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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Senior Reviewer, Smart Home

Senior Reviewer, Smart Home

    More From Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    This camera can detect wild boars and weasels.

    The Camovue is a new outdoor camera from the folks behind Reolink that can send alerts when it detects specific animals.

    It can spot up to 12 species, including wild boar, deer (bucks and does), mountain lions, elk, ducks, weasels, cattle, goats, turkeys, raccoons, and foxes.

    The company says it’s working on adding more critter-spotting capabilities. The camera is slated for launch later this year.

    The Camovue is a new wildlife camera that works over 4G LTE and can be charged by a solar panel.
    The Camovue is a new wildlife camera that works over 4G LTE and can be charged by a solar panel.
    Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Here’s Switchbot’s unannounced new video doorbell solution.

    A camera embedded into a keypad that can stream to a separate video intercom inside your home, Switchbot’s first video doorbell solution also works as a keypad for its smart door locks.

    Both components are quite large and bulky, but it’s intriguing as an all-in-one solution for a video intercom. This is still a prototype; we expect to hear more about it next year.

    Switchbot showed a prototype of its upcoming video doorbell solution at IFA.
    Switchbot showed a prototype of its upcoming video doorbell solution at IFA.
    Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    This robot vacuum has two “eyes” to see your floors better.

    The Narwal Freo Z Ultra ($1,499.99) uses two cameras to constantly scan while cleaning and adapt to what it spots.

    Dual AI chips mean it can identify objects and decide how to clean — get close to chair leg but give pet poop a wide berth, retract its brush when it sees a cable, and activate mop-only when there’s a wet mess ahead.

    <em>The Narwal’s two 1200p RGB cameras have 136-degree viewing angles and are powered by dual AI chips, which allows it to understand what it sees and adapt cleaning accordingly.</em>
    <em>The robot vacuum/mop has 12,000Pa suction and can lift its mops 12mm to clear low-pile carpets while mopping.</em>
    <em>The Freo Z Ultra is the brand’s first with an auto-empty dock, which it says empties the robot’s bin more quietly than the competition.</em>
    <em>The robot can swing its body to help its dual spinning mops get closer to baseboards.</em>
    1/4
    The Narwal’s two 1200p RGB cameras have 136-degree viewing angles and are powered by dual AI chips, which allows it to understand what it sees and adapt cleaning accordingly.
    Image: Narwal
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    I found the “dorkiest piece of headgear” at IFA.

    Does it look good on me?

    EcoFlow’s new $129 Power Hat is possibly the most uncomfortable hat I’ve ever worn — but if it can keep my phone charged while running around IFA in the blistering 90-degree heat in Berlin, it might be worth it.

    The company says the hat can charge a 4,000mAh smartphone in a few hours. It’s surprisingly lightweight but unsurprisingly unattractive.

    Trying on the Power Hat. It’s very light but feels like you’re putting a giant piece of plastic on your head.
    <em>The solar cells are made from a thin, flexible material called passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) monocrystalline silicon.</em>
    1/2
    Trying on the Power Hat. It’s very light but feels like you’re putting a giant piece of plastic on your head.
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    This smart ring claims to detect sleep apnea.

    The RingConn 2 monitors your SpO2 levels while sleeping and promises 90 percent accuracy after just three hours of wear. The company is in the process of gaining FDA approval for the feature.

    In the meantime, the surprisingly lightweight smart ring has the standard health-tracking features — including sleep, activity, stress, and heart-rate monitoring. It costs $299, claims up to 12 days of battery life, and doesn’t require a subscription.

    <em>The RingConn 2 on display at Showstoppers at IFA 2024.</em>
    <em>You can see the ring’s sensors, which detect heart rate and blood oxygen levels. </em>
    <em>It’s super lightweight, I could barely feel it on my finger.</em>
    1/3
    The RingConn 2 on display at Showstoppers at IFA 2024.
    Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Nanoleaf’s permanent outdoor lights arrive just in time for the holidays.

    Announced at CES, the Matter Smart Multicolor Permanent Outdoor lights are now available for pre-order starting at $199.99, shipping in October.

    The full-color and tunable white lights feature 30 addressable LED pucks per 15-meter strip with a Kelvin range of 2200 to 6500 and 50 lumens per puck. The lights are trimmable and extendable up to 45 meters and work over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

    <em>The Nanoleaf Permanent Outdoor Lights let you change your home’s exterior lighting with a press of a button.</em>
    <em>The pucks come with fully encased mounting units that hide all the hardware. </em>
    <em>A physical controller lets you turn the lights on and off and change scenes.</em>
    1/6
    The Nanoleaf Permanent Outdoor Lights let you change your home’s exterior lighting with a press of a button.
    Image: Nanoleaf
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Samsung says it’s bringing AI to everyone.

    Unlike other companies, Sammy says it’s bringing its newest AI features to its older phones.

    The Galaxy S24 series, S23 series, S23 FE, Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, and Tab S9 series will all get the same AI features as its new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 via a One UI 6.1.1 update, starting with S24 users in Europe and the US on September 9th.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    I’m already sensing a theme…

    It’s the first press day at the IFA 2024 tech show, and Samsung’s giant billboard on the side of Messe Berlin’s City Cube might just hint at what we’ll see inside this week.

    The South Korean tech giant’s press conference starts in 15 minutes, and The Verge will be there — as long as I can find some coffee first.

    Follow our IFA story stream for all the news.

    The Verge’s smart home reporter Jennifer Pattison Tuohy is on the ground at the IFA tech show.
    The Verge’s smart home reporter Jennifer Pattison Tuohy is on the ground at the IFA tech show.
    Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge