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Your iPad can double as a smart home hub with iOS 10
No inclination to get the latest Apple TV just to give yourself a hub for your HomeKit devices? If you have a reasonably recent iPad hanging around, you won't have to. Apple tells SlashGear that iOS 10 can use your iPad as a smart home hub as long as the tablet is both plugged in and connected to your network. It seems like an odd move, but Apple says it's all about increasing HomeKit's reach -- you can't buy the new Apple TV in countries like China, so the iPad offers that remote home automation instead. Either way, you probably won't want to try this in a multi-person household. You don't want to lose out-of-home control over your thermostat just because Junior decided to play Hearthstone.
Apple TV gets better for cord-cutters and cable TV subscribers
Today at its big WWDC keynote, Apple announced a few updates for the Apple TV platform. New apps arriving include Sling TV (finally), Fox Sports, the French streaming service Molotov and the Minecraft: Story Mode game. Apple is also upgrading the remote application on your iPhone. The app is a lot more like the hardware remote, with touch-based navigation, Siri voice search, plus the ability to use the keyboard for input and game control using the accelerometer. As for the hardware itself, a new feature called "Live Tune in" will let you switch instantly between livestreaming channels like Disney, ESPN and more. There's also a dark theme now, while Automatic App downloads mean that when you install a universal app on your iPhone or iPad, it will be there on your Apple TV too.
Nest's thermostat now talks to WeMo smart home switches
Want Nest's smart thermostat to do a lot more than change the temperature when you're out? Belkin is about to make your day. The gadget maker has introduced Works with Nest support to its WeMo switches and the WeMo Maker, giving you an easy way to toggle devices when you're home or away. You can switch on the lights when you get home, for example, or turn on a fan to cool down your home while you're out. The WeMo app has control over the Nest thermostat's target temperature, too, in case you'd rather not switch apps. All the integration support will be live the moment the latest WeMo app update arrives (no later than 3PM today, the 17th), so you don't have to wait long to automate more of your household.
Google's own interpretation of Amazon's Echo is coming soon
All of a sudden, it's as if everyone is working on voice-controlled personal assistants, and reports suggest that Google's version of something similar to Amazon's Echo could land as soon as the Google I/O event next week -- which would make sense. According to sources at Recode, it's currently being developed under the codename, Chirp.
Nest opens the networking code for its smart home devices
Nest already has a bunch of companies lined up to use its Thread network protocol in their devices (over 30 submitted right now), but it's not content with what's on deck. The Alphabet-owned company has created an open source version, OpenThread, that lets anyone implement the smart home-oriented technology in their connected gadgets. In theory, it doesn't take much work -- Thread is already an IPv6 protocol, so any device that handles the 802.15.4 standard (used for low-rate personal networks) should only need a few tweaks to play nicely.
iOS 10 reportedly includes a dedicated smart home app
There's no shortage of devices that support Apple's HomeKit platform. However, managing those devices is something of a mess -- you typically end up visiting separate apps to control your lighting, security and appliances. You might not have to worry about that when iOS 10 rolls around, though. MacRumors says it spotted an Amazon review from an Apple employee (verified after the fact) who claims that the next iOS release will have a "standalone" HomeKit app when it arrives in the fall. The staffer doesn't say how it'd work, but the implication is that it'd serve as a hub for all your HomeKit-compatible smart home gadgets.
Logitech's Harmony app brings smart home control to Android TV
Logitech's ill-fated Revue was one of the first devices with Google TV -- how could we forget that ad campaign -- and now it's back in the fold with an Android TV app. Compatible with hub-based Harmony remotes, it brings control of Harmony Activities to the big screen. Given enough home automation tie-ins throughout your home, it can adjust the blinds, thermostat, speakers and lights to create the desired viewing experience. If you have a Harmony Hub and an Android TV device (like one of Sony's smart TVs) on the same WiFi network then you're ready to go, just install the app from the Play Store right here.
Nest has 'case-by-case' help for abandoned Revolv owners
Next month Nest shutting is down its service that powers Revolv smart home hubs, and now the Google-owned company says it's trying to help owners of the devices. Nest bought Revolv back in 2014 but no longer sells the hardware, and yesterday word came of the impending shutdown. Today Nest Support tweeted that it's "here to help," encouraging Revolv users to email support for help.
Cooking app maker wants a standard for smart kitchen devices
There are plenty of smart cooking devices to help you bring masterpieces to the table. However, they don't usually talk to each other -- your sous vide tool doesn't know the weight of the ingredients you measured on a scale just a couple of feet away. SideChef wants to fix that. The cooking app developer is building a platform that lets kitchen gadgets work in unison. Once you pick a recipe, every device would know what to do. Your oven would start pre-heating, for instance, while your mixer would run at just the right speed to blend everything together.
Amazon Echo starts talking to your thermostat
Amazon's voice-guided Echo speaker can serve as everything from an exercise coach to a game machine, but its latest addition could be particularly helpful if you're shivering as you read this. The Echo now offers voice control over thermostats, starting with the Ecobee3 -- you can ask it to set a specific temperature, or give it vague directions to warm things up or cool them down. This won't do much if you have a rival smart thermostat (more support is coming, Amazon says) or are willing to use your phone. Look at it this way, though: if you dread getting out of bed on a cold day, this will let you warm things up without lifting a finger.
