HomeKit

Apple today released HomePod OS 16.3.2 for HomePod, HomePod mini, and HomePod (second-generation) devices. The update addresses a pesky bug introduced with 16.3 that made controlling a HomeKit smart home a particularly frustrating affair…

As I was building my new house, I found myself struggling with the decision of which doorbell to go with. I have always been a fan of the privacy and security offered by HomeKit Secure Video, but I was also looking for a doorbell with 24/7 recording. I found myself torn between my love for the privacy of HomeKit and the need for 24/7 recording. After much research, I ended up on Google’s Nest Doorbell. It offered the 24/7 recording feature I was looking for, but I was hesitant about the lack of end-to-end encryption. But ultimately, I decided to go with the Nest doorbell because it’s not a camera inside my home, and the benefits of the 24/7 recording feature outweighed the concern about the encryption.

Keeping a unified smart home – where any smart phone or home assistant can be used to control any smart home device you have – can be a bit of challenge. Previously, many iPhone users have used Homebridge to connect otherwise unsupported devices to Apple’s Home app. But the Matter standard could make that unnecessary, as Matter compatible devices will be compatible with Amazon, Google, and Apple’s smart home ecosystems. That begs the question: Will Matter make Homebridge obsolete?

VOCOlinc, a highly underrated HomeKit manufacturer, released a new addition to its portfolio in 2022 that I am excited to review: a smart LED floor lamp. This lamp is not just any ordinary floor lamp, it comes with HomeKit integration, making it a powerful tool for enhancing your smart home setup. In this post, I’ll take a closer look at the design and features of the VOCOlinc Smart LED Floor Lamp, how to add it to HomeKit, and potential use cases.

LG has announced a dramatic expansion of TVs that offer support for the Apple TV app, AirPlay, HomeKit, and Apple Music. While these features have been available on LG’s own webOS TVs for a while, today’s announcement expands them to third-party TVs that run the company’s webOS Hub software.

When Apple updated the HomePod mini to 16.3, they added the ability to access the long-hidden humidity and temperature sensors concealed within the speakers. The sensors unlock a number of possibilities within HomeKit, including some great smart home automations you can set up to make your home a bit more comfortable.

TP-Link is one of those brands that when you run across one of their product lines, you know you can count on it. I’ve used their switches in my home for as long as I can remember, and it’s as rock solid as you’d imagine. They’ve quietly been building out the Kasa product line, and in my experience, they’ve followed the same dependability as the networking hardware. The brand-new Kasa EP40A brings robust HomeKit control to outdoor outlets, giving you more control over how you use your outdoor lights and appliances than ever before.

Smart outlet adaptors, like the Wemo Smart Plug with Thread, are a great smart home device for newcomers looking to bing some basic home automation to into their lives. Wemo is Belkin’s smart home brand, and they’re actually the very first smart home product I bought nearly ten years ago. Version 4 builds upon previous versions, but brings a HomeKit only focus to the device. Smart outlet adaptors are great devices to have in every room in your home, and here’s three reasons why:

Philips Hue smart home accessories are about to get more expensive in some countries around the world. The company has confirmed that a selection of Philips Hue products will see an average 10% price increase outside of the United States starting in February as a result of currency fluctuations.

A web developer has created a Siri GPT-3 mashup that is intended to demonstrate the potential for a truly smart voice assistant.

The AI system was able to make sense of conversational speech – including some in which the required action was implied rather than directly stated …

Are you tired of fumbling with keys every time you want to enter your home? Do you worry about the security of traditional locks, especially when you’re away from home? If so, it might be time to consider a HomeKit door lock. HomeKit door locks are smart locks that can be controlled and monitored through your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. With HomeKit, you can unlock your door with the tap of a button, or even just by using your voice. You can also set up automation rules to unlock your door at certain times of day, or when certain events occur, such as your arrival home.

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” …

I felt a real sense of deja-vu recently, when I told one of my HomePods to run a scene and Siri responded with “You’ll need to continue on your personal device.” This is a message many of us will remember from 2020 … and 2021 … and 2022. Welcome to the new year – same as the old year.

But more than just an annoyance, this is, to me, an encapsulation of the biggest problem with smart home tech in general, and HomeKit in particular …

One of the promises of Matter is to create an open ecosystem of smart home products that you can use with your preferred platform, meaning products won’t have to be designed for HomeKit, but rather all Matter-compatible products will work with HomeKit. The SwitchBot Hub 2 is designed to work with Matter and will enable other products in the SwitchBot ecosystem to integrate with HomeKit. The first product to be released with this capability will be the SwitchBot Curtain. Read on to learn more about SwitchBot’s HomeKit integration.

Back in September, Lutron expanded its Caséta HomeKit-supported smart dimmer and switch lineup with the Diva and Claro products. Now for CES, the company has expanded the available colors plus announced a new Claro smart accessory switch for wired multi-location control.

Are you new to using HomeKit, Apple’s smart home platform, thanks to a well-timed Christmas gift? So, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ll be sharing some tips and tricks to help you get started with HomeKit and make the most of your smart home setup. From setting up your first HomeKit-compatible device to creating automations and using the Home app, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started with HomeKit. We’ll also delve into some of the more advanced features of the platform, such as setting up HomeKit secure video and using the HomePod as a hub. Whether you’re a seasoned smart home user or new to the game, these tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your HomeKit setup.

Google, Apple, and Amazon are three of the biggest technology companies in the world, and both have a strong presence in the smart home market. However, their approaches to this market differ in some key ways. After spending years fully in the camp of HomeKit, I’ve spent the last few weeks with some first-party Google products, and I think it’s worth asking the question: Why doesn’t Apple make its own smart home products?

One of the key themes we’re seeing with smart homes is compatibility. Matter technology aims to bridge the gap between the various smart home platforms. Outside of Matter, HOOBS is one of my favorite products to extend the usefulness of HomeKit. It’s built on top of Homebridge as a commercial product that’s well supported. In early 2023, HOOBS Pro looks like a heavy hitter for building the best smart home system.

Eve, the popular HomeKit product manufacturer, has announced that it will be releasing an optional firmware update for its Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, and Eve Motion products, making them the first Thread products available on the market for the new Matter standard. This update will allow customers to connect their Eve products to the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem and, coming soon, Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

I mentioned a few months ago that I planned to use the Google Nest Cam with Floodlight at my new house because it offered 24/7 recording. For my outdoor cameras, it’s something I really wanted going forward. We’ve been in the house a few weeks, so I wanted to report what I’ve learned about the devices, how it compares to HomeKit cameras, and how it works with Starling Home Hub for bridging it to HomeKit. 

YEELIGHT’s lamp with wireless charging is the perfect option for a kid’s bedroom. In a simple design that includes a touch sensor and HomeKit support, it strikes the perfect balance between form and function; it won’t break the bank, either! If you stop reading here, you need to know two things about it:

1. It supports HomeKit
2. It includes a built-in wireless charger
3. It’s right around $50 depending on if its on sale or not

If that looks like something you want, you’ll love this lamp.