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Take HomeKit devices for a spin at a handful of Apple Stores
As a mark of just how serious Apple is about its smart home initiatives, the company has built HomeKit into 46 of its brick and mortar stores. That means if you stop into the Union Square location in San Francisco or the World Trade Center and Williamsburg stores in New York you'll be able to give the IoT suite a test run, TechCrunch writes. Some 28 other stores throughout the country will have the demos up and running. If you don't have one of the fancy stores, you'll have to settle for non-interactive literature and the like. Ugh.
Amazon's Geek Squad-like service installs your smart home gear
Geek Squad is supposed to be one of Best Buy's few clear advantages over internet retailers: you can ask for help from a real human being if you're not sure how to set up your devices. Even that edge is disappearing, however. Recode has learned that Amazon is quietly rolling out a smart home setup service that helps you get started with connected lights, thermostats and (of course) smart speakers. If you have an Echo or another Alexa-connected device, you can get a free 45-minute consultation from an Amazon staffer who'll answer questions, demo Alexa-linked devices and, naturally, create shopping lists. However, the real stars of the show are the in-person visits.
Ring's updated doorbell stays in place while you swap batteries
Ring boasts that its smart doorbells reduce home break-ins, but its real killer feature is enabling you to screen out door-to-door salespeople. If you've been dragging your feet on buying one, then the advent of the Ring 2, with an upgraded 1080p camera, may be enough to tempt you. In addition, the updated video bell also gets a couple of new features designed to make it easier for lazy would-be smart home owners.
Wink promises home security with its $119 smart bulb bundle
Wink's goal is to demystify the internet of things with a single hub and a single app that talks to all manner of smart home devices from other companies, and plays nice with Google's assistant and Alexa too. Knowing that most people are still unsure of where to start modernizing, Wink has today announced a new basic smart lighting bundle for $119 that includes its latest smart home hub and two dimmable, connected bulbs from Sylvania. The "Wink Bright" proposition is two-fold, however, as the company is also updating its mobile app to add a few no-nonsense features to show there's more to smart bulbs than not having to move from the sofa to set the mood.
IKEA's affordable smart lights will dim with your voice
Last month, IKEA launched its own line of low-cost smart lighting, called TRÅDFRI, and up until now, users have had to rely on a remote control or a proprietary app to use the product. But no longer. Today, the Swedish retailer announced that their IKEA Home Smart products will respond to voice commands from Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant starting this summer. Additionally, the product line will integrate with Apple's HomeKit. "With IKEA Home Smart we challenge everything that is complicated and expensive with the connected home. Making our products work with others on the market takes us one step closer to meet people's needs, making it easier to interact with your smart home products," said IKEA Home Smart's business leader Björn Block.
Alexa can control your dumb AC unit using Ambi's smart hub
Some of you may recall that back in October 2014, Hong Kong startup Ambi Labs unveiled its Ambi Climate as a gateway between your smartphone and your dumb air conditioner at home. But it isn't just about replacing your infrared remote control; what makes Ambi Climate unique is its machine learning capability, so that over time it learns your comfort preferences by way of various sensors, while also saving up to 20-percent energy according to user feedback. Now, almost 2.5 years later, the company is back with the Ambi Climate 2, which is essentially a prettier version of its $179 predecessor and with a lower retail price of $129; and you can grab one for as low as around $80 on Kickstarter, with shipments expected to begin in June this year.
Comcast's smart home app controls your Philips Hue lights
Comcast's Xfinity Home app can steer many of the devices in your household, but there's been a conspicuous omission: Philips' Hue lights. Why spring for Comcast's hybrid automation/security service when it can't handle commonplace smart bulbs? That changes today. Comcast and Philips have formed a partnership that brings Hue support to the Xfinity Home app. On top of direct control, you can create automated rules that link your bulbs to your security system and any other smart home devices. Your lights can switch on when you disarm your security after work, for instance.
A smart home mega sensor can track what goes on in a room
Creating a smart home currently requires either linking every connected device one-by-one or adding sensor tags to old appliances to make a cohesive IoT network, but there might be an easier way. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon developed a concept for a hub that, when plugged into an electrical outlet, tracks ambient environmental data -- essentially becoming a sensor that tracks the whole space. With this in hand, savvy programmers can use it to trigger their own connected home routines.
Leak shows Microsoft's vision for Echo-like Windows PCs
Remember when word got out for Microsoft's Home Hub, a Windows 10 update that would effectively turn your PC into a souped-up Amazon Echo with shared info, across-the-room voice control and home automation? You now have an idea as to what it'll look like in practice. The Verge has obtained leaked conceptual images showing just what Home Hub will do. Sure enough, the welcome screen now has an always-available view of the family's calendar, notes and other collective knowledge. If your child has ballet practice, everyone will know. There's also a shared desktop, simple voice calling and smart home control for key devices (Hue, Insteon, Nest, SmartThings and Wink are on the short list).
