| Cult of Mac

Nanoleaf’s nifty portable smart lamp and new bulbs support Matter and HomeKit

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The Cono portable smart lamp can stand up, lie down or be hung up. That's handy.
The Cono portable smart lamp can stand up, lie down or be hung up. That's handy.
Photo: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf added a handy new portable smart lamp with brand partner Umbra and two new smart bulbs to its Essentials line, the company said Thursday.

All of the products will work through the Matter smart-home standard with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms.

Nanoleaf gets festive with most advanced holiday string lights yet

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However you celebrate in the deep, dark winter, these lights can help.
However you celebrate in the deep, dark winter, these lights can help.
Photo: Nanoleaf

New Nanoleaf Essentials Matter Smart Holiday String Lights — with support for the new Matter standard and all smart-home plaforms, including HomeKit — are coming in time for winter holidays, the company said Thursday.

Or maybe even in time for Halloween, for that matter. At any rate, it’s almost time to get festive.

Here’s what Thread networking can do for iPhone 15 Pro

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iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the first smartphones to include Thread mesh networking. But why?
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the first smartphones to include Thread mesh networking. But why?
Photo: Apple

Thread wireless mesh networking is strongly associated with the Matter smart-home automation standard, so some people found it surprising Apple would include Thread radio technology in iPhone 15 Pro models in addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity.

A new report surfaced theories about what Apple’s up to and what future impacts it might have.

Thread-enabled door and window sensor launches HomeKit automations

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The Onvis CT3 contact sensor works exclusively with HomeKit, Siri and the Home app.
The Onvis CT3 contact sensor works exclusively with HomeKit, Siri and the Home app.
Photo: Onvis

Onvis updated its formerly Bluetooth-only CT3 contact sensor with the Thread wireless protocol. That means it should work smoothly with HomeKit and Siri. It won’t just let you know when doors or windows open or close, it will launch related automations.

This is especially good news if you want to jack up home security by automatically tripping alarms or turning on lights when a door or window opens.

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.

New AirVersa air purifier for HomeKit gets Thread networking support

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AirVersa's new Purelle air purifier works with HomeKit as well as the Thread wireless networking protocol.
AirVersa's new Purelle air purifier works with HomeKit as well as the Thread wireless networking protocol.
Photo: AirVersa

AirVersa’s new Purelle Smart Air Purifier for HomeKit came out on Amazon in the U.S. on Saturday. According to the company, it’s the first air purifier to support the Thread networking standard.

That Thread support will be important when the Matter home automation standard starts helping devices made by different makers work well together.

Keep up with the latest home automation tech with Wemo Smart Dimmer with Thread

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Keep up with the latest smartphone tech with Wemo's Smart Dimmer with Thread
Wemo’s latest dimmer switch uses HomeKit over Thread for fast, reliable connections.
Photo: Belkin/Wemo

Dimming your lights is just the most obvious feature of the newly announced Wemo Smart Dimmer with Thread. It uses mesh networking to provide fast, reliable connections to your HomeKit home-automation system so you can control the switch from anywhere – across the room or across the country.

Plus, the wall dimmer switch doesn’t require a neutral wire so it can be installed in older homes as easily as new ones.

New Eve motion sensor supports Thread and senses ambient light

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The updated Eve Motion now supports Thread networking and senses light to trigger automations.
The updated Eve Motion now supports Thread networking and senses light to trigger automations.
Photo: Eve Systems

Eve Systems offered its second-generation Eve Motion sensor Thursday, adding a light sensor and Thread mesh networking support. The device detects motion to activate other HomeKit-enabled devices.

And it’s actually less expensive than the previous model by $10.

The Thread standard that will be integral to the upcoming Matter home automation technology standard that helps different manufacturers’ devices work together.