CES 2018: Elgato Debuts New 'Eve Room' and 'Eve Button' HomeKit-Enabled Accessories

[MacRumors]

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, Elgato is adding to its HomeKit accessory lineup with two new Bluetooth HomeKit-enabled devices, which include an upgraded Eve Room and a new Eve Button.

The second-generation Eve Room, a followup to the original released in 2015, uses the latest sensor technology from Sensirion to track air quality, temperature, and humidity. Eve Room has a new aluminum enclosure, an update over the original plastic enclosure.

A new e-ink display allows you to see the Eve Room measurements when a smartphone isn't available, and it now features a built-in battery that can be charged using any USB power source.

Like the original, the updated Eve Room is able to determine indoor air quality by measuring volatile organic compounds (VOC), plus it tracks the humidity and temperature of an indoor room. While the data can be read on the e-ink display, it's also available in the Eve app, Apple's dedicated Home app, and from Siri thanks to HomeKit integration.

Eve Button, Elgato's first remote-style device, is designed to allow users to activate up to three HomeKit scenes without the need for a smartphone. Eve Button fits right in with the Eve lineup, with a sleek aluminum enclosure and a single button.

A single press, a double press, and a long press are each able to trigger a different HomeKit scene. Comparatively, the Eve Button isn't offering as many physical buttons as some other options, but it is a simple, standalone device that's works with all other HomeKit products and is priced affordably at $49.95.

Eve Room will be available in March of 2018 for $99.95, while Eve Button will be available starting later this month from the Elgato website and from Apple Stores.

Article Link: CES 2018: Elgato Debuts New 'Eve Room' and 'Eve Button' HomeKit-Enabled Accessories

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

A $50 button for those too lazy to use Siri to activate HomeKit or unlock their phone and do it from the HomeKit app.

 

[wesley96]

The new version of Eve Room does address the inconveniences of the first version, and I'm glad that it did. Having to look at the smartphone to check the status did reduce the usefulness somewhat, especially as HomeKit still lacks any notification options for air quality status changes. Also, Eve Room is the most power-hungry of the battery-operated Eve devices, needing to replace three AA batteries every 3 months or so when other ones last 1 year or more on 2 AA or smaller batteries.

But I'm still left to wonder how long the rechargeable battery lasts on the new one. I hope it does at least as well as the first version. Also, the price hike ($80 -> $100) is a little disappointing. Maybe I'll upgrade mine if it's on discount and has acceptable battery life.

As for the Eve Button... I suppose it's the first hub/bridge-less HomeKit button, which is good, I guess? I hope it's more stable than Logitech Pop. However, if you're already invested into Philips Hue, it could be better to just use the dimmer switch. While it doesn't support multiple press or long press for HomeKit (works only within Hue ecosystem) it does have four buttons (one more action than Eve Button) and is half the price at $25.

 

[44267547]

A $50 button for those too lazy to use Siri to activate HomeKit or unlock their phone and do it from the HomeKit app.

The convenience factor is having multiple of these devices in the house if you didn't have your iPhone with you at all times. For some, depending on where they spend their time, I could see why this would be beneficial if the iPhone was left behind.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

The convenience factor is having multiple of these devices in the house if you didn't have your iPhone with you at all times. For some, depending on where they spend their time, I could see why this would be beneficial if the iPhone was left behind.

Yeah, I sure need to adjust my furnace and air conditioning at moments notice. A thermostat control in each room is really what's been missing from homes since the beginning.

 

[44267547]

Yeah, I sure need to adjust my furnace and air conditioning at moments notice. A thermostat control in each room is really what's been missing from homes since the beginning.

Not really the point in the sense of a "Moments notice". As stated prior, It's the convenience of having access in the bedroom, basement, different levels where the user doesn't need or have their iPhone tethered to them . Perhaps for those who are disabled might have an appreciation for a product like this for reasons as such, which clearly this Product offers this advantage if someone wanted to utilize this. Aside from being dismissive, Just because you not see the utilization of multiple devices, doesn't mean someone else won't with their own investment with HomeKit.

 

[wesley96]

Yeah, I sure need to adjust my furnace and air conditioning at moments notice. A thermostat control in each room is really what's been missing from homes since the beginning.

Snarks aside, buttons generally make sense if you've invested a bit into the HomeKit setup. It could be used to control / power HomeKit accessories that doesn't have a button on its own, or initiate a pre-programmed scene (e.g. turn TV power and mood lighting on)... all without the need for a smartphone or smart speaker near you. I usually plop down the phone on the charger when I return home, and I don't let my kids touch their smartphones for more than a few minutes, so the buttons do get a lot of use.

