IFA 2024: the biggest announcements and coolest gadgets – The Verge

LG finally gets serious about the smart home

2024-09-16T12:20:29-04:00

LG’s ThinQ ON hub is at the center of its new smart home efforts. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

After years of being on the fringes of home automation, LG is now making a big play in the smart home. It has a shiny new multi-protocol hub, is opening its ThinQ platform to work with more smart home devices, and will soon allow other platforms to integrate its appliances into their ecosystems.

ThinQ's shift from being solely an app to control LG appliances and electronics to becoming a competitor to smart home platforms like Samsung's SmartThings and Apple Home has been spurred by the standardization of smart home connectivity through initiatives like Thread and Matter and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

"Until now, the …

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These new Aukey wireless chargers come with cooling fans

2024-09-08T16:14:07-04:00

Aukey debuted three new magnetic wireless chargers at IFA in Berlin that come with fans to keep your phone cooler while it's charging. The company says that means the chargers, called the MagFusion 3-in-1 Pro, the MagFusion GameFrost, and the MagFusion Dash Pro, will charge your phone faster, too.

All three use the Qi2 standard, which means up to 15-watt charging for compatible phones and backward compatibility with normal Qi devices. Aukey claims they can drop charging temperatures as much as 68 degrees Fahrenheit compared to "traditional wireless chargers."

The MagFusion 3-in-1 Pro stand can simultaneously charge an iPhone, AirPods, and …

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Nanoleaf launches a smart switch after eight years of trying

2024-09-07T16:00:03-04:00

Nanoleaf’s Sense Plus smart switch wirelessly controls Nanoleaf’s lights, including its new ceiling light. | Image: Nanoleaf

After nearly a decade of development, Nanoleaf's smart switch is finally here. You can preorder the $30 Sense Plus Smart Wireless "Anywhere" Switch today, and it should ship in October. But to get to this point, Nanoleaf had to pivot from its adoption of Thread to create a new proprietary protocol called Litewave.

The battery-powered device brings physical control to Nanoleaf's smart lighting system, allowing you to press a button to turn lights on or off, dim or brighten them, or change light colors. Plus, built-in motion and light sensors let the Sense Plus Switch adjust lighting based on room conditions.

"We needed to make sure that our …

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AMD just tipped the Z2 Extreme chip for next year’s Steam Deck competitors

2024-09-06T15:44:01-04:00

The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the chip inside the Asus ROG Ally X, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go - and in early 2025, AMD will announce its successor, the Z2 Extreme, for future PC gaming handhelds.

That's the word from Digital Trends' Jacob Roach, who heard AMD computing and graphics boss Jack Huynh say it's targeting a 2025 release on an IFA stage in Berlin; I just confirmed with AMD spokesperson Stacy MacDiarmid that the company plans to announce it in early 2025, though AMD's declining to say any more about it today.

The only other things we've heard: AMD says it's working with multiple partners, so the chip may already be in handh …

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What’s in store for the iPhone 16

2024-09-06T11:34:39-04:00

Imagine an iPhone. But slightly bigger. And slightly faster. Okay, now add another button to the side. Make it gold. You in?

Apple's next event is on Monday, and the rumors and reports have been swirling for months about what we will and won't see. New iPhones are a safe bet. New Apple Watches seem to be on the docket, and there's strong evidence we'll get some new AirPods, too. There's even some smoke suggesting a new Mac Mini is in the offing… but that's probably coming a bit later.

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On this episode of The Vergecast, we discuss all the rumors, reports, speculation, and blatant wishful thinking surrounding the event. We talk a lot …

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Midea’s new kitchen appliances are the first to use Ki wireless power

2024-09-06T10:13:55-04:00

Midea is delivering some of the first cordless kitchen appliances with its new Celestial Flex Series collection. | Image: Midea

Days after the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced it had finalized its Ki wireless power transfer standard, Midea has debuted its first line of cordless kitchen appliances that wirelessly draw all the power they need using the Ki induction technology.

Cooktops that use electromagnetic induction to heat pots and pans have been available in kitchens for years, but Midea is one of the first companies to leverage that technology to wirelessly deliver power to appliances. Its new Celestial Flex Series includes a blender, steamer, and kettle that simply need to be placed on top of an induction plate to run.

Midea is a member of the WPC an …

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Xgimi’s new ultrashort throw projector keeps dust and dirt off its lens

2024-09-06T06:00:00-04:00

The most welcome upgrade on the Xgimi Aura 2 is a retractable lens protector. | Image: Xgimi

Xgimi has announced an upgraded version of its ultrashort throw projector. The new Aura 2 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor while delivering more brightness, but the most welcome improvement is an automatic sliding cover on top that protects the projector's lens and helps minimize dust buildup.

The Aura 2 can project an image up to 150 inches in size while sitting close to a wall. | Image: Xgimi" data-portal-copyright="Image: Xgimi">

Xgimi says the Aura 2 produces 2,300 ISO lumens of brightness from its "Dual Light 2.0" light source that uses a combination of lasers and LEDs. That's up from 1,800 ISO lumens for the original Xgimi Aura, which should improve the Aura 2's performance when used in rooms where ambient light can't be completely eliminated. Xgimi claims the Au …

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Reolink’s battery-powered security camera can record for days without subscription fees

2024-09-06T04:00:00-04:00

A capacious battery allows the Reolink Altas PT Ultra to be easily installed anywhere without the need for access to power. | Image: Reolink

Reolink's new Altas PT Ultra is the company's first battery-powered security camera that is capable of all-day continuous recording. It doesn't need power access, so it can be installed almost anywhere, and since it captures 4K video to a microSD card instead of the cloud, there are fewer security risks and no subscription fees.

There are already many battery-powered security cameras that streamline installation, but they're limited by small batteries that can't record for more than a day before needing a charge. Reolink's Altas PT Ultra's solution to that problem is a built-in 20,000mAh battery the company says has enough power to record f …

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Hisense TVs can now sync with these smart lights — no additional hardware required

2024-09-06T03:00:00-04:00

If you have a Hisense TV, you’ll be able to easily link up Yeelight’s lighting — like these smart cubes. | Image: Yeelight

Yeelight's array of smart lighting products will now automatically sync with Hisense VIDAA TVs. During the IFA tech conference in Berlin, Yeelight revealed that its app now integrates directly with Hisense TVs, allowing it to capture the audio and video on your screen while relaying matching effects across Yeelight's devices.

That means you can quickly link up Yeelight's light strip and its stackable cube-shaped lights to your TV (given that you have a Hisense, of course). That makes it even simpler to set up when compared to some other ambient lighting options from brands like Philips, which requires you to either purchase a Hue Play HDMI …

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Ugreen’s new Uno chargers have cute emoji faces that change when you charge

2024-09-05T17:00:00-04:00

Instead of a boring number or some dots of light to show battery level, you get a silly face. | Image: Ugreen

Ugreen has a new collection of iPhone and USB accessories for IFA 2024 that really turn up the charm. The Uno line is a collection of GaN and Qi2 chargers, cables, a power bank, and a USB-C hub, each featuring a tiny screen solely for displaying robot-like emoji faces.

The most endearing ones by far are the $60 Uno Charger 100W four-port USB and the $70 15W Qi2 magnetic power bank that sticks to MagSafe phones - each looks like a helpful little bot friend you've appointed to live on your desk and help with your charging duties. They're also the most expressive, with their TFT screens that show up to half a dozen different faces to give some …

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