LG's SmartThinQ wants to be the main hub for your smart home
LG's SmartThinQ home automation platform has existed for a few years now, but it's always felt like an afterthought for the electronics giant. This could be changing soon, however. Last week, LG introduced the SmartThinQ Hub, an Amazon Echo–esque device designed to be the centerpiece that controls your smart home, and it brought it to CES 2016 for everyone to see.
LG home automation hub gives you pro-level security
It's no longer difficult to find both home automation and security in a single package, but LG thinks it can one-up its rivals with something special... if a bit odd-looking. Its previously previewed Smart Security device may look like an upscale colander, but it serves as both a smart home hub (for Bluetooth, WiFi, Z-Wave and Zigbee) and a wide-angle security camera backed by ADT. It's already equipped to notify you when there's unusual movement or changes in temperature, but a $20 ADT Canopy subscription will get you all-day monitoring with a dedicated response team. In theory, you won't have to bend over backwards to get help if there's a break-in.
Comcast home security exploit could let burglars in (updated)
Comcast's Xfinity Home system is supposed to keep your whole house secure, but a recently published vulnerability could leave things wide open. Researchers at Rapid7 report that you can use a quirk in the 2.4GHz wireless frequency to break communications with security sensors, forcing them to fail open and take a long time (several minutes to 3 hours) to reconnect. As the system doesn't even recognize the lost connection, that gives intruders free rein -- you might not know that anything's wrong until it's too late.
AT&T voice assistant helps you control your smart home
AT&T's Digital Life home automation service is supposed to make your life easier, but it's been lagging a bit in the control department. While Apple and Google let you command your home through your voice, Digital Life has required that you tap buttons... like an animal. Thankfully, the carrier is catching up: it's prepping a Digital Life Voice Assistant that controls some parts of the system through voice. You can ask if your security system is armed, for instance, or turn on the lights when you walk in. Optionally, the app can provide voice feedback if you want audible confirmation of what you've done. Just be prepared to wait, as the app won't be ready until sometime in the first half of this year. [Image credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Philips Hue won't work with third-party light bulbs for now
Bad news if you're planning to slip a few non-Philips light bulbs into your Hue setup: they won't work, at least not for a while. Philips has dropped support for third-party bulbs after noticing that a growing number of them had "interoperability issues" preventing them from playing nicely with official Hue gear. Support will come back, but only through a Friends of Hue program that will certify lighting. Any existing lights you're using will work, Philips is quick to note -- it's only new, untested additions that are getting the boot.
Almond WiFi routers now control Nest gear in your home
Securifi's Almond routers just got much, much more useful if you use one of them as the center of your smart home. Both the base Almond and the Almond+ now talk directly to Nest's thermostat and Protect smoke detector, giving you network-savvy controls that Nest alone can't offer. Thanks to equally new WiFi triggers, you can have the thermostat adjust the temperature the moment your phone connects to your home network. The routers will even "broker" between two connected smartphones -- if you like it hot but your partner wants it cooler, you'll get a temperature in between the two.
Amazon's new Fire TV can talk to your connected home
Amazon's Echo speaker and 4K Fire TV just got much better at handling around-the-house tasks. The Fire TV now controls smart home devices with a simple voice command -- you can ask it to dim the lights right before you start a movie. It'll search for local businesses and restaurants, too, in case you want to get some sushi when you're done watching. The Echo already has these features, but you can now ask it when a TV show starts to make sure you catch that big season premiere. Both the Echo and Fire TV upgrades are relatively straightforward, but they'll mean a lot if you're tired of bringing out your phone to ask simple questions.
Comcast's home automation app links with Nest, Lutron and more
Earlier this year Comcast said its Xfinity Home service would start connecting to more automation gadgets you probably already own, and now it does. Right now, its app (iOS, Android) connects to Nest thermostats, August Smart Locks, Chamberlain MyQ garage controllers, and Lutron's Caseta light controls. The plan is to eventually make all of these services controllable via the new X1 set-top boxes and voice remote controls (now available in Spanish), but that's not ready yet. Comcast is also bringing an SDK that should make it easier for other home automation platforms to build links to their own setups -- with Comcast's approval, of course. Is a cable set-top box really the right place to put the brains of your smart home? With the TV business rapidly becoming just another part of the internet, Comcast sure hopes so.
Quirky will sell its Wink smart home tech after going bankrupt
Quirky hinted that things weren't going so well when it stopped building its namesake oddball gadgets, and it's now extra-clear that the company has hit a rough patch. It's filing for bankruptcy in a bid to get its house back in order, and the restructuring effort will include selling off Wink, the firm behind its relatively popular smart home platform. The contract manufacturing outfit Flextronics is making a "stalking horse" offer for Wink to set a baseline price, but the hope is that another company will pony up a greater amount. So how does this affect you, then?
AT&T's home automation services reach your apartment
AT&T's Digital Life home automation services are tempting if you like the idea of cellular-connected safety and security systems, but you've had to live in a fully detached home to even consider subscribing. Live downtown? Forget about it. Thankfully, your options are expanding. Digital Life is now available in apartments and condos, so you can rely on the carrier to remotely turn on the lights or warn you if someone breaks in. The support is available in all 83 existing Digital Life areas, so the odds are that you can sign up today.