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‘It looks like you haven’t set up any HomeKit accessories’ – simple fix available [U]

HomePod error

Update: Reddit user BigPoppa1 has found a simple fix:

Rename a device via Home app in iPhone or iPad. It should force a refresh back to HomePod.

It was just yesterday I wrote about one annoying HomePod error message, and it’s now clear that this isn’t the only one to be bugging HomePod owners this week. Many users are reporting that Siri is responding to all HomeKit commands with: “It looks like you haven’t set up any HomeKit accessories” …

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Indie developer Aaron Pearce on HomeLog and solving HomeKit problems [Interview]

Indie developer Aaron Pearce recently launched an all-new HomeKit management app called HomeLog. Pearce has developed a suite of apps that improves Apple’s HomeKit platform over the years. The newest tool is designed to make troubleshooting HomeKit issues less frustrating. 9to5Mac recently caught up with Aaron to find out more about HomeLog and solving problems with HomeKit.

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Comment: The state of Apple TV and end of HomePod warrants a Home strategy roundtable

Apple’s Friday night move to suddenly pull the plug on HomePod after three years has created a messaging problem. Is everything OK at home, Apple? That’s the question being asked by customers who have invested in Apple’s smart home pitch.

You can trust that Apple will continue to make new iPhones and Macs for the foreseeable future, but Apple’s home products resemble Google’s betting strategy more than Apple’s usual commitment to focus and delivery.

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Home app concept imagines a fully-flexible layout, more streamlined control

Home app concept

A Home app concept posted on Behance pulls off a difficult trick: combining power and flexibility with ease of use.

Apple has done its best to walk that line, devices appearing as simple on/off buttons while a long-press reveals more powerful controls. For lights, for example, you can tap a button to toggle it on or off, and long-press to control the brightness or color – as well as to do things like assigning it to a different room…


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Review: First Alert’s Onelink Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm, the HomeKit smoke detector [Video]

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If you’re assembling a HomeKit home, First Alert’s Onelink Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm is currently the best smoke detector to purchase. As a smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, Onelink sends you alerts when triggered while you’re away and HomeKit support turns Onelink into a trigger for automation. Check out our hands-on review below:


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HomeKit in iOS 10: Tim Cook’s routines, helpful resources, and more

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During Apple’s Q1 earnings call this week, Tim Cook used HomeKit as an example of how the iPhone is expanding Apple’s ecosystem into new areas where it can innovate:

Our ecosystem is broadening to more and more of the areas where people spend their time. At the gym, on the go, in the home, and on the job. […]

And we are leading the industry by being the first to integrate home automation into a major platform with iOS 10.

As our resident HomeKit enthusiast, Cook discussing the feature during Apple’s earnings call caught my attention. Cook even describes how he’s personally using HomeKit. Below I’ll unpack exactly what Cook said about HomeKit, a bit about how I’m using it as well, and some helpful HomeKit resources.


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Home 2.0 brings iOS 10 features and a new design to the best HomeKit app for power users

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Home 2.0

Before Apple built its Home app for HomeKit in iOS 10, Matthias Hochgatterer created the best HomeKit app around with the original Home app. Apple’s Home app on iOS 10 is built-in, free, and has its own panel on Control, but the third-party Home app is still the best solution if you’re in deep with HomeKit like me. The iOS 10 version includes updated widgets, a new design, a refreshed Apple Watch app, and a temporarily discounted price to mark the launch.


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Download iOS 10’s HomeKit Home app wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

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iOS 10 Home HomeKit app

We’ve already shared the new default wallpapers currently in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, but there are also two additional new wallpapers that ship with iOS 10. Apple’s new HomeKit app called Home includes two house-themed images that you can set as wallpapers inside the app. 9to5Mac reader Mark Malstrom has extracted and shared both Home app wallpapers from iOS 10 for iPhone and iPad so you can use them as your Home screen and Lock screen wallpaper too.


