LIFX has announced that its current Lifx and Lifx+ lineup of WiFi smart bulbs now work with Apple HomeKit. Thanks to this new support, current and future Lifx smart bulb owners are able to control their home or office's lighting using their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or other Apple product. The new support is available now.
If Apple has its way, your entire home will someday be Siri-enabled. Between its various hardware options like the iPhone, Apple Watch and (soon) HomePod, the underlying software that is HomeKit can make your entire home controllable via voice. For many of us, the garage is a daily use portal, which makes it ripe for disruption via Siri. The underlying question is whether or not that’s even a good idea. Instead of wondering, we decided to find out using Chamberlain’s new MyQ Home Bridge.
If the appearance of voice assistant Alexa on new devices wasn't your thing, and the slew of new gadgets and phones didn't get your attention, then the big trend of IFA 2017 was which products can successfully integrate artificial intelligence. This year Samsung decided to go with the washing machine, moving beyond their previous WiFi-enabled home appliances, and introducing the WW8800M with AI and QuickDrive technology.
If you want connected home security, Apple’s HomeKit framework is pretty sparse. It’s one of the weak-points of the platform. The only officially listed ‘security’ device for HomeKit is Honeywell’s Lyric Controller, but it’s not available yet. There are plenty of other options available for DIY home security, but they don’t work with HomeKit. It’s a conundrum, but there’s (sort of) a fix. Instead of a proper security system, you can patch one together using cameras and sensors. It works, too – maybe even better than bespoke systems.
Philips has announced an expansion to its Hue smart lighting product line with the addition of two new items, plus new starter kits. The starter kits, of course, are designed to get new customers quickly established with a smart lighting product. The two new models, meanwhile, include one light fixture, the Philips Hue White Ambiance Cher Suspension fixture, plus the new Philips Hue White Ambiance downlight bulb.
Smart locks are great, and they've made their way onto a variety of homes. Vacation home owners use them to grant guests access to the house without having to physically let them in, for example. Home owners use the locks to ensure their kids can get inside without remembering a key. Some apartment complexes have even added these locks to their residences. That makes a recent botched firmware update particularly concerning.
A new smart device designed for home cooking has launched, and it's called the Tasty One Top. This induction cooktop is the brainchild of GE Appliance's First Build Team and BuzzFeed Product Labs, and it works with a companion app that brings hundreds of recipes to a user's smartphone. When the two products are used together, the cooktop will do all the work (of keeping the temperature where it needs to be).
No doubt included on the list of appliances you won't want to transport often is a new espresso machine called the 'AnZa,' one created by designers in California who position the appliance as something like a kitchen sculpture. The appliance would match well with both modern home interiors and grungy, dark warehouse-style apartments. One would be tempted to think this model is unique, but it's not.
Yale, the locks and hardware company, not the university, has announced a new smart lock product that it says is the slimmest currently available on the market. Called the Yale Assure Lock SL, this electronic deadbolt boasts a very slim body and a touchscreen display, the combination of which gives home and business owners a way to update their security without adding a bulging, unsightly gizmo.
Microsoft has its own smart thermostat in the pipeline, and it is called GLAS. The model comes from HVAC provider Johnson Controls; it sports a Windows 10 Internet of Things core, according to Microsoft, and packs all of the intelligence of Cortana. The company is only teasing the thermostat at this time, and so there are some questions remaining. The model has, however, been shown off in a video.
Xiaomi has taken the wraps off a new Mi gadget, the Mi Laser Projector. This projector is designed for anyone who wants a high-resolution experience without having a physical TV take up space in their room. According to the Chinese company, this is the first ever laser projection 'TV' that offers cinema-level quality, a big claim that comes alongside a small (relatively speaking) price tag of 9999 yuan.
Your phone and tablet and laptop all notify you of new messages, of course, and there's a decent chance you have a smartwatch that does the same. If that's still not enough, a new special nightlight will fill the void. Called Aumi Mini, this night light doubles as a notification light, alerting you to certain things including social media mentions via various lighting arrangements.
