low-energy backbone.

Until then, let devices like Wemo's new Smart Dimmer with Thread serve as a warning: Matter runs on Thread, but not all Thread devices will give you a Matter experience. Belkin's new dimmer is a prime example of a device "with Thread" that is far from universally accessible—and likely confusing to buyers.

Wemo's new dimmer doesn't require the onerous Wi-Fi setup you might remember from switches of old, instead connecting to your smartphone by Bluetooth or an NFC tap. To use it outside of Bluetooth range, you'll need a Thread network in your home. But here's where it gets tricky: This smart dimmer is controlled exclusively through HomeKit, so you'll specifically need a HomePod Mini or second-generation Apple TV 4K within a reasonable range of the switch. Those more robust devices can act as "border routers" in a Thread network, allowing more single-purpose devices like a dimmer to connect to a Thread mesh and access the Internet.

Enlarge / Belkin's new 3-in-1 MagSafe charging stand is identical to its predecessor, pictured above, but true change occurs within. (credit: Corey Gaskin / Ars Technica)

Belkin just launched its second 3-in-1 device capable of fast-charging the latest Apple Watch Series 7. The new Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 MagSafe charging stand joins its pad-shaped sibling as the only other all-in-one solution that can charge your mobile Apple devices (MagSafe-compatible iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches) at the fastest wireless speeds possible.

When the Apple Watch Series 7 launched last year, it became the first Apple Watch to be fast-charge capable, cutting the protracted 2.5-hour charge time of previous generations in half. I noted it as my favorite feature in my review , and that's because it not only made zero to 100 charges quicker, but it also made quick dashes on the charger much more efficient. For instance, only 45 minutes on the charger brought the Series 7 from zero to 80 percent. It was a big help in making sure the watch wouldn't die right before I was about to go for a run or head to bed.

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  Belkin's new 3-in-1 MagSafe charger with fast-charging for Apple Watches

Belkin's 3-in-1 Apple charger is one we've recommended before. The previous version, without fast-charging for the Apple Watch, made our list of the best iPhone 12 accessories, thanks to its sleek, modern aesthetics, and compact, efficient design. The newest version looks identical, hiding its important changes within. It was never the cheapest option, selling for $150 , but its build quality and versatility bolstered its value then, as the addition of Apple Watch fast-charging does now at no additional cost.