Connected Home

FT: Apple readying software platform for the connected home

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 26, 2014

If a new report Monday by the reputable Financial Times is an indication, Apple is working on a brand new software platform for the smart home.

Details are scarce, but the paper has learned that your iPhone - or any iOS device, for that matter - would get turned into "a remote control for lights, security systems and other household appliances.” The move is said to part of a bigger push into the Internet of Things.

Citing unnamed sources, the article goes on to note that the Cupertino company will be previewing the new platform at its upcoming summer pilgrimage for developers, the Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off with a keynote on June 2...

Philips expands iPhone-connected line with hue lux, tap and luminaires

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Philips' iPhone-connected Hue lighting system has come a long way since we first reviewed it in 2012. The company has added a number of products to the lineup over the years, including LightStrips, Bloom bulbs, and bulbs for recessed lighting installs. And today, it's expanding the line even more.

This morning, Philips announced three new upcoming Hue products. The first is known as the 'hue lux,' a bulb that can only emit white light, the second is the 'hue tap,' which allows you to control the Hue system without the iPhone app, and the third is luminaires, a set of high-end 3D light fixtures...

How to control Philips Hue lights from Control Center

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

I have a special fascination with home automation, and I'm usually up for trying anything new in this space. For that very reason, I was super excited to try out the Philips Hue lighting kit when it first launched, and I picked one up on day one. You can watch my Philips Hue unboxing and review here.

Philips has a decent, if not a bit cumbersome to use, app available that allows you to control the Hue lights. I was always a big fan of the hardware, but I thought the software left a lot to be desired.

One of the biggest gripes for me is just having to launch a separate app in the first place. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could turn your lights on and off directly from native iOS? Wouldn't it be even more awesome if you could control your lighting directly from iOS 7's Control Center?

And that's exactly what this recently released jailbreak tweak, entitled HueHueHue, does. It allows you to control your Philips Hue lights from native iOS, including Control Center, and a whole lot more. Take a look inside as I walkthrough this jailbreak tweak's features on video.

And just like that, Google buys smart thermostat and smoke detector maker Nest Labs

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 13, 2014

The Internet giant Google has announced that it has bought Nest Labs, the maker of a family of iPhone-controlled smart thermostat and smoke and carbon monoxide detector devices for connected homes. Nest will continue to operate independently of Google and won't share customer data with them. Nest was founded by the brilliant engineer Tony Fadell who used to work at Apple where he was charged with the iPod music player project.

Yes, the iPod Godfather now works for Google! The transaction is valued at a whopping $3.2 billion in cash. Google paid quite handsomely to buy Nest, didn't they? Considering Nest raised about $80 million in venture funding, the acquisition qualifies as one of the most profitable exit strategies among Silicon Valley startups.

iDownloadBlog's Jeff Benjamin reviewed the Nest learning thermostat and was impressed with its sleekness and functionality, the $249 price point be damned...

CES 2014: how about MFi air conditioner?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2014

This year's Consumer Electronics Show is currently underway in Las Vegas and even though Apple isn't an exhibitor, its influence can be felt in so many ways. If anything, the show appears to have ushered in an era of iPhone-controlled everything, from Parrot's latest drones (and other iOS-enabled toys) and the world’s first app-connected toothbrush to a smart sleep tracking system by Withings, to name a few.

A Chinese manufacturer called Haier has now announced it's become the world's first appliance vendor to have been labeled with Apple's Made for iPhone (MFi) certification logo, which ensures its accessories meet Apple's exacting standards in terms of quality and performance.

Haier's first product to bear the MFi logo is a smart air conditioner dubbed Tianzun controllable from an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad device...

Archos previews array of iOS-compatible wearable gadgets and connected home gizmos

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 30, 2013

Ahead of the looming 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, the French consumer electronics company Archos is previewing an upcoming line of devices and accessories, including 'Connected Self' smartwatches and health trackers and various 'Connected Home' appliances, all designed to be compatible with Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating systems.

There will also be a Connected Self mobile application to “serve as the backbone application for all connected self devices” allowing folks to track their activity, check their health-related data, turn on the lights, automatically capture video when motion sensors are triggered and lots more. The full breakdown is right past the jump...

