There is a lot you can do with Apple’s HomePod and HomePod mini. Here are the basics you need to know to control your HomePod.
Search: smart home
HomeKit and U1 Chip Should Be a No-Brainer
If you could use HomeKit and the U1 chip together, your smart home could redefine “point and click.” For now, that’s only a dream, though.
Eve Black Friday Deals to Up Your HomeKit Game
If you want to up your smart home game, this is the time to do it. These Eve Black Friday deals can save you up to 30% off retail prices.
Colourful HomePod Minis Now Available in Australia, New Zealand, India and European Countries
HomePod minis in the latest colors are now available in Australia, New Zealand, and India, as well as a host of European countries.
Apple’s Home Services Head Leaves, Destination Unknown
Apple’s head of Home Services, Sam Jadallah, has abruptly left the company. Apple has not yet announced his replacement.
Does Apple Need to Get More Into HomeKit Hardware?
Is a lack of Apple-branded HomeKit hardware a death knell for the smart home ecosystem? Jeff Butts explains why he doesn’t think so.
Honeywell Home T9 Adds HomeKit Support
A popular smart thermostat, the Honeywell Home T9 is HomeKit-compatible. Owners can use Siri or Home app to control their home temperature.
Apple Releases HomePod Software 15.1.1 With Podcast Bug Fixes
Apple has released HomePod Software 15.1.1. which fixes a bug that could stop podcasts from playing on the smart speaker.
Colorful HomePod Minis Now Available for Purchase
HomePod mini models in blue, orange, and yellow are now available to order, Apple announced on Monday for US$99.
Nanoleaf Lines Improve Decor Possibilities in Smart Lighting
Nanoleaf has been offering unique possibilities for blending smart lighting with home decor for years. Its latest product lineup, Nanoleaf Lines, gives you even more ways to light up your space. Each segment is 11 inches long and provides up to 20 lumens of brightness. You can set the lights to more than 16.9 million colors, and each segment has two color zones. This allows you to easily blend your color palette within your design. You can configure your Nanoleaf lines to sync with your music or Mac’s display. Nanoleaf Lines supports Apple HomeKit and also works as a Thread border router, allowing you to extend the reach of your smart home network without additional hubs. The starter kit, retailing for $199.99, comes with 9 light lines, a controller, a power supply, and everything else you need to get started. Expansion packs provide you 3 more light lines for $69.99. The smart lights are available for preorder now, with shipping expected in late November 2021.
Apple Announces New HomePod mini Colors
If white or space gray don’t fit your home decor preferences, Apple’s got good news for you. There are new HomePod mini colors available.
New Leader Joins Apple HomePod Software Team to Take on Amazon Echo
Apple has brought in Afrooz Family to lead working on HomePod software as it looks to better challenge the Amazon Echo range.
Eve MotionBlinds Motors With HomeKit Release Announced for 2022
Eve Systems and Coulisse announced that MotionBlinds, the smart technology for window coverings, will add Eve MotionBlinds motors.
Smart Bulbs vs. Smart Light Switches, Digital IDs, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 555
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dive back into smarthome tech, with a focus on using smart light switches instead of smart light bulbs. This includes Jeff’s recommendation for a smart light switch. They also discuss digital IDs and the perils and promise they offer.
iRobot Releases J7+ Robot Vacuum With Upgraded Smarts
Tomorrow I’ll be publishing a review of an iRobot robot mop that I bought a few weeks ago. But today the company announced a new product, the j7+ robot vacuum.
Dozens of gradual improvements have resulted in the current operating system, the iRobot Genius 3.0. This system brings never-before-seen levels of A.I. personalization and control to robot vacuums. The system utilizes your phone’s location services to begin cleaning when you leave home and stop when you come home, ensuring a clean floor at all times.
HBO Max App Now Available on Vizio SmartCast TVs
There is now a dedicated HBO Max app available on Vizio SmartCast TVs, The Verge reported. It means users can access the service directly instead of having to find workarounds like AirPlay.
