HomeKit

Apple has released iOS 11.2.1 for iPhone and iPad. The software update restores remote access in HomeKit for shared users which was temporarily disabled last week to address a vulnerability in Apple’s smart home framework that allowed unauthorized access in certain circumstances. Apple has also released tvOS 11.2.1 which is likely related to the fix.

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A number of hotel chains have been using smart home technology in their rooms for some time now, with Hilton yesterday announcing its own plans to take the idea one step further, with the ability to remember your connected room preferences and automatically apply them when you check into a new hotel.

Hilton says the Hilton Honors app will allow guests to control the temperature in their room, adjust lighting, stream content to their TV, and control Internet-connected picture frames by displaying their own personal images.

There’s also support for scenes, so every time you stay at a Hilton with Connected Room, you can tap a single button to set your room up just as you like it.

I love this idea, and I’d like to see Apple work with hotel chains to take the logical next step …

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A HomeKit vulnerability in the current version of iOS 11.2 has been demonstrated to 9to5Mac that allows unauthorized control of accessories including smart locks and garage door openers. Our understanding is Apple has rolled out a server-side fix that now prevent unauthorized access from occurring while limiting some functionality, and an update to iOS 11.2 coming next week will restore that full functionality.

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It’s hard to believe that I’ve had a comprehensive smart home for less than a year. My first HomeKit purchases were made in January, and the gaps filled in February. Yet the technology had become so much a part of home that it felt really odd (and not a little disconcerting) to be left without it for a couple of weeks.

You always feel a bit like you’re camping for a little while on moving into a new home, when you’re not yet fully unpacked and things aren’t all set up the way you want them. I was surprised just how much of that feeling I got from the lack of home automation.

So it was with some relief that I finally set about rectifying this. Since most of the kit in the old place was included in the sale, we were stating from scratch in our new place …

I mentioned that planning a home move gave me a couple of new perspectives on smart home technology, while starting from scratch in the new place forced me to think about what has and hasn’t justified its existence.

They say that the true test of the value of anything is to try living without it for a while, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks.

Much as I love our new apartment, the view from which which came in very handy for testing the iPhone X camera, the place has also required some work. It took a week to get broadband up-and-running, without which I couldn’t install anything, and we also needed to get some basics sorted before worrying about smart home tech …

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Hunter is a company known for commercializing ceiling fans over 130 years ago, and today the company is the only firm making smart home ceiling fans that work with Apple HomeKit. Hunter’s SimpleConnect line includes three ceiling fan models available in multiple finishes that are priced from $299.

Each Hunter ceiling fan includes a built-in LED light that makes SimpleConnect a 2-in-1 essential for HomeKit homes. This enables Siri control from Apple devices, Control Center access on iPhone and iPad, automation with other smart accessories through Apple’s Home app, and much more.

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ecobee is the maker of what I consider the best HomeKit thermostat on the market, and the new version called ecobee4 adds built-in Amazon Alexa voice control and works with Google Home. ecobee4 offers the same features as the HomeKit-enabled ecobee3 which we reviewed last year, so should iPhone users spend the extra money on the new version?

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After a few false starts, IKEA has finally added HomeKit integration to its Tradfri smart light range. For owners of Tradfri smart bulb accessories, you can now update your hub firmware and get the latest version of the Tradfri app from the App Store.

This allows you to generate a HomeKit code for your existing accessories and add them using the Apple Home app. You can then control the devices like any other HomeKit accessory, including Siri voice control.

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Smart locks offer a number of benefits over the traditional key-operated kind. There’s the fact that you are less likely to get locked out if you have multiple methods of entry – key, phone and Watch, for example. Auto-unlocking is also convenient when you are carrying shopping and don’t have any free hands.

Typical smart locks offer another key benefit: the ability to allow other people entry into your home when you’re not there. For example, if a family member is visiting, and will arrive before you get home from work, you can create a ‘guest pass’ for them that allows them entry.

Today, Amazon has taken that one step further …

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Yale’s parent company has today bought smart home company August Home, and is promising to combine the strengths of the two companies to ‘create the future of smart residential doors.’

August has created a fantastic consumer experience through differentiated features and software. We look forward to the opportunity to draw from the 180 years of cumulative experience of the Yale team plus the technology expertise of the August team to create the future of smart residential doors …

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Sylvania has added two more products to its new hub-less Smart+ lineup, the LED Flex Strip along with an A19 LED Soft White bulb. The company has also announced that a smart plug will be available soon.

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The number of HomeKit-enabled smart locks on the market is steadily expanding, and Yale is the latest to join the scene with its new add-on module. Yale’s iM1 Network Module makes its smart locks work with Apple’s Home app and Siri for easy automation and control.

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[Update 2/14/18: We’ve gotten our hands on Totm (the dock portion) in both beechwood and oak and they are beautiful. Totm offers a clean and simple way to charge Apple Watch and will pair with Travl for charging on the go and HomeKit functionality. Travl should be available in May and we’ll do a full review as soon as possible.

Check out the Indiegogo page to pick up this slick Apple Watch dock up to 30% off. Check out a couple of new photos of the two docks below.]

A new product from padawanlab is hitting Indiegogo today, and it’s a beautiful piece of hardware. Totm+Travl offers a new take on Apple Watch docks, a smart dock with a clean, minimal wooden design with lots of functionality.

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Just a few days after unveiling its modular Tile lighting panels, LIFX today has unveiled its latest connected lighting system. Dubbed the LIFX Beam, these lights can be arranged in a variety of different shapes on your wall with support for over 16 million colors and integration with your iPhone and HomeKit.

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Chamberlain today has released its newest retrofit, connected device, MyQ Smart Garage Hub. After releasing its MyQ Home Bridge product that brings HomeKit support for existing MyQ setups last month, the Smart Garage Hub is billed as a universal smartphone garage controller that brings smarts to most garage door openers.

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Philips is retroactively adding HomeKit support and features to several existing Hue accessories through the latest software update. Hue tap, dimmer switch, and motion sensor all gain compatibility with Apple’s Home app and automation features when used with the second-gen bridge.

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