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Hive takes on Hue with colour-changing light bulbs
In its bid to kit out Britain's homes with tech-centric appliances, British Gas' Hive has launched a wide range of internet-ready products. There's the all-important smart thermostat, plugs, home sensors and, more recently, Hive Active Lights. These smart bulbs can be controlled via the Hive app and interact directly with the Hive Hub, but customers have only been able to buy the standard dimmable white light. That changes today, after the company added two new bulbs to its Active Light line-up, putting Philips' Hue in its sights.
Bloomberg: Apple moving forward with smart speaker to rival Echo
Back in May, reports surfaced that Apple was working on a device that would rival Amazon's Echo speakers. In fact, those rumors indicated that Tim Cook & Co. had been working on the gadget before Amazon announced its speakers with the Alexa virtual assistant on board. Now Bloomberg reports that Apple's upcoming device is moving from the R&D phase and into proper testing. Similar to the Echo line, Apple's smart-home unit will pack in Siri and control connected appliances, lights and more via voice cues.
Control this smart candle's real flame with your smartphone
Do you like the thought of smart lighting, but think that LED bulbs are a little too modern? No? Well, LuDela has a compromise regardless. It's introducing a namesake smart candle that has you controlling honest-to-goodness fire with a smartphone app -- the company is even cheeky enough to refer to the wireless pairing as "Wi-Fire" (yes, really). You can light or extinguish the flames of multiple candles at once, complete with scene modes that can get just the right look for that special dinner. There's even a safety measure that automatically extinguishes the candle if it's in danger of tipping over.
Canary's Flex is a small, weatherproof security camera
Security cameras are slowly making their way out of your house and onto your porches and yards. Canary is following the footsteps of rival Nest by launching a new, smaller weatherproof camera called the Flex that can be plugged into an outlet or powered by batteries. It's available for pre-order today for $199 and will be in stores by the holidays. Canary is also introducing a new pricing model that is pretty different from what's on the market, but we'll get to that in a bit.
Amazon Alexa support coming to LG's SmartThinQ hub
When LG launched its SmartThinQ hub at CES this year, you couldn't help but notice that it was a dead ringer for Amazon's Echo but, well, dumber. That's because the device could play music and control LG SmartThinQ appliances, but wouldn't obey your voice commands like an Echo. However, LG has announced that that it will join Amazon rather than fighting it by adding support for the Echo's Alexa voice assistant.
Netatmo's radiator valves take cues from its smart thermostat
It seems like it was only yesterday that most smart thermostat makers were content with their simple solutions, leaving the more complicated heating zone control systems to those with prior experience. Actually... that was only yesterday. Just a few short hours after Tado announced the addition of smart radiator valves to its product range, Netatmo has revealed it's doing exactly the same thing. You probably know the score by now: Replacing existing, dumb radiator valves with internet-connected ones allows you to remotely control the temperature of individual rooms.
Tado's new thermostat listens to Siri and Alexa
Tado is no doubt celebrating today after its thermostat was selected above all others for O2's new subscription-based smart home offering. That's by no means the only Tado news from this year's IFA, though, as the company today announced its third-generation smart thermostat. Pretty much nothing has changed from a hardware standpoint, with the main improvements being support for both Apple's HomeKit and Amazon's Echo platforms, allowing you to control your heating by talking to Siri or Alexa, respectively. IFTTT integration remains part of the feature set, and the new generation is also said to have improved energy efficiency algorithms.
O2 wants to help you spread the cost of building a smart home
Although there are plenty of smart home solutions, deciding which platform to back can be hard. Do you invest in a product from a major brand like Google's Nest or choose a startup that cares more about its products and services than parting you from more of your money? It's a problem that UK companies like British Gas' Hive have tried to solve with its mix of smart appliances, but mobile carrier O2 thinks it might have the solution. The operator today launched O2 Home, a new smart home subscription service that lets customers spread the cost of devices but also the support they may require.
Amazon's instant-order Dash buttons arrive in the UK
It's hard to keep up with Amazon's multi-pronged attack on British supermarkets. Prime Now, Pantry and Fresh -- all of these services are starting to blend together into a giant forgettable mush. Luckily, there are now Dash buttons, a refreshingly simple product that's been available in the US since March 2015. With its UK debut, Prime customers can press a tiny clicker in their home to instantly order new toilet paper, washing up liquid and other household supplies. It's supposed to negate your weekly shopping list, while ensuring you never run out of the essentials.
Kwikset's second-gen Kevo is ready to lock up your smart home
When it launched in 2013, Kwikset's Kevo smart lock was the first to allow users to unlock their front door with just a tap on the deadbolt. Today, Kwikset is launching the second generation Kevo with the same touch-to-open feature that made it The Wirecutter's pick for best smart lock, plus some added security features and a refined design.
Philips Hue motion sensor turns lights on for you
So you have your home all decked out with some sweet smart lights that you can control with your phone. Big deal. True convenience is when your lights turn on exactly when you need them to, without you even lifting a finger. And Philips' new motion sensor can help you achieve that. The $40 device will be available in October, and after my brief preview of the Philips Hue motion sensor, I can't wait till I can get one.
Router maker TP-Link turns its attention to smart homes
Although it is a market leader in the global networking industry, TP-Link has struggled to make an impression in the US. The company is banking on a major makeover and a new product portfolio to help wow its American audience and improve its standing in the Netgear-dominated US market. I spoke at length with TP-Link's amiable CEO and co-founder Jeffrey Chao about his ambitious plans for the States.
Hive's smart thermostat gets IFTTT's recipe-based automation
If you own one of Hive's smart thermostats and are looking to get more from the connected appliance, today is your lucky day. The British Gas-owned company today announced that it's teamed up with IFTTT to provide recipe-based automation for the thermostat, allowing you to connect it to 300 other products and services.
Logitech's Pop button controls your entire smart home
As slick as smart home technology may be, you lose some ease of use. With certain exceptions, you can't just flick a switch to set everything in motion. Logitech thinks it can change that. It's introducing the Pop Home Switch, a button (yes, the name is a bit misleading) that can control multiple devices at once. It not only talks to typical smart home tech like lighting (including Philips Hue bulbs) and door locks, but also Logitech's own Harmony hubs. If your remote can control it, the switch can too. It'll even access Sonos playlists (in case you need some relaxing music to go with your mood lighting), and you can assign up to three actions per switch thanks to single, double and long button presses.
Samsung pours $1.2 billion into the Internet of Things
Samsung is willing to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to the Internet of Things. The electronics giant is spending $1.2 billion on IoT development in the US over the next 4 years, sharing it between startups and its own work. This isn't just about getting into a young field, if you ask Samsung. The company pitches this as crucial to dealing with an aging population -- connected gadgets could help an older generation maintain its independence.
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.
Device that makes surfaces smart reaches funding in an hour
The Knocki team's Kickstarter campaign was a huge success: they managed to raise $35,000 in just over an hour. They've even reached $136,000 as of this writing. What enticed people to put their faith in Knocki's creator (Texas-based Swan Solutions) is the promise of a device that can turn any surface into a controller for various gadgets and smart devices in your home. So long as you attach a Knocki onto, say, a table, a countertop or a wall, it can recognize up to 10 unique tapping and knocking patterns.
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.
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.
