IFA is in full swing, and the Berlin expo has gathered advanced tech from across the globe to show off, from all-new vacuum features to ultra-advanced AI ecosystems ready to help manage your home. Then there are the products that made us go, “…Huh.”

When tech companies are throwing everything they’ve got at IFA, things can get a little weird. Here’s the wackiest tech we spotted, what it’s supposed to do, and how useful we think it could be out in the real world.

Govee’s mood-reading sky light

Govee has long been at the forefront of strange home lighting creations, from literal curtains of light to spread across your garage to table lamps that look more like alien artifacts. Now Govee is showing off one of its oddest products yet: a dome-like ceiling light made to mimic the sky while being “mood-responsive.”

In this case, mood-responsive means you can use Govee’s AI to talk about your mood or how you’re feeling, and the Govee app will come up with ceiling light color schemes to match. But the light can also create a specific blue wavelength designed to evoke blue skies and natural daylight.

Too weird to work? Not as weird as you may think. I’ve tested Govee’s AI before, and you really can generate lighting patterns based on your mood or random musings. But Govee already has so many lighting scenes in its app that I didn’t find it very practical — although definitely fun. I wonder how well it will work with a full ceiling light.

SwitchBot’s AI shirt pin, the MindClip

If you thought AI was already in everything, just wait: SwitchBot is announcing the launch of its AI shirt device, the MindClip, at IFA. It’s made to clip onto your shirt pocket, collar, nearby strap or even belt. Once in place, it, well, essentially listens to everything that happens within a 3-meter radius for up to 20 hours and saves it for you.

The MindClip can recognize people by their voices and summarize conversations or events, ostensibly to help you with planning after a busy day. As far as AI goes, it’s no spying Meta glasses, but it is fairly invasive, especially for strangers you may be chatting with.  

Too weird to work? Interestingly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen an AI pin, although it is the smallest and least distracting version I’ve spotted. The problem is that none of them really took off, and some companies even pivoted to an entirely different product. So yes, it’s too weird to work for now, but maybe the rumored AI capabilities in Apple’s AirPods will be an exception.

The AI-powered companion doll from Lovense

Singaporean intimacy and sex toy company Lovense has brought the latest version of its AI “companion doll” to IFA, aiming to make it more lifelike than ever before. In addition to talking, remembering past facts and adjusting its personality, the silicone doll can blink, smile and look when called by its custom name. Users can also chat with the doll at a distance via a phone app and set up roleplay scenarios, if they prefer.

Too weird to work? Yes, the age of AI sex dolls is here. But it’s such an eclectic — and expensive (between $4,000 and $8,000) — proposition, this one is only for those with very specific tastes and a, ahh, particular relationship with AI. For others, Lovense also debuted several more conventional, AI-free toys.

A Eufy sensor that asks if you fell down

When today’s home sensors can do nearly anything from recognizing when dogs bark to knowing when someone is tampering with a mailbox, it may sound strange to make a sensor specifically to say, “Oops, it looks like you fell down!” But that’s just what Anker’s Eufy brand has done.

There’s method behind this madness. The wall sensor uses a combo of algorithms and presence sensing with mmWave technology, no cameras necessary. It’s made to help those aging in place or living in rest homes without creating privacy concerns. The sensor even supports two-way audio, so family members or nurses can check in if they get an alert about a potential fall.

Quick note: As Anker consolidates its brand names, Eufy products are staying with us, but the Eufy name may not be around forever, so keep that in mind when shopping.

Too weird to work? In this case, not at all. I’ve already seen mmWave technology tap into Wi-Fi signals to help those aging in place, although Eufy’s sensor is the first I’ve seen that focuses on falls and enables two-way audio for a quick checkup. It’s a strong use of the technology.

A smartphone for your pet

Ucloudlink has brought the newest version of its award-winning PetPhone to IFA this year, showing a world where cats and dogs have their own smartphone, too. Sort of.

The Petpogo PetPhone is technically a smart pet collar, and we’ve reviewed many of those. But this version comes with two-way audio to talk to your pet with an app and AI features that interpret behavior and motion so pets can theoretically initiate a call themselves, as well as emotion analysis of barks, meows and other actions. It also supports more traditional capabilities like tracking and geofencing, and it alerts pet parents to out-of-routine behaviors.

Too weird to work? No AI features can accurately interpret specific barks or meows into moods and feelings. That’s (currently) nonsense. And trying to get your pet to “call” you with specific behaviors sounds dubious at best. So most of the innovations here are too weird, but the underlying collar functionality looks usable.

These headphones that turn into a Bluetooth speaker

TDM is showing off its very unique Neo headphones, with a literal twist. In normal mode, they look like a typical pair of wireless headphones. But twist and collapse the earcups, and they form into a small Bluetooth speaker with up to 8 hours of music playback. The dual-device comes with an aux port, a USB-C charging port and a carrying case.

Too weird to work? When was the last time you saw someone with headphones and thought, “What a pleasant, private music experience that person is having, I wish there was a way for them to share it with all the people nearby?” Nope. No one likes it when you play music out loud in public spaces, especially when the same device could let you listen privately. I’m calling these headphones too weird to work.

A soundwave-creating smart bed

Amada brought a fascinating mattress to IFA called the Soundwave Smart Mattress. Yes, it connects to a phone app. And yes, it really does produce soundwaves or at least a “vibroacoustic experience” with vibration modes for pre-sleep relaxation, meditation, focus and recharging. I’m not sure how vibration is supposed to help with those things, but CNET health expert Anna Gragert told me vibration therapy does have applications for recovery and disease treatment. The bed is made of polyurethane foam and polyester fabric, with a four-pin power connector.

Too weird to work? Well, Magic Fingers did have their day in hotel rooms across the US, but that day ended pretty fast. I don’t know if a bed with good vibrations is what the average home is looking for, but if you’ve tried it and it works for you, this could be a shakingly good upgrade.

Tyler Lacoma

Editor / Home Security and Smart Home

Tyler has worked on, lived with and tested all types of smart home and security technology for over a dozen years, explaining the latest features, privacy tricks, and top recommendations.

With degrees in Business Management, Literature and Technical Writing, Tyler takes every opportunity to play with the latest AI technology, push smart devices to their limits and occasionally throw cameras off his roof, all to find the best devices to trust in your life. He always checks with the renters (and pets) in his life to see what smart products can work for everyone, in every living situation.

Living in beautiful Bend, Oregon gives Tyler plenty of opportunities to test the latest tech in every kind of weather and temperature. But when not at work, he can be found hiking the trails, trying out a new food recipe for his loved ones, keeping up on his favorite reading, or gaming with good friends.

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