iDevices’ new gear really wants to talk to your iPhone

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iDevices is really serious about this Internet of Things stuff.
iDevices is really serious about this Internet of Things stuff.

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverageiDevices is doing a better job at pushing HomeKit than Apple is.

That’s the impression we’re getting, anyway, as the peripheral maker just keeps churning out products that are compatible with the home-automation framework built into your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

The four new devices, which the company is showing off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, bring its total number of things digital assistant Siri can control up to seven.

“Our team is laser-focused on developing user-centric products that accelerate the next generation of the connected home,” said iDevices head Chris Allen in a press release. “Socket and the three in-wall products we are announcing today signify the next stage of the iDevices evolution and our dedication to connecting users with products that enhance their lives.”

The socket he’s talking about is iDevices’ doughnut-like holder for standard-issue light bulbs. It essentially smartens up even the dumbest of illuminators with built-in features like a dimmer and a ring of LEDs that can change colors. It’s an interesting middle ground between the affordability of “normal” bulbs and the versatility of products like Philips’ Hue. And it will probably cost less than that system’s $200 asking price.

iDevices also brought out a duo of light switches; one is a standard clicky number, and the other is a dimmer. These also contain customizable LEDs because at some point, the technology industry just agreed among itself that LEDs make everything look like the future.

The final iDevices gadget we learned about this week replaces one of your standard, stupid wall outlets. It’s an evolution of things like the existing iDevices Switch, but it doesn’t result in a huge box sticking out of your wall. Instead, you just swap out the existing rig with one that can talk to your wireless network and Apple device of choice, and it looks basically the same. Probably considerably whiter and more plastic-like, but that’s also how the future looks.

These four join iDevices’ indoor and outdoor switches and its thermostat to provide a variety of options for people wanting to automate their homes or just look like a spaceperson when people come over. They all work with the company’s iOS app when you don’t really feel like talking to the empty air of your abode.

That hasn’t happened to us yet, but we assume it’s bound to reach that point someday.

We don’t know prices or exact release dates for the new gear yet, but iDevices expects to launch the Socket by spring and the rest of it later this year.

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