This digest compiles the latest from The Verge.
Today’s The Verge Roundup
Lifx launches a smart mirror and a $30 dimmer switch that can control smart bulbs
5 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Lifx, one of the original smart lighting brands, is launching a Matter-enabled smart mirror, its first US in-wall dimmer, and a cheaper line of bulbs and light strips starting at around $12. The company, which announced the new products at CES this week, says it plans to upgrade its entire current generation of devices to support Matter-over-Thread in addition to Wi-Fi later this year.
The new Lifx SuperColor mirror features front and backlighting with Makeup Check and Anti-Fog modes. It comes with three configurable buttons that let you control other smart home devices directly from the mirror. It supports Matter, so you can connect it to …
Kwikset’s new Matter-over-Thread smart lock costs under $200
5 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Kwikset announced a price and release date for its Aura Reach smart lock at CES 2026 this week. A more affordable Matter-over-Thread option compared to the excellent but expensive Halo Select, the Aura Reach is available now for $189.
At just under $100 less than the Halo, you are sacrificing built-in Wi-Fi and an integrated door sensor that lets you know if the door is open or closed. The full-replacement deadbolt lock also has a Grade 2 security rating compared to Grade 1 on the Halo line, and a more utilitarian design.
While the Aura does work with Apple Home through Matter, it doesn’t support Apple Home Key’s tap-to-unlock, which is av …
Amazon Fire TV OS gets a much-needed revamp
5 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm by John.Higgins
Amazon Fire TV has been a bit long in the tooth for a while now. Its design isn’t as intuitive to navigate as Google TV, Roku, or Apple TV, and its responsiveness is frustrating. I’ve found it to be the weak link in Amazon’s portfolio for a while now, and the only major drawback to otherwise excellent TVs like the Panasonic Z95B. But after getting a demo of what Amazon has in store, I dare say I’m excited for a new Fire TV OS redesign.
The new layout is better organized and reminiscent of Google TV (which has been my favorite for a few years now). It’s visually more pleasing to look at, with rounded-corner tiles instead of the harsh rectang …
The Alexa Plus website is now available to everyone in early access
5 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm by Terrence O’Brien
Alexa Plus was already popping up online for some users earlier this month, and now it’s officially available to everyone through an early access program. Anyone can go sign up at Alexa.com and start playing with the new web interface for Amazon’s new AI chatbot.
Alexa Plus was already available on all new Echo devices and recently rolled out as an update to older Echoes as well. But certain tasks are just easier to do with a keyboard and mouse than they are with your voice. Now you can get access to Alexa while sitting at your laptop to update your to-do list or make reservations at that new Puerto Rican spot that recently opened up.
One …
Amazon adds to the lifestyle TV landscape with the Ember Artline TV
5 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm by John.Higgins
Joining Samsung’s The Frame, Hisense CanvasTV, TCL Nxtvision, and newly announced LG Gallery TV, is Amazon’s very first art TV. The Amazon Ember Artline is a 4K edge-lit LED TV with a matte screen to reduce ambient light glare and is only 1.5 inches thick. At purchase, customers will be able to include their choice from 10 different colored frames – walnut, ash, teak, black oak, matte white, midnight blue, fig, pale gold, graphite, and silver.
The Artline supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats and Wi-Fi 6. It uses far-field microphones so you can interact with Alexa+ from anywhere in your room and uses motion sensors (Amazon calls it Omni …
This egg-shaped gadget aims to demystify hormones… with pee
5 Jan 2026, 3:00 pm by Victoria Song
Your urine can tell you a lot about your reproductive health hormones. Unfortunately, at-home testing can be cumbersome, involving collecting samples that are then mailed out to labs. That’s what health startup Mira is trying to simplify with its $249 Ultra4 Hormone Monitor.
The pitch is to make highly accurate, readily available hormone testing for at-home users. The Ultra4 is technically two separate products. The first is the actual Hormone Monitor, which is a standalone, egg-shaped gadget that analyzes test results. The second is the Ultra4 Wand, which is a little stick you pee on that contains the actual test for four reproductive hor …
The best tech announced at CES 2026 so far
5 Jan 2026, 2:29 pm by Andrew Liszewski
Ahead of the CES show floor officially opening on Tuesday, January 6th, many companies have already announced new tech, gadgets, concepts, and AI-powered upgrades that will be released over this year.
Yesterday’s CES Unveiled event delivered even more announcements and reveals. If you’re already struggling to keep on top of all the news coming out of the show, we’ve rounded up some of the best hardware and upgrades that have debuted so far. But there’s still more to come, so you can check back here every day, or catch up on all of The Verge‘s CES 2026 coverage here.
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
First announced last month, The Verge‘s Allison …
Twelve South’s Valet is a handsome place to put your stuff
5 Jan 2026, 2:14 pm by David Pierce
For years, the accessory maker Twelve South has sold clever accessories for charging gadgets. Its new device, the Valet, is maybe its simplest idea ever: it’s a nice-looking tray designed to be the place you drop your keys, sunglasses, and other pocket detritus, and offers a couple of ways to charge whatever needs to be charged. It costs $179.99, and ships in the next couple of weeks.
Most of the Valet tray is just… tray. It’s covered in a soft leather, which comes in several different colors. (You can also customize the outer metal frame to match.) On one side, a raised square acts like a podium for wireless charging up to 15 watts. You c …
Microsoft Edge is getting a Copilot-inspired redesign
5 Jan 2026, 2:14 pm by Tom Warren
Microsoft is preparing to launch a major UI refresh of its Edge browser soon. The software maker has started bringing the design language from Copilot to early Canary and Dev test versions of its Microsoft Edge browser.
Design changes include a settings section that looks identical to the Copilot app, updated context menus, and an updated new tab page. Windows Central reports that Edge will also have rounded corners and use the same colors and fonts used by Microsoft’s Copilot app.
The new UI of Microsoft Edge isn’t tied to the Copilot Mode of Microsoft’s browser, either. Microsoft appears to be pushing ahead with using Copilot’s unique de …
Lockly’s new smart locks will support Matter and NFC
5 Jan 2026, 2:00 pm by Barbara Krasnoff
Lockly has introduced a series of smart locks that have native Matter compatibility, meaning that they will be able to be used across different smart home systems. The Affirm Series of smart locks will come in both deadbolt and latch editions. What’s more, the locks will support several ways to allow access, including not only the usual numeric keypad, but NFC access, so they can be used with physical and digital NFC key cards.
The ability to access NFC means that you can either use a physical card to unlock a door, or import a key card into your digital wallet and use your phone instead, offering an alternative to the keypad. Other feature …
End of today’s The Verge roundup.
