17 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Senior Reviewer, Smart Home

Senior Reviewer, Smart Home

    More From Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

    I went camping in a heat dome, and these five gadgets saved my vacationI went camping in a heat dome, and these five gadgets saved my vacation
    This smart lock lets me see through my door

    7

    Verge Score

    The Eufy FamiLock has a digital peephole and can unlock with a wave, but it costs $400.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Sengled’s downfall shows the peril of relying on cloud connections for smart home controlSengled’s downfall shows the peril of relying on cloud connections for smart home control
    Amazon eyes ads and upcharges for Alexa PlusAmazon eyes ads and upcharges for Alexa Plus
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Hunter Douglas adds Matter support to its smart shades.

    A firmware upgrade for its PowerView Gen 3 platform is now available, allowing users to control their shades locally via Matter platforms, including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and others.

    Hunter Douglas first said it would bring Matter to its smart shades back in 2022, and is finally following through. However, the upgrade is only coming to the gen 3 shades connected to a PowerView Gateway or Gateway Pro.

    I tasked Alexa Plus with tackling my to-do list — it was hit or miss

    Alexa Plus’ new agentic AI capabilities are ambitious and show promise, but too often, I had to finish the job myself.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Ring’s drone camera may fly again.

    The Always Home Cam could be (re)launching soon in “limited quantities,” according to Business Insider. The publication cites sources who say that recently returned CEO Jamie Siminoff has been testing the indoor flying camera in his office and plans to make it available soon.

    Announced in 2020 under Siminoff’s first tenure, the camera never shipped despite a brief invitation program. I saw it fly at CES in 2023; maybe 2025 will finally be its year.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Shelly goes long.

    Several of the European smart home company’s new Z-Wave Long Range products are now available in the US. Announced at CES 2025, the Shelly Wave line leverages the increased range offered by the Z-Wave LR protocol, allowing it to extend over a mile from your house.

    Available now are a $38 energy monitoring plug, a $37 motion sensor, a $35 humidity and temperature sensor, and a line of electrical relays starting at $28.99, with the rest arriving later this year.

    Note: If you buy something from these links, we might get affiliate revenue.

    Shelly’s Z-Wave Long Range devices are now available.
    Shelly’s Z-Wave Long Range devices are now available.
    Image: Shelly
    EcoFlow says its new Ocean Pro is better than Tesla’s PowerwallEcoFlow says its new Ocean Pro is better than Tesla’s Powerwall
    24 hours with Alexa Plus: we cooked, we chatted, and it kinda lied to me

    My first impressions after one day with Amazon’s smarter, more conversational, generative AI-powered assistant.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

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