HomeKit

A few months ago my original HomePod died. Its early death was likely an unfortunate side effect of a bad software update. And since Apple no longer sells the original HomePod after discontinuing it early this year, the only option is to buy a HomePod mini, buy a used HomePod, or look elsewhere entirely.

Though it doesn’t possess the amazing sound quality of the original HomePod, the HomePod mini is a good smart speaker, and is better than the original in other ways. With last week’s release of three additional HomePod mini colors, I thought it was a good time to revisit some of the best HomePod mini features.

My Kids have become quite used to using HomeKit in our home as the years have gone by. A HomeKit smart plug controls their white noise machines, we run HomeKit compatible air filters in their rooms, and we’ve recently been experimenting with fun lighting options for “night lights.” I’ve discovered one of the best HomeKit night light options, and it’s the Cololight Hexagon Light Works.

Smart home company Netatmo has announced an upcoming HomeKit-compatible CO detector, joining its existing smoke alarm and indoor air quality monitor. The company also makes a wide range of other smart home devices.

The Netatmo Smart Carbon Monoxide Alarm looks out for your safety day and night. 
It measures, in real time, the levels of carbon monoxide, which is an invisible, odourless and potentially fatal gas. If your home has any fuel-burning appliances (boiler, fireplace, gas cooker, etc.), the Netatmo Carbon Monoxide Alarm will monitor the carbon monoxide particles emitted by these appliances …

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.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced that it would start making its own self-branded TVs, described as “Amazon-built TVs” for the first time. Now, the company is also promising that its Omni and 4-Series Fire TVs will “soon” add support for both Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit features.

Aqara, one of the best ways to build a HomeKit powered smart home for low cost has a new way to get started for even less upfront expense. The new Aqara E1 hub features a compact design with high installation flexibility and can be bridged to HomeKit.

There is no shortage of HomeKit lamps on the market, and they’ve been a big hit at my house with my family. My kids love the multi-colored lights, I love the ability to turn them off from Siri using HomePods, and they are fairly inexpensive. My new favorite lamp is the YEELight HomeKit Lamp, which is the perfect size and shape for a bedside table.

My wife and I have recently finalized the plans for our new home, so I am now able to think through how the HomeKit setup will work thoroughly. I plan to completely rebuild the “Home” to eliminate any software “crud” accumulated over the years. The first aspect I’ve been thinking through is what kind of cameras I want to use. I’ve debated using Nest cameras for outdoor use and bridging them to HomeKit using the Starling Home Hub. For indoor use, I am having a hard look at the ONVIS HomeKit Security Indoor Camera in my current home to see how it will work in my new home.

At WWDC this summer, Apple announced that it would be expanding Siri’s availability to third-party devices for the first time. Today, Ecobee is announcing that it is rolling out support for Siri integration for its popular SmartThermostat with voice control. Head below for the full details on how this works.

Halloween is almost here, and HomeKit provides a lot of fun ways to automate your Halloween decorations to offer a little “cyber spooking” to trick or treaters as they come knocking.

I’ve written countless articles about the Starling Home Hub, but the device keeps getting better with no subscription necessary for continuous updates. Earlier this summer, it added AirPlay to Google Nest speakers, and I’ve used it almost daily since then. Today, a new update is available that brings support for the latest Nest cameras to HomeKit.

There are some big features that should arrive with iOS 15.1 but one of the subtle and useful changes coming looks to be the option to set HomeKit automations based on humidity sensors.

Onvis has been a long-time HomeKit device manufacturer, but I’ve just recently started using its products. One of the easiest ways to build out a smart home is by adding motion sensors in your home to automate lightning based on if someone is in the room or not. This week, I am looking at the Onvis HomeKit Motion Sensor.

A few months ago, I reviewed Qingping’s e-ink temperature tracking device. I loved the look of it, as it didn’t follow the trend of high-resolution screens. For the past few weeks, I’ve had Qingping’s Air Monitor Lite, and it brings another unique style to HomeKit.

I’ve written about a handful of HomeKit compatible light strips in the past few months, but a new model looks to be the best yet. The Onvis Kameleon Smart Light Strips bring some unique features to HomeKit that are worth checking out.

The August Lock is one of my favorite HomeKit devices I own, so when I came across the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock, it was something I was immediately curious to try to see how it worked with HomeKit, as I’ve not used an indoor lock before.

Aqara Matter support has been added to two of its existing hubs, which upgrades them to the HomeKit-compatible connectivity standard for smart home devices. Updating the hubs will provide Matter connectivity to much of the company’s product range, including sensors, switches, and plugs.

The company says that Matter compatibility is coming first to two hubs, the Aqara M1S and M2 …

Thinka has launched their new Z-Wave Controller Thinka Z-Wave. The new controller is the first Apple HomeKit-certified Z-Wave controller and is designed to add more than 3,300 smart Z-Wave products for HomeKit users.