Neurio vows to make all homes intelligent

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Neurio is an electrical monitoring device developed by Energy Aware Technology. The small device sits in the home's breaker box and "monitors how much power homes are using, and figures out the cost of running individual appliances using smart algorithms that look for patterns and potential problems." Using a self-learning algorithm, the unit collects data about the electrical items in the home. Reports and information are provided to the user, who then determines which ways to better eliminate energy consumption.

Most importantly, the monitoring and cloud reporting does not require home owners to install sensors on any device. As the unit sits in the breaker box, connected to the central home electrical hub, it monitors information directly from the source. Using a companion app, cleverly titled "Wattson," a homeowners' smartphone becomes the simple monitoring tool needed to determine real time power consumption and usage...

Philips adds new recessed light bulb to its iPhone-controlled Hue lineup

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Philips has expanded its Hue line of iPhone-controlled lighting with a new bulb this week, called the BR30. Unlike previous Hue bulbs, the BR30 is designed to fit into recessed sockets to create the effect of light shining from a hole in the ceiling.

The BR30 bulbs are designed to fit the standard E27 screw base and deliver 600 lumens of light. And like other Hue bulbs, they provide a full range of color, except the light is delivered in a downward beam instead of being omnidirectional...

Nest launches Protect, jaw-dropping smoke and carbon monoxide detector

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2013

Former Apple hardware engineer Tony Fadell needs no introduction. After leading iPod development and helping build the iPhone, he left Apple for his own startup, Nest.

There, the brilliant engineer banded together with a talented team comprised of former Apple wizards to create the Nest learning thermostat (Jeff had to say a bunch of nice things about it).

That was just the beginning of Nest's journey to the app-enabled, connected home. Today, the startup unveiled its second major product, a smart and gorgeous smoke and carbon monoxide alarm dubbed Nest Protect: Smoke + Carbon Monoxide. Like the Nest thermostat, the Protect takes everything that we hate about existing smoke detectors and re-imagines what those life-saving appliances should be and how they should function...

iDoorCam shows you who’s at your door, even when you’re not home

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

The introduction of smartphones and tablets has really helped bring 'connected home' technology mainstream. Actions that used to require a large, expensive in-home setup, can now be done with an iPhone, an app, and a relatively cheap accessory.

And the new iDoorCam is the perfect example of this. The camera-equipped, smart doorbell connects to your home Wi-Fi network to stream video of your visitors to all of your connected iOS gadgets, regardless of whether you're at home or not...

Canary motion detector bolsters up home security while looking stunning

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

iOS continues to change modern living for the better by improving upon the connected home promise through various innovative app-enabled accessories from third-parties, like the beautiful and smart Nest thermostat, the intelligent Philips light bulbs and clever locks by the likes of Jawbone and Kwikset, to name just a few.

Canary, "the world's first smartphone security device for everyone" by a New York-based startup, promises to beef up your home security by bringing motion detection, push alerts, streaming spycam video and other goodies to your iPhone by way of an IndieGoGo crowd-funded project.

The stylish device, reminiscent of Jony Ive's industrial design work, comes packed with a 720p HD camera, wide angle lens, Wi-Fi connectivity and smart sensors that detect motion, and is easy to set up on your mobile device. I've included a promotional video for your viewing pleasure just after the break...

Seagate Central: a great storage solution for your Connected Home

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Always moving forward, Seagate continues to reinvent current solutions. This time, Seagate took a hard look at their previous NAS drive, the GoFlex Home, and decided it left a few things to be desired. In an effort to impress, Seagate tore down the Home and seemingly started from scratch on the Central.

Overall, I am fairly impressed with Seagate's changes to the new hardware and corresponding software, online dashboard, and revamped media app. After speaking with the engineers behind the drive at CES, there appears to be a more prevalent focus on user experience with the new 2013 product line, of which I previously reviewed the Wireless Plus. Leading the charge for a user friendly product, this previously complicated network drive enables even novice users to go from box to operational in less than ten minutes...