By using a suitable integration solution we can tie our smart devices together to create a smart home. In this example we look at using external weather data from the WeatherFlow smart weather station to drive better automation with tado Smart AC Control.

While not necessarily building a smart home, many families now have connected TVs and media players, and increasingly are opting for connected cameras. Unfortunately these cameras are proving to be the greatest weak point in home networks.

With only minor changes in iOS12, this year was due for some good news. While there are various things that could use some work, such as further enhancements to automation rules and expanded device capabilities, Apple’s focus this year was to push into new territory entirely as well as to deliver some quality of life improvements. 

We have some new players in the smart AC control space offering a very similar product to the Sensibo Sky. One of these is the Cielo Breez range, and specifically the Breez Eco, which is a good match for the Sky. Let’s take a look at how these two stack up.

The Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer is a compact rotary device that attaches to the face plate of your existing wall switch. The base plate has a slot for the switch to sit in, and a metal strap to hold it on the on position, with the knob spanning into place on top.

When it comes to finding a smart outlet for your particular application or country, particularly if you are looking for specific platform support. This roundup looks at all the currently available smart outlets with HomeKit support, and groups them by compatible region.

Ring was a featured HomeKit partner at WWDC 2016. After a year nothing had eventuated, and come WWDC 2018 another slide was shown with Ring conspicuously absent. Now there are signs things may actually be happening to bring this to fruition.

Smart devices are increasingly using big data and machine learning to help us get the results we expect from their use. But without an understanding of how they work, are we exposing our personal lives to faceless reviewers? How does this technology work, and what does it mean for our smart homes?

Homebridge is an open source project that was designed to fill the gap for HomeKit enthusiasts while device makers got up to speed. As it happens, this has not only taken longer than hoped, but continues to be a limitation even where manufacturers have provided HomeKit support.

While smart homes have actually been around for quite some time, the advent of digital assistants and smart speakers has brought them much more into the mainstream, at least as a concept. But is turning something on with a voice command really smarter than using a finger?