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Insteon adds Sonos integration to control speakers from its iOS app & hardware

Users of Insteon’s connected home automation products will now be able to control their Sonos speakers directly from Insteon hardware and the company’s iOS app. The feature comes thanks to a new integration with Sonos that the company announced today at CES 2016.

With the integration, users will be able to control their Sonos speakers from the Insteon wall keypads, handheld remotes and sensors, as well as the company’s Hub app for iPhone and iPad. Instead offered some examples of how you can sync your Sonos speakers and music with lighting scenes and more:

Through this integration, music can now play a part in custom Insteon lighting scenes so that while the lights slowly fade on in the morning, gentle music resonates throughout the home and the coffee starts brewing. Alternatively, at dusk, the lights could fade on while users arrive home to their favorite dinner prep playlist.

You’ll also be able to make adjustments by assigning specific functions for Sonos (like volume up and down, for example) to the Insteon wall keypad. Sonos owners can easily control their speakers as they walk in and out of rooms or when they simply do not want the hassle of dealing with an app.

“It’s easy for homeowners to replace normal wall switches with Insteon keypads that can be used to control the existing light, while adding additional buttons for control of Sonos speakers or other lights and appliances throughout the home. Users can also pick up an Insteon wireless remote from the coffee table and instantly enjoy control at their fingertips. Insteon will be offering pre-printed keypad buttons specifically for Sonos related functions, which will make basic sound control even easier for anyone to use and understand.”

The Sonos integration for Insteon will go live some time this week via an update to the company’s iOS app on the App Store.

Review: Are Belkin’s latest Wemo lights worth the investment before HomeKit support?

Belkin’s three latest products in its Wemo line of Wi-Fi connected, smartphone-controlled products for the home include a white bulb starter kit, a versatile strip light, and garden lights for outdoor use. The last two are both tunable to thousands of colors and all three connect to Belkin’s Wemo ecosystem and companion app for remote control from your iPhone. All three of the products are through a partnership with OSRAM SYLVANIA, who provided the lightning products that Belkin has integrated into its Wemo platform. We took the three new starter kits for a test drive to get a second look at the growing Wemo platform and see if they are worth the investment before support for Apple’s HomeKit…

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GE announces Siri-controlled, color-changing LED lighting with support for HomeKit

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GE announced today that it’s introducing HomeKit enabled LED lighting products offering Siri-controlled solutions for both the home and enterprise. With support for Apple’s new HomeKit framework, users will be able to control the lights from their iOS device using Siri.

The company noted that the new line of GE HomeKit lighting will also include its GE Align technology that “tunes the light spectrum to help promote the body’s natural sleep cycle by controlling the blue concentration of light output.”
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USB-powered, versatile, touch-sensitive LED lamp hits the market

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re8xpaWuTIM?rel=0]

A neat new accessory from Satechi has hit the market: a USB-powered LED lamp. As the name implies, this lamp plugs into any USB 2.0 or 3.0 port for power. That means, as shown in the above video, that your MacBook could power up the lamp that lights up your desk. The lamp is also versatile in that the LED lights can plug into any base (such as a real lamp base or even a bottle). The system does not come with a standard base. The lamp has a life of 50,000 hours and consumes 1.2W of power. Users can turn the light on and off by simply touching the device. The LED lamp is available at Amazon for $24.99. (via Engadget)


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