Apple is reportedly working on a smart doorbell with Face ID-like facial recognition.
The device, still in its early development stages, seems unlikely to reach the market before late 2025 at the earliest. This timeline presumes Apple encounters no significant obstacles during development.
Eufy expanded its HomeKit ecosystem Monday with the release of the Indoor Cam E30, a sophisticated 4K security camera priced at $69.99. It’s a big upgrade from the 2020 model, marking Eufy’s second HomeKit-compatible camera launch in recent months following September’s S3 Pro Outdoor Cam. E30 upgrades include advanced pan-and-tilt mobility and color night vision through lighting.
The new Meross Matter Smart Home Thermostat works with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms, offering an affordable entry point at $70 (limited time price, regular $99.99), the company said Thursday. And the new device represents one of only a few Matter-compatible smart thermostats currently available for U.S. HVAC systems.
The HomePod with a built-in 6- to 7-inch display that’s been the subject of previous rumors will launch after Apple’s developer conference in June, according to a report on Wednesday from a reliable source.
It will supposedly be part of Apple’s drive to offer more smart home products.
Turns out we won’t be able to order robot vacuum cleaners around with Siri commands and the Home application quite as soon as hoped. Apple moved the release date for this feature to early 2025.
When it launches, though, it’ll be a powerful tool for controlling these automated home-cleaning devices.
Apple is reportedly developing a “command center” for smart homes. It’ll supposedly be an inexpensive, wall-mounted, tablet-like computer used to control smart devices and make video calls. The device also would serve as an access point for the upcoming AI-powered Siri.
This is not much like anything the company offers now, though it does mix in some of the features of an iPad and a HomePod.
The smart home industry’s universal technology standard, Matter, will get a significant update that could make it easier for Apple users to integrate non-Apple devices into their smart home setups, according to a new report. The new Matter 1.4 update introduces several key improvements, some long-awaited — including enhanced multi-admin capabilities and expanded device support.
The new lever-based Smart Lock U300 brings Apple Home Key functionality to a wider range of doors you might want to unlock with your iPhone or Apple Watch, including those without traditional deadbolts, Aqara said Thursday. It previewed the lock back at CES in January. Now it’s finally on sale — with a nice launch discount (see below).
Aqara’s new Presence Sensor FP1E monitors smart-home spaces for human activity and helps launch automations via HomeKit and other platforms, the company said recently. To get the most out of it, though, you need an Aqara Matter bridge.
A new version of the Eve Weather Connected Weather Station supports the Matter home-automation standard even as the company maintains a HomeKit-only version for those without a Matter hub, Eve Systems said Thursday. Eve Weather keeps you informed of conditions outside and can interact with HomeKit and other platforms to set automations. That could include adjusting the thermostat and turning on lights, or even telling Siri to do so.
This smart plug deal is a quick and easy way to make your house a smart home. The Belkin Wemo Smart Plug with Matter’s Thread mesh networking comes in a three-pack, and it’s fully compatible with your Apple devices or Apple HomeKit.
The new Thread- and Matter-enabled Aqara Motion and Light Sensor P2 came out Tuesday for use with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms, the company said.
“In the rapidly expanding global market for Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors, Aqara has achieved remarkable success, distributing over 100,000 units last year,” noted Cathy You, Aqara’s senior VP of Global Business and Strategy.
“The launch of the Motion and Light Sensor P2, which combines our renowned sensor technology with the latest in connectivity protocols and standards, encapsulates our forward-thinking approach and our commitment to delivering smart home solutions that are ready for tomorrow’s advancement,” she added.
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.
Not very many deadbolt smart locks support Apple HomeKit or home key, the handy feature that lets you unlock the door with your iPhone or Apple Watch. But Aqara’s highly capable Smart Lock U100 does, and it offers many other smart features as well. That makes it a top choice for Apple fans everywhere to keep their homes safe and secure.
If you’d like to never carry a physical key and never get locked out again, read on.
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.
The new Smart Doorbell Camera that Ecobee rolled out Tuesday offers an “industry leading” vertical field of view and a “first of its kind” live video stream beamed to a thermostat screen, the company said.
For any smart home powered by HomeKit or Amazon Alexa, the camera offer clear vision day or night, radar-sensing tech for accurate detection and a battery-free enclosure that allows reliable usage in extreme temperatures, Ecobee said.
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.
A popular smart light bulb from TP-Link suffers from severe security flaws that could give hackers passwords and other information, researchers said Wednesday.
A paper examined four flaws in the bestselling TP-Link Tapo L530E, which works with Apple’s HomeKit platform.
Smart-home systems maker Brilliant unveiled a new “install it anywhere” plug-in version of its Smart Home Control Panel Tuesday.
Any homeowner or renter can use its touchscreen-based control and automation system to manage smart home products integrated with HomeKit and Siri.
Aqara flipped the “on” switch Tuesday for a new multipurpose RGBCCT smart light strip, its first such product — the LED Strip T1.
It works with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms and features Apple Home’s Adaptive Lighting.
Aqara released its first deadbolt smart lock Friday, the Smart Lock U100. It’s fully compatible with Apple’s HomeKit and you can open it with Home Key, fingerprints, passwords or — get this — a physical key.
Snark aside (a physical if often provided with smart locks for power outages), the stout new lock integrates with the Matter home automation standard and could become a vital part of HomeKit users’ smart-home arsenals.
Eve Systems rolled out its second generation of the Eve Flare portable smart LED lamp Tuesday, adding Thread networking support.
It also released the Eve Shutter Switch, but only in parts of Europe.
We often see computer setups festooned with several big external monitors, Mission Control style. But some great setups get by with zero external displays, like today’s featured iMac setup.
The iMac provides the main screen, of course. And then “black magic” makes the iPad Pro levitate as a second screen. Or something like that. See below.
Nanoleaf opened up preorders for its newly Matter-enabled Essentials lineup of smart bulbs and light strips Wednesday.
Thanks to the Matter smart-home standard, they work with HomeKit and other smart-home platforms. But there is one catch regarding their use with HomeKit.
When you start to worry the air in your home could make you sick, an air purifier can help. And they’re getting smarter (but hopefully not “rise of the machines” smart a la Terminator).
The nara Pro, which the company bills as “the versatile air purifier robot,” runs a two-stage system via artificial intelligence that works with Siri and HomeKit, as well as other smart-home systems.
And you can get a good deal on it on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform.