SwitchBot has launched a new retrofit smart lock that gives owners multiple ways to enter European homes without a traditional key. Announced at IFA today, the SwitchBot Lock Ultra Max Vision Pro Combo provides multi-user entry and up to 19 ways to unlock doors, including, fingerprint scans, passcodes, NFC card access, contactless authentication via facial […]
Today, I’m talking with Tom Conrad, the CEO of Sonos. Tom and I have known each other for a long time — he was the chief technology officer of Pandora, VP of product at Snap, and the chief product officer of Quibi. He was also on the board at Sonos during its disastrous 2024 app […]
DJI has announced a second generation of its Romo robovac. The Romo 2 series is quieter, more powerful, and better at climbing over small steps and other obstacles. But more importantly for DJI, a new local-only data mode should go some way to reassuring anyone concerned by the first Romo’s serious security flaws. There are […]
Anker’s new robot lawnmower might take over for your weedwacker, too. Announced at IFA 2026, the Eufy Robot Lawn Mower S2 Max comes with an extendable trimming arm to clean up the grass around your driveway and flowerbeds. The dual-blade mower offers vSLAM navigation that uses built-in cameras to build a 3D map of your […]
Philips Hue is slashing the steep entry price of its entertainment sync offerings. The new stripped-down Sync Box 4K starts at $150, compared to $385 for the 8K model. The brand also launched its first camera-based solution, the Play Screen Sync, for $119.99. Both were on display this week at the IFA tech show in […]
Philips Hue is finally adding wall panels into its smart lighting portfolio. But instead of developing its own, it’s partnered with longtime rival Nanoleaf, the company that invented the smart modular wall panel category. Starting today, September 3rd, if you own Nanoleaf Hexagon, Triangle, or Mini Triangle wall panels, you can integrate them into your […]
Anker is launching the Eufy MindBase, a local AI hub for its security cameras that runs an on-device, Anker-developed LLM, which the company says can process your footage without it ever leaving your home. It’s also announcing a handful of other smart home security products at the IFA tech show in Berlin this week, including […]
The doors to Europe’s largest consumer tech show haven’t opened to the public yet, but there’s already plenty of news coming out of IFA 2026 in Berlin, Germany. If you’re already struggling to keep up with what has been announced, here are some of the best new gadgets and upgrades from the show – including […]
When Google ignominiously exited the European thermostat market last year, it pointed its customers to Tado. This week, the German-based smart home company is launching its Smart Thermostat X (2nd gen), and aiming to attract European Nest users who haven’t already jumped ship. Google shutting down the servers for its 1st- and 2nd-gen thermostats drove […]
The idea of humanoid robots running our homes has been the stuff of science fiction for years. But unlike hoverboards and self-tying sneakers, a robot housekeeper has never felt close to rolling into our homes. Until now. This has been the year of the humanoid robot. At CES, there were dozens of human-shaped bots on […]