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Embrace the keyless lifestyle with advanced home security from Aqara
This post is sponsored by Aqara.
If you’re still using a physical key to unlock the front door of your home, it’s time to consider how a smart lock can improve your life. If your vehicle uses an RFID fob—unlocking its doors when you stand nearby—then you’re already familiar with how convenient it is to ditch the old-school key. The Aqara Smart Lock U100 is a hyper-secure user-friendly option that will level up the safety of your home and make your comings and goings a breeze.
How to set up and use a HomeKit accessory on iOS and iPadOS
Once you set up a HomeKit-enabled smart accessory, you can easily control it using Siri or the Home app on any of your Apple devices.
HomeKit-enabled accessories are smart devices you can add to and control using the Apple Home app. And once you set one up using your new iPhone or iPad, you get to customize its functions through any of your compatible Apple devices, including the Apple Watch and Mac. That's not to mention you could ask Siri on your iPhone 14 Pro Max or HomePod to enable, disable, or control the HomeKit accessory in a hands-free manner. Whether you're on iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or an older OS version, the process to do so is the same. All you have to do is follow the steps we've listed below.
This smart surge protector might be the best $33 you spend on Prime Day
It works with Apple Homekit, Google Assistant, Alexa, and more
Smart plugs and power strips like this one from Meross make it easy to connect "dumb" appliances to your smart home setup. They're also perfect for those who are dipping a toe into the smart home world. The Meross smart power strip highlighted in this deal is a great option to consider, especially for those who want something simple to get started and don't want to spend a lot of money chasing the best smart plugs out there. The Meross Wi-Fi-enabled smart plug, which usually goes for $41 on Amazon, is currently down to just $33 for a limited time. This surge protector would be a solid addition to your home, and it's also very easy to recommend at the discounted price of just $33 during Amazon Prime Day.
How a $20 smart bulb brightened up my life
You don't have to invest a fortune to enjoy the convenience that smart home appliances can offer. The Yeelight Bulb Color 1S is living proof of that.
When you buy a new iPhone, such as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you may notice an app called Home. Despite being a tech enthusiast, I mostly ignored it because I wasn't using any smart home appliances. These devices just didn't appeal to me. I mean, do I really need to ask Siri to turn off the bulb when I could just smack the switch?
What is Matter, and why the new smart home standard should matter to you
Matter is supposed to save the smart home from a mess of ecosystems and differing standards. It's one of those game changing moments.
Ecosystem lock-ins aren't always bad, but when it comes to smart homes, the landscape is messy. Currently, there are different standards, countless brands, and even platform plays like Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit. It seems everyone wants a piece of your home, but rarely does all this tech play nicely together.
New Eve Motion gets a light sensor and is ready for Matter
The Eve Motion is a new IPX3 rated motion and light sensor with Thread support, so it's HomeKit ready now, and Matter ready tomorrow.
Eve, formerly part of Elgato, has a brand new motion sensor available from today. The Eve Motion costs just $40, doesn't require recharging, has some nifty new features, and, most of all, is ready for the future.
Do the Ring Doorbell and cameras support Apple HomeKit?
Ring Doorbells and cameras are great products for those building a smart home. Do they support Apple's HomeKit, though? Find out here.
Smart homes are becoming increasingly more popular. Why get out of bed and manually turn on the coffee maker when you can just scream at Siri or the nearest smart speaker and get it to do it for you? Our phones are becoming the central hub for everything in our lives. It's no longer just about social media, texting, calling, and taking photos. Phones now store our bank cards, medical histories, IDs in some regions, house and car keys, and more.
Schlage announces smart lock with Apple Home Key support
Schlage has announced a new smart lock that works with Apple Home Key. This allows you to control it by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch.
Schlage has announced a new smart lock that comes with Apple Home Key support. The Cupertino giant first introduced the feature in iOS 15 -- which allows users to store digital house keys in their Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch. When you want to control your lock, you only have to tap your device on it. The technology uses NFC and is similar to Apple's Car Key feature. It's also worth mentioning that Home Key works for an additional five hours or so after your device's battery dies -- thanks to Power Reserve mode.
Apple's HomeKit can be abused to reboot iPhones endlessly
A newly discovered HomeKit vulnerability can cause iPhones to reboot endlessly. It affects a wide range of iOS versions, including the latest.
Apple's HomeKit allows users to control and automate their compatible smart home appliances, and thanks to iCloud sync, changes made on one Apple device are automatically reflected on the rest. However, a newly discovered HomeKit vulnerability can cause iPhones to reboot endlessly. This issue affects a wide range of iOS versions, including the latest stable release -- iOS 15.2. If you're running an older version of iOS, malicious third-party apps can trigger this bug as well. And depending on your iPhone's preferences, you will either be locked out of the Home app or your iPhone will crash completely and reboot in an endless manner.
Apple's smart home vision is getting more cohesive and interconnected
Apple has announced new updates for HomeKit and its smart home devices, along with support for Matter and Siri for third-party accessories.
Apple has announced it will support the new industry interoperability standard called Matter to offer a more cohesive and interconnected smart home experience to users. Support for Matter will go live in iOS 15 later this year, and users will be able to control all connected devices using the Home app. Google and other leading smart home vendors have also recently announced support for the Matter initiative.
Apple's iCloud+ brings new privacy features at the same price
At WWDC 2021, Apple introduced iCloud+, an expansion for the for its cloud storage service. It adds a number of privacy features like a VPN.
Apple's WWDC announcements don't stop coming, and the company has announced iCloud+. This new tier of the service adds new privacy-focused features to iCloud while keeping the same price.
Scrypted is a home automation Android app that integrates with Google Assistant
Scrypted is an Android app that lets you connect your Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa devices and control them with Google Assistant.
Smart home devices are getting more and more popular as big companies and indie developers are constantly releasing new services that integrate with them. Some of them offer cross-platform capabilities to connect products from different manufacturers. Scrypted is a new Android app that does exactly that. It lets you connect your Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Amazon Alexa devices and control them with your voice via Google Assistant. The application is written by a popular Android developer Koush, who is known for his work for ClockworkMod.
[UPDATED] Smart Home & Home Automation Protocols Guide: Creating Your IoT Paradise
This thorough article will tell you everything you need to know about the sate of smart homes and how to set up your own internet-of-things paradise!
Smart home popularity has risen substantially over the past few years, and even the past few months. CES 2017 set the scene for another small explosion of these devices as Apple, Google, and Amazon all expanded their smart home ecosytems – albeit at different rates – with Amazon’s Alexa assistant boasting the most growth.