Apple has quietly tweaked its Home app webpage to indicate that its upcoming robot vacuum control feature will now arrive in early 2025 rather than later this year, as previously advertised. When support is added, Apple device users will be able to start a robot vacuum via HomeKit automations and scenes, or ask Siri to […]
Read MoreAqara today announced two new smart home safety products – a Smoke Detector for European markets and a Valve Controller T1 for global release. Both devices expand the company’s home safety lineup with Matter compatibility and Apple HomeKit integration. The Valve Controller T1 is designed to prevent water damage by retrofitting onto existing household water […]
Read MoreApple has considered building its own line of smart home accessories, reports Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Apple could manufacture smart home cameras and other devices that would connect to its HomeKit smart home platform and that would tie in with a planned smart home “command center” that could come out as soon as next year. As […]
Read MoreAustrian smart lock maker Nuki has announced its new Smart Lock Ultra, featuring a smaller design and claiming significantly faster operation than its predecessor. The Smart Lock Ultra is one-third the size of previous Nuki models. This has been achieved through a new built-in battery design that eliminates the need for a bulky battery compartment, […]
Read MoreMatter 1.4 adds enhanced interoperability features for smart home ecosystems like Apple’s HomeKit, including multi-platform device support and expanded energy management. The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the organization responsible for Matter, has now finalized version 1.4 of the specification (via The Verge), introducing a range of new device types and enhanced functionalities that promise to […]
Read MoreAqara today announced the launch of the Aqara Smart Lock U300, which is a smart lock that’s designed for doors that have a lever or knob but no deadbolt. Many homes have non-deadbolt doors for side entries, garage doors, home offices, basements, and storage rooms, and these kind of door setups do not work with […]
Read MoreiOS 18 expands Adaptive Lighting support to Matter-compatible smart lights, The Verge reports. Adaptive Lighting was introduced in iOS 14, providing a way to automatically adjust the color temperature of smart lights throughout the day. The feature currently only works with HomeKit-enabled devices, but it will be extended to smart lights that are compatible with […]
Read MoreAqara today introduced a new Presence Sensor that is designed to keep smart home products like lights turned on when someone is in the room. The Presence Sensor FP1E uses Zigbee, but it is able to connect to HomeKit and other smart home platforms through an Aqara Matter bridge. The Presence Sensor FP1E uses millimeter […]
Read MoreSmart home company Eve Systems today announced the launch of a new version of the Eve Weather that offers Matter support. With Matter, the new Eve Weather can be added to HomeKit or smart home setups from other companies. Eve Weather is a small cube-shaped accessory that is designed to provide outdoor weather temperature, humidity, […]
Read MoreThe Home app in iOS 18 allows HomeKit users who have more than one device that serves as a home hub to select which one should be used as the preferred hub. It is a small but useful change because it prevents HomeKit from choosing a hub that is further away from most HomeKit products […]
Read MoreEve Systems today announced that its Matter-enabled wall-in Eve Energy Outlet is available for purchase both from the Eve Store and from Amazon. Announced back in December, the Eve Energy Outlet is able to replace any existing outlet in a single or multi-gang installation. It connects to a smart home setup using Thread, and has […]
Read MoreThe Philips Hue line has long been focused on lighting products, but this year, Hue parent company Signify expanded the lineup with a set of Philips Hue Secure cameras and sensors designed for home security. I was able to test out the $200 Hue Secure Wired Camera to see how it measures up to some […]
Read MoreAqara’s Camera E1 is a new addition to the smart home camera space, offering a range of key features including 2K resolution, pan and tilt, support for HomeKit Secure Video, and more. The Camera E1 emerges as a noteworthy option in Aqara’s lineup of smart home cameras, especially for those seeking a balance between functionality […]
Read MoreSignify has released new Philips Hue Contact Sensor firmware that adds support for Apple HomeKit, reports Hueblog.com. Previously the indoor sensors could only be controlled through the Philips Hue app’s Security Center. Now, after updating to the new firmware (1961076030), they appear in the Home app, where users can use the “open” and “closed” status […]
Read MoreNanoleaf today announced the upcoming launch of the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, which are able to integrate with Matter-compatible smart home platforms like HomeKit. The two 10-meter light strands include 250 addressable LEDs that can be set to 16 million colors and multiple shades of white that range from 2700 to 6500K. With IP44 […]
Read MoreWednesday September 27, 2023 3:23 pm PDT by Juli Clover Yale today announced the launch of the Yale Assure Lock 2 Plus, its latest smart lock that has HomeKit integration and Apple Home Key support. With Home Key integration in the Wallet app, an iPhone or an Apple Watch can be used to unlock the […]
Read MoreSmart home accessory maker Aqara recently released the HomeKit-enabled Smart Lock U100 with support for Apple’s Home Key feature. Home Key is an iOS 15 feature that’s still in the process of being adopted by smart home manufacturers, so it’s relatively new. Home Key adds a digital key for the Aqara lock to the Wallet […]
Read MoreOn this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the top features and improvements we’d like to see come to tvOS 17, the HomePod, and HomeKit at WWDC later this year. Apple is expected to unveil tvOS 17 and “audioOS” 17 at WWDC in June, offering a range of enhancements and […]
Read MoreSmart lighting company WiZ has rolled out Matter support to its smart bulbs, lamps, and plugs, making them compatible with Apple Home for the first time (via HomeKitNews). The new app, WiZ v2, brings support to accessories that were manufactured in early 2021 or later, and lets users migrate products to the new smart home […]
Read MoreAqara this week released the Presence Sensor FP2 – a brand new millimeter wave sensor that goes far beyond the capabilities of more conventional motion sensors to facilitate powerful automations, with support for Apple HomeKit. The sensor uses millimeter wave radar technology to detect human presence in a room with greater precision than traditional passive […]
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