9 great reads from CNET this week: Smart homes, NFTs in games, Activision’s future and more

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.

As the industry reconsiders digital ownership, gamers are eyeing the line between playing to earn and playing for fun. 

The tech giant plans to expand its already sizable video game division, but Activision is full of turmoil.

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. 

As more frequent and more severe storms erode coastlines, mapmakers must adapt quickly. 

Scientists test the strange phenomena of antimatter using an experiment that mimics an electric guitar. 

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. 

Facebook, Microsoft and a host of other companies are jockeying to define the next iteration of the internet.  

Commentary: The upcoming Galaxy S22 will most likely include the Exynos 2200 chip, a big step forward for gaming. 

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