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Hands-on: iOS 10 + watchOS 3 Home app for HomeKit on iPhone, iPad, & Apple Watch

iOS 10 Home HomeKit app

HomeKit, Apple’s smart home accessory framework, is gaining some much needed attention in iOS 10 and watchOS 3 thanks to a new built-in Home app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple previously relied on third-party apps from accessory makers to control the HomeKit experience, using Siri as the only first-party controller, and various apps like the third-party Home app and Hesperus filled in the void.

Apple’s new Home app comes with a modern look, relatively easy-to-use controls, and access to accessories and scenes from anywhere on iOS 10. Check out our hands-on below to see Apple’s Home app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch in action.


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Report: Apple’s standalone HomeKit app could finally arrive in iOS 10

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A standalone iOS app for Apple’s HomeKit platform could finally arrive in iOS 10 as a new report claims an Apple employee on the company’s marketing team revealed plans for the launch in an online review. MacRumors found the mention (pasted below) within a product review related to HomeKit and says it confirmed the person that left the comment was indeed an Apple employee.

As I work in marketing for Apple, we test many Smart Home devices, especially for iOS HomeKit integration. […]

Some advice, there are many third party applications, most free, that offer more control and customization(s) with many Smart Home devices. “Yonomi” is a free app that I often use, “Home” is another which cost $14.99. Both offer support for many devices with more added daily (including Amazon “Echo”). The next version of iOS due this fall will have a standalone “HomeKit” app as well.

Apple has had plans for a HomeKit app on your iPhone’s home screen for quite a while as it’s developed the platform that currently only allows control of supported home automation accessories through Siri or third-party apps. We were first to detail some of the planned features for the platform and app back before the release of iOS 9, some which like the app have yet to be released.

The idea is that rather than using various apps each accessory maker builds, you could just open one “Home” app on your iPhone to manage everything. These apps already exist in the form of third-party solutions like the Hesperus app we reviewed a couple weeks back, but a solution direct from Apple would hopefully mean one of the best implementations yet and maybe some new features that third-party developers don’t have access to in the current crop of apps.

If the report is true, we could finally get our first look at the Home app at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in June where the company is expected to preview iOS 10 alongside its other upcoming products and developer tools.

Home, one of the best HomeKit apps for iOS, gains 3D Touch shortcuts + design tweaks

Home

Apple doesn’t include a Home app for HomeKit like it does a Health app for HealthKit, but Matthias Hochgatterer’s Home app is a worthy solution for anyone diving into Apple’s Siri-controlled home automation platform. In testing various HomeKit-compatible smart accessories, Home for iOS has been a critical piece of the puzzle in making everything work correctly and reliably.

Siri controls HomeKit, but third-party apps from various accessory makers are needed for creating scenes and triggers that really make home automation come to life. Eve does the best job of making one app for all HomeKit accessories, but a dedicated HomeKit app with excellent support for all accessories is ideal. Home, which costs $14.99 but is available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, is a rather essential purchase for having a good experience with Apple’s HomeKit.

Last week we shared the latest HomeKit app on the market, Hesperus, which features an approachable design and customization options at no cost but lacks iPad and Apple Watch apps and Notification Center widgets for now. I mentioned Home for iOS, which is obviously pricier up front, and noted how its Settings-like design can feel cold in comparison. Over the weekend, however, Home for iOS reached version 1.6, which includes tweaks to how accessories are organized plus some nice iconography that I think really enhances the overall design.


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9to5Toys Last Call: iTunes Gift Cards 20% off, APC 8-Outlet UPS $42, Anker 15,600mAh Power Bank $24, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

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SanDisk Connect Wi-Fi Flash Drive for iOS/Android: 64GB $50 (Reg. $60), 32GB $30 (Reg. $40)

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iTunes gift cards 20% off: $100 for $80, $50 for $40, $25 for $20 shipped

Gift Cards w/ email delivery: Staples $100 for $85, Applebee’s $50 for $40, other restaurants, more

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Daily Deals: APC Back-UPS 550VA 8-outlet UPS $42, BenQ 1080p DLP Projector $630more

