A hot item at CES 2017 was the Eve Extend, a clever little device that helps HomeKit accessories that depend on Bluetooth connect to Wi-Fi networks. It took a couple of years, but this item is at long last coming to market.
Bluetooth uses less power than Wi-Fi but has a shorter range. Eve Extend was created to improves the experience of Bluetooth-enabled HomeKit accessories in larger homes. It connects to a Wi-Fi network and extends Bluetooth connectivity, reaching devices that are too far away to connect to an Apple TV, iPad or other hub.
Not surprisingly, Eve Systems builds Bluetooth into many of its HomeKit accessories — like its air-quality monitor — so its customers have have likely been waiting eagerly for Eve Extend.
This Bluetooth booster can connect to eight devices at once, and lists them in the Eve application. It can connect to 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks.
Pre-orders for Eve Extend start in August, when it will sell for €49.95. A US price has not yet been announced.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
