smart homes

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on smart homes:

Aqara pledges Home Key support for new Matter-enabled smart lock

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Aqara Smart Lock U200
U200's integration with smart-home platforms and compatibility with Home Key are subject to upcoming software updates.
Photo: Aqara

Aqara launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign Tuesday for its new Smart Lock U200. Built on the Thread networking protocol and native to the Matter standard, the lock will integrate with many smart home devices. But its compatibility with smart-home platforms like HomeKit — and its support for Home Key in particular — will come from future software updates.

Aqara’s new HomeKit-enabled wares include powerful hub, smart plug and lock

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Aqara Hub M3
The new Aqara Hub M3 can help your run your whole smart home.
Photo: Aqara

Aqara highlighted new HomeKit-enabled smart-home devices at CES 2024 Monday in Las Vegas — the new Hub M3, Border Router Plug and Smart Lock U300 — plus an AI chatbot interface for the Aqara Home App.

The devices support both Matter and Thread networking standards. And the hub may help you control your whole smart home.

Eve rolls out world’s first Matter-over-Thread smart outlet

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Eve Enerby Outlet and Eve Light Switch
The first-ever Matter-over-Thread smart outlet and a light switch updated for Matter are two of Eve's new offerings.
Photo: Eve Systems

Eve Systems introduced the first Matter-over-Thread smart electrical outlet along with a Matter-enabled smart light switch and window blinds on Monday, the company said.

Eve Energy Outlet, Eve Blinds Collection and Eve Light Switch all work with HomeKit. The outlet and blinds go on sale in early February 2024 and the light switch arrives a bit later.

Update to Matter standard makes your fridge smarter

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Matter standard logo
The Matter 2.1 update adds support for 9 new kinds of appliances and more.
Photo: Connectivity Standards Alliance

The Matter connectivity standard helps different devices and smart-home platforms like Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa work together. And with an update Monday, it added nine home-appliance types and got other improvements, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) behind it said.

Matter specification 2.1 adds support for refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry washers, robot vacuums, air-quality sensors, air purifiers, fans, stand-alone room air conditioners, and smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms.

Belkin’s Wemo smart-home brand taps the brakes on Matter standard

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Wemo products like this dimmer switch work with HomeKit over Thread, but forget about Matter certification for now.
Wemo products like this dimmer switch work with HomeKit over Thread, but forget about Matter certification for now.
Photo: Belkin/Wemo

Belkin’s smart-home accessories brand, Wemo, is “backing away from Matter and dimming our dreams of a smart home utopia.” That’s according to a report published Wednesday.

At a time when companies are rushing to ready products for the new smart-home networking standard, which is meant to let different brands work together, Wemo’s hesitation is a surprise.

Its products work only with HomeKit. Now it looks like that won’t change anytime soon.

HomePod head-to-head: How Apple’s new smart speaker compares to original

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Is the new HomePod really that different from the 2018 HomePod? Yes and no.
Is the new HomePod really that different from the 2018 HomePod? Yes and no.
Photo: Apple

Now that the full-size HomePod is finally back, just how different is it from Apple’s original smart speaker? At a glance, you might not think the $299 speaker Apple unveiled Wednesday is that different at all, because the exterior design looks so similar. But compare the new HomePod’s features to the old model, and you’ll find significant changes.

It seems potentially much-improved as a smart home device, but whether it’s a better speaker is questionable.

Aqara previews video doorbell and other new HomeKit gadgets

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With AI onboard, the new Aqara G4 Video Doorbell can recognize people.
With AI onboard, the new Aqara G4 Video Doorbell can recognize people.
Photo: Aqara

Smart-home specialist Aqara said Thursday it will expand its product line in the coming months with a new video doorbell, LED light strips, a sensor with artificial intelligence and a smart door lock that works with Home Key. All of the new devices will work with HomeKit and other smart-home systems.

Rather than showcasing new products at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, however, the company put out a video showing off the four items below as if it were at the show.

Thread-enabled Nano smart blinds work with HomeKit

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Nano Smart Blinds work with HomeKit.
Nano Smart Blinds work with HomeKit.
Photo: SmartWings

If you’re willing to get in on the ground floor of a crowdfunding campaign as an “early bird,” you can now score Thread-enabled smart mini blinds that work with HomeKit for $100 off the retail price.

SmartWings Nano Smart Blinds have surpassed their funding goal on Indiegogo, so they should ship to buyers in January, the company said.