Lowe's smart home system can call 911 for you
If you own a smart home system, here's the worst case scenario: You're away, something has genuinely gone wrong and you need to contact the emergency services. That involves a frantic phone call and some worrying about how swiftly your phone's notification came through. Lowe's Iris has a different approach -- if you sign up for its premium plan, the system will monitor your home and call emergency responders automatically. You'll be notified through the app, of course, and in some cases be able to cancel or confirm before someone from the police or fire department is sent out.
Ecobee's Alexa thermostat is essentially a wall-mounted Echo
If you're Ecobee and you have to compete against an Alphabet-backed heavyweight like Nest in the smart home space, what do you do? Simple: add built-in voice control that Nest can't currently match. The new Ecobee4 thermostat incorporates Amazon's Alexa. That gives you hands-off control over your home's climate, of course (such as saying when you're away), but it also turns your thermostat into a sort of wall-mounted Echo -- you can use just about any Alexa skill that makes sense. If you want to set a reminder or fetch a recipe, you might not need a separate device.
Domino's and IFTTT make getting takeout even lazier
Domino's Pizza has already enabled people to track the location of their pizza as it comes from the shop to their home. But that's not enough for the company, which has teamed up with IFTTT, to connect the platform to your smart home. Yes, it's a publicity stunt, although it's one that has a couple of useful applications if you're rocking a sufficiently futuristic abode.
Logitech's Pop buttons can control Apple HomeKit devices
Smart devices give you more control of your home while simultaneously making it more complicated. Logitech launched its Pop Smart Button last year to help simplify things a bit, and now they've made it more useful with Apple HomeKit compatibility. That'll let you control any HomeKit peripheral using the button, including Honeywell Lyric thermostats, Philips Hue Lights, iHome smartplugs and more. There is a catch: You'll need the Pop button bridge, which will be sold exclusively by Apple to start with.
Samsung squeezed a smart home hub into a WiFi router
Samsung isn't content with simply unveiling the Galaxy S8 today. In addition to its latest flagship phone, the company is also showing off a new Gear 360 camera, a desktop dock and, interestingly enough, a router. The Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System is a mouthful of a name, but the device itself may actually reduce clutter in your home, since it removes the need for a separate SmartThings Hub. Samsung hasn't shared information on price and availability yet, but we do know the Connect Home system will be sold on its own or in a three-pack. A so-called Pro version will also be available.
Google conquers more of your smart home with Logitech and Wink
A number of connected home devices already work with Google's smart speaker and today a few more are being added to the fold. Logitech's Harmony line and Wink's lighting gear and thermostats can now be controlled with voice commands from Google Home. "Ok Google, ask Harmony to..." can control your connected speakers, fire up a specific app on Roku, skip forward/backward on content and more for devices that work with Logitech's smart home platform.
'Zelda' fan creates an ocarina-controlled smart home
In the real world, an ocarina is a lot less functional than the magical one Link has in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. As Nintendo 64 lovers know, the Hyrulian hero can use his instrument to do things like manipulate the rain and switch between night and day. In our realm, ocarinas just sound nice. Allen Pan, better known as Sufficiently Advanced on YouTube, decided he was tired of playing his ocarina without mystical results. So, he did what any Zelda fan with the technological know-how would do: create a smart home setup controlled by an ocarina.
Engadget giveaway: Win a Harmony Elite and Amazon Echo courtesy of Logitech!
Logitech's Harmony series has come a long way and now with the Elite remote control you can do more than ever before. This universal remote not only lets you control all your media devices (from TVs to streaming media players), but it also handles a variety of smart home products. You can use the Harmony Elite to adjust your Nest thermostat or connected lighting systems, all from that well-worn spot on the couch. As if that wasn't enough, the Elite universal home control also supports Alexa. Now you can even take the remote out of the equation, by simply using your voice along with one of Amazon's smart speakers. Logitech has provided us with just such a pair -- a Logitech Harmony Elite and Amazon Echo -- so that one lucky reader can have total home control with minimal effort. You'll still need to head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning, but that counts as exercise, right?
Control your home with a gorgeous wooden remote
If you're looking for an attractive way to control your smart home, this minimalist, carved-wood multipurpose remote might fit the bill. It's called the Turn Touch, and it's pulled in almost twice the Kickstarter funding requested. The project has almost reached its first stretch goal to add IFTTT support, with plans to add Apple's HomeKit down the line.
Control your connected home with a wave of your hand
The IoT-powered smart home has caught the tech world's fancy for years, promising domestic command at your fingertips. But beyond set-and-forget environmental preferences, connected devices are usually configured via smartphone app or voice-controlled through a hub. But if you want to flick on your IoT machines with a wave or table tap, Hayo has launched an Indiegogo campaign to bring spatial remotes to your living room.
Louisville turns your smart lights red when air quality suffers
Citizens of Louisville, Kentucky just got a way to make their smart homes even smarter, thanks to IFTTT and the local city government. According to an announcement from Mayor Greg Fischer, the city has launched its own IFTTT channel that can tie public air quality data directly to smart home devices and other connected gadgets. With the city's home-baked applets, residents can get push notifications for days when the air quality reaches a certain level or, if it gets particularly bad, the air quality can actually be displayed in the colors of a Philips Hue connected lightbulb.