As for the wisdom of paying $50 for such convenience, it's up to the consumer. I think it's too steep, and I already have multiple Hue Dimmer Switches around the house to control non-Hue HomeKit devices. I can usually get them at a discount, so it only cost me around $20 per unit or less.

 

[tasset]

I already have multiple Hue Dimmer Switches around the house to control non-Hue HomeKit devices.

I wasn’t aware the dimmer switches could do this. What examples of non-Hue HomeKit-compatible devices can you give?

 

[wesley96]

I wasn’t aware the dimmer switches could do this. What examples of non-Hue HomeKit-compatible devices can you give?

One of the buttons is mapped to activate a HomeKit scene, which includes turning on an Elgato Eve Energy smart outlet. Philips activated HomeKit compatibility for various Hue accessories last October, including Dimmer Switches and Motion Sensors, so I can assign any HomeKit device or scene to a button push on the switches.

 

[Vasilioskn]

HomeKit is horrible , Apple should just let another company revamp it and improve it.

 

[wesley96]

HomeKit is horrible , Apple should just let another company revamp it and improve it.

Companies competent enough to do that already has their own home automation standards, sadly. Still, while I'm not fully satisfied with HK either, it's gotten a lot better over the years.

 

[brianbobcat]

It's a shame that Elgato used to be a good company, but since they were bought out by the Chinese firm Geniatech, they're support has completely evaporated. I used to like everything Elgato did, and now I wouldn't buy any of it and trust it to work one day past the warranty coverage.

 

[wesley96]

It's a shame that Elgato used to be a good company, but since they were bought out by the Chinese firm Geniatech, they're support has completely evaporated. I used to like everything Elgato did, and now I wouldn't buy any of it and trust it to work one day past the warranty coverage.

You are confusing Geniatech’s acquisition of EyeTV with the entire company of Elgato.
https://help.elgato.com/customer/en...ut-eyetv-s-transfer-of-ownership-to-geniatech

As you can see, Geniatech only acquired EyeTV and related product lines from Elgato. Other products like Eve are not affected and are still maintained by Elgato itself, which is independent from Geniatech.

 

[diddl14]

The convenience factor is having multiple of these devices in the house if you didn't have your iPhone with you at all times. For some, depending on where they spend their time, I could see why this would be beneficial if the iPhone was left behind.

I'll wait for HomePod...

 

[utwarreng]

I wonder if these could be used in lieu of the Ecobee 3 remote sensors. If they could be used via HomeKit to follow you around the house, and sense what room you're in, they'd be significantly better than what the Ecobee sensors offer, and at only a slightly higher price.

 

[justperry]

I want that eve button, but I think I have to wait a bit before it's on the market, the price is a bit steep though, €30 would be perfect (or less).
Is there any similar homekit button for less than about €50?

 

[johnfrombeyond]

One reason to have a button like this is so other people (children, guests) can manually turn on/off lights and things. The owner may not need it as much. Personally I always have my Apple Watch on, but lots of people don't carry their phones around the house.

 

[shaown]

How does this compare to the Eve Degree?

 

[wesley96]

How does this compare to the Eve Degree?

Eve Degree is basically the Eve Weather with a screen. It does temperature / humidity / atmospheric pressure.
Eve Room, with or without the screen, does temperature / humidity / air quality (VOC).

So the key difference is whether you want to monitor atmospheric pressure or air quality. Apparently, the air quality sensor part is quite power hungry, resulting in Room having much shorter battery life (3 months with 3 AA vs. 12 months with 2 AA).

 

[beanbaguk]

I'm getting fed up with Eve. I've got a number of their products including the weather station, plugs and door sensor. The biggest problem with them is they use Bluetooth which limits the range massively. So much so, I used one of the plugs to control the Christmas tree lights this year and the range from the Apple TV was barely 7m away, yet it struggled at times to communicate with my ATV4.

They need to switch to WiFi for better control. I appreciate it uses more power, but the plug sockets can do this without any problems.

Moreover, they were meant to release a Bluetooth to WiFi extension kit at last years CES, but that has disappeared into thin air.

https://9to5mac.com/2017/01/04/elgato-eve-extend-homekit-eve-aqua/

 

[Jace91]

A $50 button for those too lazy to use Siri to activate HomeKit or unlock their phone and do it from the HomeKit app.

Worth it for me to enable an away scene by clicking a button on my way out the door rather than having to do it from my phone.