Apple now allows Siri voice commands on third-party devices, with Ecobee's SmartThermostat becoming the first smart home appliance that comes with Siri on board.
Ecobee’s smart thermostat becomes the first non-Apple device with Siri voice control
HomeKit
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit compatibility added to some 2020 Toshiba and Insignia smart TVs
AirPlay 2 support and the HomeKit feature have expanded to certain smart TV sets from Toshiba and Insignia manufactured in 2020, including Insignia's 4K-enabled Smart Fire TV.
watchOS 8: A redesigned Home app for Apple Watch picks up new smart home features
watchOS 8 brings a significant update to the Home app on your Apple Watch, making it easier to control your HomeKit accessories and scenes, use Intercom and more, right from your wrist.
Apple is bringing Siri to smart home appliances
Apple is bringing Siri to third-party devices, but it's not what you think. Rather than let Android smartphone owners use its digital assistant, Apple is bringing Siri to smart home devices.
Last-minute WWDC21 leaks: no new hardware, HomeKit improvements, new UIs and more
Apple's confidential information regarding upcoming changes in iOS 15, watchOS 8, tvOS 15 and macOS 13 are trickling in, with just a few hours left until the start of the WWDc21 keynote.
Apple may announce a new homeOS operating system at WWDC21
Apple may unveil a new operating system at the WWDC21, its upcoming developer conference, with an Apple Music job ad referencing the previously unannounced software twice.
How to control your old garage door with Siri and HomeKit
You don't need to spend big money on a brand new garage door opener in order to be able to control it with HomeKit and/or Siri. Indeed, you can simply use an add-on accessory that will bring HomeKit support to virtually any garage door opener, letting you control it using Siri or the Home app on your iPad, iPhone, or Apple Watch.
I personally upgraded my garage door opener with such an accessory a few weeks ago, and in about 30 minutes, I was all set. Now this is not a hack. This is not a workaround. This is real HomeKit support, and all it requires is the meross Smart Garage Door Opener Remote, a $49 accessory you can find on Amazon.
How to get started and use the Home app on Mac
With macOS Mojave, Apple brought the Home app to Mac. So if you have HomeKit accessories set up on your iPhone, you can conveniently manage them from your Mac. Need the light in your office turned on? Want the temperature in your home adjusted? Wondering if you’ve locked the door?
Whatever accessories you have set up, you can interact with them from your Mac without searching for your iPhone. Make sure you’re logged in with the same Apple ID, open the Home app, and see here what you can do!
Review: The Logitech Circle View Doorbell features great hardware only limited by HomeKit
When I started looking at smart video doorbells for my new home, one specific feature I was looking for was HomeKit support, but as it turned out at the time (merely 3 months ago), there was none. So like everybody else, I settled for a Ring doorbell, which has worked reliably for me. Installation was simple. Set up was a breeze, and daily use was just as frictionless as you would expect from a doorbell.
But then Logitech introduced the Circle View Doorbell in December of 2020, the first device of its kind to support HomeKit, thus playing nice with all the Apple devices in my house and pocket.
So I reached out to the folks at Logitech who sent me a Circle View Doorbell after giving me a short briefing on the product. In this review, I’ll share my impressions of this smart video doorbell. But a bit of warning: this review will be heavily tinted by my experience with Ring, which I see as the standard in the category, or the device to beat, if you will.
Sony unveils new BRAVIA XR 4K and 8K TVs with support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit
A new year, which means it's time for TV manufacturers to unveil new TVs. And Sony's not about to start disappointing you in 2021, as it unveils a handful of new smart sets.
Control HomeKit devices from your Mac’s menu bar with the free Scenecuts app
The free, open-source Scenecuts app by Seattle developer Nick Hayward is a great little utility that allows you to bypass Apple's unimpressive Home app and access your smart home devices and trigger HomeKit scenes directly through the macOS menu bar.
LG is rolling out support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit on select 2018 smart TVs
It has been a bit of a rollercoaster for owners of 2018 LG-branded smart TVs when it comes to AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support. But, months after initially canceling plans to add the new features for older smart TVs, the update is now rolling out.