News

Santala’s HomeKit Enabled Light Bulbs Now Available

Santala, the Hong Kong based lighting manufacturer that has released just one HomeKit enabled product to date, the Santala Smart LED Light Strip, is back with a set of connected light bulbs. Dubbed the Smart Light Bulb LB01 and LB02, the company’s bulbs come in both a white and color variant, each supporting HomeKit, Alexa, and the Google Assistant right out of the box. Previously … Continue reading Santala’s HomeKit Enabled Light Bulbs Now Available

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News

What’s New in the Home App in iOS/iPadOS 13.2 Developer Beta 1?

Apple has released a new beta of iOS 13.2 for developers today, and while the headline feature is for its Deep Fusion camera functionality, it has brought several major changes to HomeKit. Coming in at just over 3 gb’s on iPad, this beta is available for download to registered developers and is also available for tvOS, which is somewhat of a surprise. A public beta … Continue reading What’s New in the Home App in iOS/iPadOS 13.2 Developer Beta 1?

Christopher Close4 Comments
Deals

HomeKit Deal: Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 3 Bulb Starter Kit for only $99.99

One of the most popular smart lighting kits on the market, the Philips Hue 3 bulb color and ambiance starter kit is on sale at Amazon for only $99.99 right now. This is a savings of $30 from its regular price. Philips claims you can be up in running in under 5 minutes, making this a great entry into the world of home automation. Not … Continue reading HomeKit Deal: Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance 3 Bulb Starter Kit for only $99.99

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News

Onvis CS1 HomeKit Security Alarm Contact Sensor Revealed

Onvis, the Shenzen based company that has released just one HomeKit product to date looks to be gearing up for its next product, the CS1. Spotted in an FCC filing today, the Onvis Security Alarm Contact Sensor, or CS1, is exactly what its name suggests, a sensor that attaches to a door or window to report on whether or not it is open or closed. … Continue reading Onvis CS1 HomeKit Security Alarm Contact Sensor Revealed

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Reviews

Kaiterra Laser Egg + CO2 Review

While air quality monitoring is one of the most important aspects of our daily lives, the concept has yet to really have its breakthrough moment in North America. We are slowly getting there though, as time passes and technological advances occur, air quality monitors have made their way into more and more devices and platforms, including Apple’s HomeKit. Currently, there are about a handful of … Continue reading Kaiterra Laser Egg + CO2 Review

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News

Home App: What’s Changed in iOS 13

Here’s my general overview of what has changed in iOS 13 for the Home App written for iMore. This years beta/release ride was certainly bumpy to say the least, not just for the Home app. Aside from the disaster which is sensor grouping, the Home App itself has improved with additions to the icon set which remained stagnant for years, and iOS 13.1 will only … Continue reading Home App: What’s Changed in iOS 13

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News

Updated Eve Energy Smart Plug Revealed in FCC Filing

Eve systems, one of the first HomeKit accessory manufacturers is preparing an update to their smart plug, Eve Energy. Spotted in an FCC filing this weekend, Eve has a slimmer, redesigned plug in the works, which is much less bulkier than its original release. From the filing, we are able to determine that the plug will be using Bluetooth for connectivity, which is the same … Continue reading Updated Eve Energy Smart Plug Revealed in FCC Filing

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Deals

HomeKit Deal: Amazon offers Philips Hue HomeKit Hub & 3 Bulbs for $59.99

With the latest line of Bluetooth enabled Philips Hue lighting products now on the market, several retails have begun the inevitable markdown of older Zigbee only devices. Amazon has been offering the deals on its discount site, woot.com for a few weeks, and now is bringing it to a wider audience by listing a bundle deal as for a “limited time only”. Up for grabs … Continue reading HomeKit Deal: Amazon offers Philips Hue HomeKit Hub & 3 Bulbs for $59.99

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How To

Everything you need to know about HomeKit hubs

If you are venturing the wonderful world of HomeKit, you may have noticed that some of your devices cannot be controlled or viewed while out and about. This is where HomeKit hubs come into play. A HomeKit hub acts as a relay to your accessories through iCloud, allowing you to turn on and off your lights, even when you are off your home Wi-Fi network. … Continue reading Everything you need to know about HomeKit hubs

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News

Insignia Launches Compensation Program for Discontinued Products, Validates HomeKit

As we reported back in May of this year, Insignia, the in-house brand of big box retailer Best Buy, quietly discontinued their line of smart home products. Today, Insignia has notified users through the Insignia Connect App of an impending shutdown date, November 6th, 2019, meaning that devices that connect directly to Insignia’s cloud will no longer operate with the App. While this is truly … Continue reading Insignia Launches Compensation Program for Discontinued Products, Validates HomeKit

Christopher Close3 Comments