Prior to today’s announcement, Vizio TVs lacked a native app within SmartCast, Vizio’s smart TV interface. Instead, they’d have to cast its content to their televisions using Apple AirPlay or by casting with Google. The addition of the app directly from the apps menu should make accessing HBO Max far more intuitive for SmartCast users. To mark the launch of the app on its sets, Vizio will also introduce a custom homescreen carousel to showcase HBO Max’s new teaser freebies. HBO Max no longer offers free trials, though it recently announced a limited sampling of the pilot episodes of more than a dozen of some of its most popular series, which can be streamed in-app without paying for an HBO Max subscription. Vizio users will be able to access these rotating teasers directly from the Vizio carousel.
Smart Matter and Thread – TMO Daily Observations 2021-08-16
Andrew Orr and Jeff Butts join host Kelly Guimont to discuss a smart home delay, and what options you have today if you are setting up something new.
Arlo Update Fixes Apple HomeKit Issue
Arlo confirmed to AppleInsider that it has fixed a bug that prevented users adding its smart home devices to Apple Homekit. The fix came was included in the latest version of its iOS app – version 3.5.1
That version, which has a release date of August 6, is currently available from the App Store. “Arlo appreciates the patience of our loyal customers, and is excited to share that an iOS app release with a remedy to the HomeKit issue is now available,” the company said. Earlier in August, AppleInsider began receiving reports from users about issues adding new Arlo devices to HomeKit. The problem appeared to affect HomeKit tokens, which caused users to get stuck on the “Requesting HomeKit info” screen when adding devices to the Apple smart home platform.
HomePods Bricking After 14.6 Release
Users are starting to complain that their HomePod smart speakers are bricking following the recent 14.6 software release.
Two Months After it Was discontinued, HomePod Models Remain Available to Purchase
The HomePod was meant to be discontinued on March 12. However, 9to5 Mac picked up on reports of the device’s ongoing availability.
Apple announced that the original HomePod would be discontinued on March 12, as it shifted its focus to the HomePod mini. Here’s what the company said back then: HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on the mini model. We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple will provide customers with software updates and service and support through Apple Care. Over these past two months, evidence has emerged on just how poorly Apple’s smart speaker sold. The YouTuber Michael Kukielka, also known as DetroitBORG, bought at least two HomePods after Apple discontinued the product, and by his surprise, the models he bought were from the launch stock three years ago.
Switchmate 2.0 Smart Switch for Toggle Style Light Switches: $19.99
We have a deal on Switchmate 2.0, a smart switch that snaps over your existing light switches and controls them by doing the flipping for you. That means you don’t have to rewire the switch or replace your existing lightbulbs. Using the companion app, the Switchmate 2.0 can respond to voice commands, turn lights on automatically when you arrive home, and it has multiple timers for total smart lighting control. This device is $19.99 through our deal.
Deezer Now Works on HomePod and HomePod Mini
Music streaming service Deezer now works on HomePod and HomePod mini, and Siri can be used to play any song from its catalog of 73 million.
Eve Energy Smart Plug With Thread Available to Purchase
Eve Systems announced the fourth generation of its HomeKit smart plug product called Eve Energy, and it supports the Thread protocol.
LG to Exit Smartphone Market
LG is to stop making smartphones. However, according to an analyst who spoke to Reuters, Samsung, not Apple, may be best placed to pick up the gap in the market vacated by the South Korean firm.
“In the United States, LG has targeted mid-priced – if not ultra-low – models and that means Samsung, which has more mid-priced product lines than Apple, will be better able to attract LG users,” said Ko Eui-young, an analyst at Hi Investment & Securities. LG’s smartphone division has logged nearly six years of losses totalling some $4.5 billion. Dropping out of the fiercely competitive sector would allow LG to focus on growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices and smart homes, it said in a statement. In better times, LG was early to market with a number of cell phone innovations including ultra-wide angle cameras and at its peak in 2013, it was the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer behind Samsung and Apple.