Keep your Wi-Fi running during a power outage – APC Network Backup UPS w/ dual USB: $40 shipped (Reg. $65)

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USB Power: Anker 15,600mAh Battery Pack $24 (Reg. $30), Lumsing Wall Charger + 3-ft. MFi Lightning Cable $10more

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GoPro introduces a new cost-effective action camera with Wi-Fi capabilities

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Review: JBL’s new Xtreme Bluetooth speaker goes big on sound and design

More new gear from today:

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Games/Apps: Dishonored Definitive $30, Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Starter Pack $50, iOS freebiesmore

More deals still alive:

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App Store Free App of the Week: Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants ($2 value)

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GoPro HERO4 Session + $40 Amazon Gift Card: $299 ($440 value)

New products & more:

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You can make the new J-Force electric surfboard go 0-35MPH with the bend of your finger

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Apple’s new Beats Active Collection brings sporty colors to familiar headphones

9to5Toys Last Call: ecobee3 Smart Thermostat $180, LEGO iOS sale, Drive Genius 4 Mac download $50, more

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call Updates:

App Store Free App of the Week: Worms3 ($5 value)

 

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Home: ecobee3 Smart Thermostat (not HomeKit) $180 (Orig. $250), KRUPS Espresso Machine (Prime only) $30 (Orig. $60)

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LEGO iOS sale: Movie Video Game hits lowest price ever, Lord of the Rings & Harry Potter $1 ea. (Reg. $5), more

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Drive Genius 4 the award-winning app for maintaining & repairing your Mac: $50 (Orig. $99)

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Logitech $20 off $49: MX Master Wireless Mouse $80 shipped (Reg. $100), gaming accessoriesmore

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Amazon’s Dash Replenishment Service is here and Prime members can order today

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Amazon’s new Launchpad store offers the latest gadgets from crowdfunding campaigns and startups

More new gear from today:

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Daily Deals: AOC 16-inch USB-Powered Portable LED Monitor $82, Jabra STEALTH Bluetooth Headset $66, more

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LEGO and Star Wars come together once again in this gorgeous new photography book

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More deals still alive:

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Free PS Plus Games for August: Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Limbo, more

Free Xbox Live Gold Games for August: Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes, more

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New products & more:

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Livescribe announces new Echo Smartpen Pro Edition with 8GB of storage

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The LEGO Architect shows you how to build exact replicas of famous buildings and homes

Here comes Apple’s HomeKit, first products start shipping starting w/ Insteon, Lutron, iHome, Elgato and Ecobee

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Insteon-Homekit

Insteon, Lutron, iHome, Elgato and Ecobee have all just announced that their HomeKit products are now officially available and/or shipping to customers.

The announcements come on the heels of our report that Apple partners planned this week to launch the first products using the company’s new Siri-controlled HomeKit home automation platform, first introduced alongside iOS 8 last year. 
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The Best Mac Accessories and Upgrades

Over the past six months, I’ve published quite a few tutorials to help Mac users improve the performance of older computers, as well as some great guides to the best Mac accessories across a variety of categories. Today, I’m tying them all together in this handy, one-stop roundup of the best Mac accessories and upgrades.

This guide walks you through everything: in one place, you can learn about the best Mac hard drives, RAM upgrades, docks, keyboards, trackpads, stands, bags, and travel accessories out there. And you can also get free apps to improve your Mac’s storage and responsiveness, find plain English explanations of your Mac’s technical specs, and learn about the little security screws Apple uses to tamper-proof its machines. There’s a lot inside, so you may want to bookmark this piece for future reference!…


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Withings’ new HomeKit-integrated video monitoring & environmental sensor device detects crying

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Withings, a company well-known for its line of iPhone-connected health and fitness tracking accessories, today announced a new video monitoring device with environmental sensors called  Home. While Home is a video monitoring solution that can be used for security, the company is also including some pretty unique features that it hopes will make your home both a healthier and safer environment.
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