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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Senior Reviewer, Smart Home

Senior Reviewer, Smart Home

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (aka Jen) writes about all things smart home, home automation, and connected tech for The Verge. A journalist for three decades, she has covered the smart home since 2013, writing for The New York Times: Wirecutter, Dwell, Wired, The Ambient, BBC Science Focus, and US News & World Report, among others. She joined The Verge in 2021, where she tests everything from robot vacuums, video doorbells, and smart locks to connected chicken coops and smart ovens. She’s an expert on the Matter smart home standard and is passionate about the connected kitchen and home energy management. She started her career on London’s Fleet Street with The Daily Telegraph newspaper before moving to Sun Valley, Idaho, where she worked in local news for ten years. She now lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, two children, a dog, two cats, a rabbit, and several chickens.

More From Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

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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.

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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.

I tested 30 smart locks, and these are the bestI tested 30 smart locks, and these are the best
Buying Guide
Buying Guide
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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
News
News
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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.

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Prime Day is ending soon, but these smart home deals are still availablePrime Day is ending soon, but these smart home deals are still available
Prime Day
The Verge’s guide to Amazon Prime Day 2025
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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
When in Rome, this Echo speaks Roman.

The new Echo Dot Rome Limited Edition will respond to the command “Alexa, speak Roman,” with some colorful expressions in the city’s local dialect.

The €89.99 smart speaker is designed to celebrate the city of Rome, and features eye-catching artwork by Italian artist Ale Giorgini highlighting St. Peter’s, the Colosseum, and the Trevi Fountain.

The smart speaker with Italian flair is only available in Italy and has been released in honor of Rome’s Jubilee.

The Echo Dot Rome is the first European limited edition Alexa, according to Panos Panay.
The Echo Dot Rome is the first European limited edition Alexa, according to Panos Panay.
Image: Amazon
The best doorbell camerasThe best doorbell cameras
Buying Guide
Buying Guide
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