With 190 products certified, Matter smart-home standard looks ahead

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About 190 products are certified for the Matter standard (or soon will be after testing).
About 190 products are certified for the Matter standard (or soon will be after testing).
Photo: CSA

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) showcased companies and products using the newly available Matter home-automation standard at a launch event in Amsterdam Thursday.

The group, which includes Apple, Google and many other companies, emphasized the standard’s building momentum and drew a rough road map of what’s to come.

Home automation gets smarter for Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini owners

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HomePod mini is one of the devices that can be a Thread 1.3.0 border router.
HomePod mini is one of the devices that can be a Thread 1.3.0 border router.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

A major Thread networking standard update Tuesday brings the Matter home automation technology standard a step closer for those who already own certain devices. Namely, gear that can act as a border router in the smart home — like Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini.

Thread 1.3.0 lets Thread devices work with any other Thread border router. That’s big because Thread will be Matter’s main wireless protocol, along with Wi-Fi.

Why you can’t trust ‘lifetime guarantees’ on the Internet of Things

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why-you-cant-trust-lifetime-guarantees-on-the-internet-of-things-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads2016042981086612_84b3902cc2_o-jpg
The looming shutdown of Revolv has some home-automation fans questioning the Internet of Things.
Photo: Andrew Stawarz/Flickr CC

Revolv smart hubs will no longer be supported as of May 15. Even though subscribers have known this was coming since February, there wasn’t a lot of attention until an author’s highly critical piece was published on Medium.

That story has spurred conversations questioning investment in the Internet of Things, or IoT, and prompted Nest to consider compensating users who were early investors in the Revolv hub.

Presence security camera keeps an eye outside your door

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The Presence that promises to deliver peace of mind.
The Presence that promises to deliver peace of mind.
Photo: Netatmo

Cult of Mac CES 2016 full coverage
Consumer electronics company Netatmo has made a camera that is easily overlooked as it keeps a lookout outside your door.

The outdoor surveillance camera Netatmo named Presence uses an algorithm to detect whether something in its view is a person, car or animal. It then immediately sends a notification through a companion iPhone or Android app along with an option to see what the camera recorded.

Wind turbine promises to blow away your utility bills

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A Trinity turbine powering a house and an electric car.
A Trinity turbine powering a house and an electric car.
Photo: Janulus

You’ve spared no expense in creating a smart home. You bought smart lightbulbs, a smart TV and smart appliances. All that’s missing is a device that makes you look smart when the electric bill comes in the mail.

The Agustsson brothers of Iceland may have figured out that part. They are the creators of Trinity, an affordable line of portable wind turbines, some of which can power the entire home.

Reemo smartwatch lets you wave your lights on

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In this demonstration video, a mother gestures to turn off the lights thanks to the Reemo smartwatch she is wearing. Photo: Reemo/YouTube
In this demonstration video, a mother gestures to turn off the lights thanks to the Reemo smartwatch she is wearing. Photo: Reemo/YouTube

This is the year computer power migrates to our wrists. We have the roll-out hype of the Apple Watch to thank for that. But one company wants that power to be flexed through a flick of the wrist.

Reemo is software and a wrist device you probably haven’t heard of. It doesn’t come in gold or send your heartbeat to a loved one.

It is built around the emerging technology of gesture control — users become maestros in their homes and offices. With a range of gestures and arm movements, users can control the volume on televisions and stereos, trigger door looks, drop the temperature of a room and power lighting up or down.

The electrical outlet that puts USB ports in your walls

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The SnapPower USB charger has raised more than $600,000 on Kickstarter. Photo: SnapPower
The SnapPower USB charger has raised more than $600,000 on Kickstarter. Photo: SnapPower

There are just two of us in the apartment, but power strips and bulky USB adapters charging our various devices take up room in every room.

The founders of SnapPower are building a company around the electrical outlet to bring order to household cords.

After the success of an outlet plate with built-in LED lights, the Orem, Utah company already has raised thousands of dollars on Kickstarter to produce an electrical outlet cover with a sleek, built-in USB charger.

iOS 8’s HomeKit puts Apple at heart of home automation

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Craig Federighi talks up Apple's home automation plans. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Craig Federighi talks up Apple's home automation plans. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

In the not-so-distant future, we’ll use smartphones to control nearly everything around our homes. We already have smart light bulbs, thermostats, locks and appliances, but we lack a central platform for all these devices.

That’s all going to change this fall when Apple releases iOS 8 with HomeKit, an important new protocol for developers. This will create the kind of universal platform that could revolutionize home automation.