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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
    Philips Hue rolls out a fix for its Matter-related bug.

    The company tells us an update for the Philips Hue Bridge, which addresses the issue that caused lights to randomly turn to full brightness, is now available and rolling out over the next few days.

    If you have automatic updates on you don’t need to do anything, otherwise you can manually install the update through the Hue app when it’s available.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    First, Apple put Thread in the iPhone, now the smart home radio could be coming to Android phones.

    Mishaal Rahman reports that Android 15 adds a Thread Network Stack to allow Android smartphones with Thread radios to directly control Thread smart home devices.

    But there aren’t any such phones yet. Only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have Thread. With the Pixel 9 launching next month, that could soon change.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Apple TV’s InSight can instantly add tracks to your Apple Music library.

    According to reports from beta testers, the new InSight feature announced at WWDC has appeared in the latest developer beta of iOS 18 and tvOS 18.

    InSight pops up details about actors, characters, and songs appearing onscreen in original Apple TV Plus shows. These also show on your iPhone, from where it appears to be easy to add songs to your library. Neat.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    If your Philips Hue bulbs have been acting wonky, don’t worry there’s a fix coming.

    Apparently, the company messed up something with its Matter implementation, causing some lights to randomly turn up to full brightness. But they’ve identified the problem, and an update should be rolling out this week.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    This is the first retrofit smart lock to support Apple’s Home Key.

    The Aqara U200 replaces your existing lock and comes with a wireless keypad, which you can tap with an iPhone or Apple Watch for easy unlocking.

    It’s now available to buy on Amazon and works with European and UK locks, as well as US deadbolts. It uses Thread, is Matter-compatible, and has fingerprint and PIN code access.

    I’ll have a review soon.

    If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.

    The U200 replaces just the rear portion of your lock, allowing you to keep your existing keyway. A wireless keypad on the exterior lets you use a PIN code, fingerprint reader or Apple Home Key to unlock it.
    The U200 replaces just the rear portion of your lock, allowing you to keep your existing keyway. A wireless keypad on the exterior lets you use a PIN code, fingerprint reader or Apple Home Key to unlock it.
    Image: Aqara
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Amazon’s vying for a ‘spot’ on your bedside table.

    The new Echo Spot looks like an intriguing option for a bedside smart display, thanks to Amazon’s decision to ditch the camera with this iteration.

    The $80 smart speaker competes against the Google Nest Hub and the Echo Show 5. but the Nest takes up a lot of real estate, and the Show has a camera. Will the Spot be just right? I’ll have a review soon.

    If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Apple’s rumored HomePod with a screen could arrive with Apple Intelligence.

    Apple’s smart home efforts could use both a smarter Siri and a smart display, and we may soon get both.

    MacRumors has discovered code that indicates Apple is working on a new HomeAccessory 17,1 that could be powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence.

    Existing HomePods seem unlikely to be able to support the AI, so new smart home hardware seems inevitable.

    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
    This ice maker is my family’s new favorite smart gadget.

    It might be because the heat index is 110 degrees, but the new GE Profile Opal 2.0 Ultra has been a huge hit in my house.

    I’ve been testing the smart nugget ice maker for a week, and its ability to make a full batch of ice in 10 minutes is impressive. But for $630, you have to really love chewable ice. I’ll have a review soon.

    The Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker is an update to the Opal 2.0. It has a new water filter, air filter, and cleaning system that should make for easier maintenance.
    The Opal 2.0 Ultra Nugget Ice Maker is an update to the Opal 2.0. It has a new water filter, air filter, and cleaning system that should make for easier maintenance.
    Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge