Those wider/taller legs should be on the same side, and the top outlet should have one leg opening wider/taller than the other - unless it's from the '60s. Perhaps the British refer to them as blades.I wanted to post about how cool this new HomeKit stuff is and how I can't wait for the prices to drop so that it'll be reasonable to replace a whole house with HomeKit supporting plugs but instead all I could think when I saw the article was that the top socket looks like he's angrily doing something to a surprised lower socket:
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First HomeKit-Compatible Products Launching Today, Led by Lutron, iHome, Elgato, Insteon and Ecobee
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Me too! I hope its just an update to the hub and not their bulbs.
I hate the fact Hue uses ZBee - Zwave/Insteon seem to be more popular with hub support.
So let me get this straight....
I will still need a hub and app for my lutron lights and blinds etc, then another hub and app for my zwave locks etc, and a third hub and app for my insteon stuff....
Then once each hub and appropriate devices are setup and running THEN Siri can execute commands?
That does nothing to simplify things to me if that is the intention.
It would have been nice if apple can be the hub and the single app that is needed to do all this with compatible devices.
I will still need a hub and app for my lutron lights and blinds etc, then another hub and app for my zwave locks etc, and a third hub and app for my insteon stuff....
Then once each hub and appropriate devices are setup and running THEN Siri can execute commands?
That does nothing to simplify things to me if that is the intention.
It would have been nice if apple can be the hub and the single app that is needed to do all this with compatible devices.
Why not?
My setup is pretty neat and I rarely, if ever, touch a light switch. Almost everything is truly automated too. No need to voice or tap to control.
For example, the 3 hallways in my house, all have motion sensors. When motion is detected, the light turns on for 1 minute.
If I open my exterior door, the vestibule light turns on. When I open my interior door, the hallway light turns on. When I close both doors, the vestibule light immediately turns off, and the hallway light turns off after 1 minute.
If I set my house to "Away" on the wall keypad, all the motion sensors stop turning lights on (prevents false triggers). If someone was to open a door/window, all the lights near windows start flashing.
My ceiling fan in the living room turns on when the house reaches a certain temperature AND my TV button on keypad is on. My bedroom fan does the same, when my keypad is set to "Home" and its between 11pm and 6am.
I'm working on removing the manual control for my garage door opener and front door lock by using a multitude of motion/beam sensors, location services, and proximity for safety, security, and correct action. Just because I walk up to my car doesn't mean the garage door should open.
Unless the new Apple TV supports ZigBee, Zwave, Insteon, and IR - you will most likely need multiple hubs still.
Otherwise, you'll have to buy HomeKit enabled door/window sensors, light switches, wall outlets, light bulbs, etc so no hub, other than the Apple TV, is required.
My only concern with HK is security. HK is designed to just detect the device. You no longer have to be near the device and press the 'set' button or whatever each manufacturer calls it. So that means, potentially a neighbor could add your device by accident.
Or what about once your device is linked, does it report back and say its managed by my Apple TV? Or can someone else "link" it to?
Apple hasn't published any security documentation on HK yet. At least not that I have seen when they announced it. So I worry about HK future regarding security, linking, etc. Obviously this can be resolved with a firmware/software update.
Or what about once your device is linked, does it report back and say its managed by my Apple TV? Or can someone else "link" it to?
Apple hasn't published any security documentation on HK yet. At least not that I have seen when they announced it. So I worry about HK future regarding security, linking, etc. Obviously this can be resolved with a firmware/software update.
except that isn't how it actually works. here's how I change my Hue lights:
- pick up phone while waking it
- swipe down Today tray from lock screen
- tap light recipe from widget
it gets even easier when certain times of the day are reached -- my lights turn themselves on/off to my preferred light settings, costing me 0 steps.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
Ok? As far as I can tell, none of the stuff you've stated has anything to do with homekit (obviously you haven't needed it thus far). It's all motion sensors and automated settings. This is sorta cool (however I can see individually cases that it wouldn't work or would need to get used to or develop workarounds), but all the homekit stuff I've seen is "Turn X on and off with your phone! Adjust it with your phone! Do all these cool things on your phone!" I'm just not seeing enough practical examples yet. It's far easier to flip a lightswitch than to turn a light on from an app on your phone.
You are right, 90% of my house will not need HomeKit. However, there are a few instances where Siri would be very helpful.
1) Setting the exact temperature in my house using my voice.
2) Selecting a movie to watch, rather than scrolling through a list with a remote.
3) Selecting the color of lights (Hue) in the room I am in (if Hue adopts HK).
4) Performing an action in another room that I don't want to walk over to.
5) Asking to turn a light on without having to stop what I'm doing or walk over (motion or switch).
6) Asking a report of which lights are on, what windows are open, what doors are open, etc..
What workarounds would need to be developed? What use cases would a hallway light need other than motion activation?
If I need to leave the light on longer in the hallway, I tap the light switch and it'll stay on. Tap and its off. A hallway light rarely needs to be on longer then to get to your destination unless you are painting or got locked out of your bedroom. Also - If its a cloudy day, the motion sensor turns the hallway light on before sunset. All the lights turn off when I press "Night".
And its far easier to have the light automatically turn on and off then to flip a switch going by your logic.
All too true.
I'm not sorry I bought my GE Link Bulbs and the Wink Hub. But it made it very clear to me that Home Automation is really more potential at this point, rather than practical technological ways of making my life tangibly better/easier/more efficient.
So far I think that devices like the Nest Thermostat seem to have come closest to being successful examples of smart technology passing the dual hurdles of making economic sense, combined with finding the right mix of complexity versus convenience.
But then I think of all the other systems and subsystems in my home: The plumbing and waste water systems. The furnace itself.The various doors and windows.
A true "Smart Home" would tell you when had a leaky toilet valve; would let know when it was time to change the furnace filter. It would know to turn off the A/C system when you open the patio doors to let the cool breeze in. It would let me view a report of my energy and water use. Identify security or maintenance or indoor air quality problems.
I don't know if Home Kit will address any of these issues upon its release. Or if indeed it provides a framework to allow them to be built into future iterations.
But the whole Home Automation industry still needs, IMHO, some serious innovation if its going to move from neat gadgetry for the Tech crowd to play with; into a must-have technology builders and remodelers; homeowners and renters - are going to make a part of a significant number of our living spaces.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
What workarounds are needed for a purely motion activated lighting system in a house? Imagine you are sitting in one location reading a book for an extended period of time and the light goes off. Imagine getting into bed at night and needing to lay motionless for 10 minutes so that the lights turn off. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night for some hanky panky and then all the lights turn on spoiling the mood. Imagine you're sleeping and the dog walks out into the hallway and all the lights turn on. There are many other examples that would come up like these.
Yes I understand that there are different settings you can apply in different circumstances to prevent these circumstances (probably requiring an iPhone app), but you cant simply rely on motion sensors and often it adds a layer of complexity beyond flipping a switch. I think it's getting there, but probably not there yet. I'm glad there are some pioneers like you testing it out. Also, often these smart features require significant change to be truly effective. Meaning if you have 1 or 2 lights and your front door lock on a smart system, it's kinda cool, but unless you have the whole house and all doors on this system the benefits are minimal.
What on Earth is that ludicrous-looking power socket? My Apple world traveller set has nothing that looks like it would fit that!
Cool, didn't know that. I'll wait for HomeKit solutions though. At least I know they're on the way now.
I hope Apple develops it for the handicapped; I agree with you there. I had a few months in a wheelchair, so I can appreciate the difficulties. But it's still going to be a very small market.
I'm trying to figure out how to make a remotely-activated cat door for my screened porch. I figured out how to just lock the flap with an electromagnet plugged into an old X10 outlet I have but that would need constant juice while locked and there's no good indication it is locked to the cats, so they will keep bonking their heads against it to try it. I would rather figure out a way to remotely activate a blocking slider that either slid sideways or down from the top toggled by a temporary shot of electricity, but I can't source the motor parts. There are automated by timer chicken coop doors on Amazon but they are about $100 that I might be able to modify but that's too much vs just schlepping out there and opening/closing it by hand. A DIY solution less than about $50 is what I'm looking for.
Does anyone have an idea how to do this? I guess I'm looking for something like a garage door, retractable projection screen or automatic curtain puller mechanism but on a mini scale. What is a motor like that called and what components would I need to get:
Tap button/juice to mechanism/close or open door blocker/juice off
I suppose this is off topic so feel free to private message me.
Does anyone have an idea how to do this? I guess I'm looking for something like a garage door, retractable projection screen or automatic curtain puller mechanism but on a mini scale. What is a motor like that called and what components would I need to get:
Tap button/juice to mechanism/close or open door blocker/juice off
I suppose this is off topic so feel free to private message me.
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http://buy2gig.com/LiftMaster-MyQ-Garage-Universal-Remote-Controller-821LM.html
I use this with my security system, and now I always know if I left it open. If I do, I can also close it away from home
I have a myQ garage door opener, too. Got the control pad that closes the door after a specified time AND can remotely open and close via my iPhone. It's awesome!
Suit yourself but I love having all my living room lamps, projector and screen on remote controls so I can just stay on the couch and decide what to turn on or off. It's not that easy for me to reach to twist knob on my floor lamp that's wedged between the couch, wall and console table and finding a knob under a lamp shade can be a pain too. My projector is hung from the ceiling so I'm grateful to have a button where I can reach it.
Automation isn't just about controlling a device through a remote app on your phone though, and most people seem to be missing the real point of home automation.
The killer part of home automation is scheduling, controlling a device through a schedule, or controlling unrelated devices to create an outcome.
For instance, I like my sofa lamp to come on at certain times, I like bedroom side lamps to come on at certain times. I like having a tone of lighting in the house, not oppressive overhead lighting, just accent lights in the house, especially in the evening. So my system already set up does exactly that. Turns lights on an off to a schedule.
You can then link unrelated devices together, so if a window sensor is detected as open, and the ac kicks on, then I get a text telling me which window or door is open. In fact, I believe I can prevent heating/cooling coming on if something is detected as open.
The door and window sensors also act as an alarm. The sensors also have thermometers built in so when the feature is unlocked I can track temperates around the house.
The other thing that is coming, and I'm buying into late this year are remote controlled air vents. I can now run a standard hvac system as a zoned system, simply monitor the temperate in each room, and hopefully the hub will start to direct air only to rooms that need it. I can also start running a spare room at a slightly higher temperature, eg unoccupied guest room.
Another thing that can be added, are the use of scheduled blinds, and with any luck soon, temperature controlled blinds. Why kick in the ac if you can lower a blind for a bit? Again, run ceiling fans without kicking in the ac for a short time. Hmm, 3000W ac system or 600W by multiple fans for a short time.
No, you buy a solution that controls everything and talks multiple protocols. That way you have one system that controls unrelated devices, eg window sensors to your hvac.
I bought 15 Lutron Serena shades for my kitchen and living room. The home kit automation is awesome. Just an FYI, Serena is sold at lowes, but you can buy online as well. Every year they have a 20% and 25% off sale. Unlike almost every other manufacturer of electric shades, the batteries go in the head rail. Very easy to install yourself and I highly recommend them.
It is DreamKIT 2.0, the future of home automation.
Controls all your devices with just one box, with the capability of teaching dumb appliances to communicate with the Internet. Apple fit is fud, DreamKIT does everything better and is completely open source while being much more secure.