HomeKit

There are countless options for HomeKit native bulbs that you can buy to transform how your smart home operates completely. The problem for many people is that when you’re looking to change your entire home from traditional bulbs to HomeKit bulbs, it can get pricey in a hurry. Options like Philips Hue are fantastic, but they’re more costly. What if there was an option for a low cost bulb that worked great with HomeKit? That’s what I’ve found in the SYLVANIA SMART+ Bluetooth Soft White A19 LED Bulb. It’s HomeKit compatible at a price that isn’t that much higher than normal LED bulbs.

A new Product Security Verified (PSV) label will in future be used to identify smart home devices which meet new industry standards designed to protect against hacking and data breaches.

It’s the latest initiative by the industry alliance behind the Matter standard, of which Apple is a member …

I recently took a fresh look at Eve’s indoor HomeKit camera, and it inspired me to get my trusty Logitech Circle View camera and see how it continues to stack up against the competition. Circle View offers a straightforward, motion-triggered home security camera solution, avoiding constant video recording. It boasts a robust, weather-resistant design with an IP64 rating.

Last week, I looked at the state of HomeKit Secure Video. While I agree that it will take a lot of work to meet users’ needs in 2024, I also agree that it’s still the best way for privacy-focused people to use smart home cameras. The Eve Cam is one of the best cameras on the market for HomeKit Secure video.

HomeKit Secure Video was launched by Apple in 2019. It was introduced as part of the iOS 13 update, enhancing HomeKit with secure video capabilities designed for better privacy and security in home surveillance. Although a few updates have been seen since then, not much has changed. It’s time for Apple to double down on its commitment to secure smart home camera storage to work with cameras the Eve Outdoor Cam and Logitech Circle View.

It’s been a while since I’ve found a fantastic new indoor HomeKit camera, but the TP-Link Tapo 2K is proving to be an excellent option. With support for local recording over an SD card, HomeKit Secure Video, and TP-Link’s cloud service, there are plenty of options to choose this camera for indoor recording needs. One thing I especially want to call out: it supports Wi-Fi 6!

One of my favorite HomeKit features is HomeKit Secure Video, which lets me view and manage security camera recordings right in the Home app. There are a number of different cameras on the market that support this feature, and here are my favorites as someone who’s tested a lot of HomeKit accessories over the years.

Onvis is up there as one of the most reliable HomeKit vendors around. They make quality products and are typically among the first to use new technology like Thread. I recently picked up the new Onvis Smart Motion Sensor to automate some of our living room lights while tracking the temperature.

Update: The Eve Energy Outlet is now shipping. It can be purchased from Amazon or the Eve Store. The Eve Energy Outlet will replace your traditional wall outlet with one that has Matter built in. It will allow you to individually control two power outlets using your Siri, the Home app, or as part of HomeKit automation.s

Eve, a popular HomeKit vendor, has announced three new products ahead of CES 2024. Today, it’s announcing that Eve Energy Outlet, Eve Light Switch, and Eve Blinds are all coming to the Eve Store and Amazon in 2024.

SwitchBot is a unique smart home vendor that has made various pretty amazing products over the years. The SwitchBot Button pusher is a prime example of a relatively uncommon item with no alternative from another vendor. What powers the SwitchBot experience is the SwitchBot Hub 2. With Matter support, it comes to HomeKit, and you can now use the Switch Curtain Opener with HomeKit.

Routers secured by HomeKit may not be the first accessories that come to mind when thinking about smart home gadgets. Nevertheless, routers are still alive and well as an accessory category in the world of HomeKit. That’s despite a thread on Reddit this week that suggested HomeKit was no longer open for business as far as routers were concerned.

HomeKit smart plugs are generally the first step new users take on their smart home journey. Nearly everyone has a lamp, coffee maker, or other home appliance they want to “HomeKitify” (yes, I just created a new word), and a smart plug is the easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to do that. I’ve had the CozyLife HomeKit plug in my box of items to test for a while now, but frankly, it’s so small, that it was hidden under another box.

Yeelight is an underrated HomeKit vendor. They make a wealth of products for an extremely fair price. The company’s bulbs avoid the dreaded ‘No Response’ that many HomeKit vendors also end up with. This unique kit includes a slick floor lamp that’s perfect for a bedroom and consists of a HomeKit bulb as well.

Popular smart home device maker Aqara has unveiled three new Matter and Thread accessories at CES today. The incoming devices include the new U300 smart handset lock, the Border Router Plug, and the Hub M3.

Kicking off their CES announcements, ECOVACS is debuting a suite of new products, including a new DEEBOT X2 combo with a feature I’ve long awaited in a smart vacuum: Matter, which will give it HomeKit support.

Last week, I ran through the Homey Pro, and I think it’s a fantastic device and ecosystem. Suppose you’ve gotten into where you want HomeKit to do more than it can functionally. In that case, I think it’s a great ecosystem to invest in as you can continue using all of your HomeKit devices, but now you can start to build an ecosystem outside of it. Today, Homey is announcing that the Homey Pro can now download a free software update that enables its built-in Thread radio. Through the update, Matter-over-Thread devices can be directly connected to Homey Pro without needing a secondary Thread Border Router.

Smart home platforms are like the famous xkcd comic. Every new one is designed to become the “one ring,” but it usually becomes just another standard to follow. Homey Pro attempts to bridge that gap by acting as a hub for everything. It supports Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and, coming in 2024, Thread.

I have become a massive fan of all things retro in recent years. I love the Tidbyt clock. I am ready for Apple to bring the iPod back. Old stuff is back. I’ve recently been testing a really fun Tidbyt alternative with HomeKit support. It doesn’t have nearly the same amount of third-party app options, but it’s still a great desk accessory. I am looking at the Yeelight Cube Clock Kit this week.

Yeelight sells a lot of products to liven up your home through some really fun ideas. I’ve recently been having some fun with the new Yeelight Cube Smart Lamp Panel, which includes some basic Matter support so you can leverage HomeKit.

Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue smart lighting brand, has announced plans to restructure its operations amid “ongoing market volatility and uncertainty.” As part of this restructuring, the company says it will enact a “new customer-centric structure” with plans to save around $218 million.