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.

The Mirai worm is arguably the most well known as the source of massive attacks in the past. Things have been quiet on that front in the recent past, but research from Palo Alto networks has uncovered a new variant of both the Mirai and Gafgyt worm families that expand their attack profile.

App Developer Sunya Limited addresses the question of Bluetooth troubleshooting by providing a handy Bluetooth scanner app called HomeScan. HomeScan is designed to quickly and easily identify your bluetooth devices, and provide a portable and data driven means of determining signal issues.

Smart home hubs are growing in popularity, largely through the necessity of tying dozens of disparate devices together in the home. Logitech’s offering, the Harmony Hub, is a popular choice which has been examined by security firm Tenable and found lacking.

Consumer interest is ramping up in smart home devices in general, and we’re starting to see more options for control of non-ducted air conditioners and heat pumps. We take a look at the three models in the Cielo Breez range of smart AC controllers.

Assuming you have adequate WiFi and Bluetooth coverage for your devices, HomeKit users have had smooth sailing for a year. However, with the release of iOS 12, multiple users have reported a plethora of issues, most notably with Bluetooth devices.

Home weather instruments have long been the province of weather buffs, with various levels of tracking and trending the usual weather data points simply out of interest. For smart home enthusiasts, the availability of external environmental data offers a great deal of practical use.

Using any connected camera products comes with an unstated element of risk, and those of us with some sense of the inherent risks of connected devices deploy them with that in mind. Even so, we tend to hope that the service provider treats our video content with the appropriate level of encryption and privacy controls. 

As your smart home gains devices management of those devices can become somewhat cumbersome without the assistance of logical hierarchies and other organisational tools. These tools vary with the platform and app of your choice, but in the case of Apple’s HomeKit there are a couple of useful features in this area that are overlooked by many users.

Amazon’s Alexa has some limitations when it comes to managing your smart devices in the app, but by using the Groups feature you can simplify your device naming, and organize your gadgets much more easily.

Motions sensors are the first port of call for many smart home initiates, and they provide some core functionality for triggering activity based on presence, often in conjunction with smart lighting. Two strong candidates are compared in this deep dive article.

A UK based survey of home router owners provides an eye-watering view of general user ignorance and lack of awareness of basic security requirements. 

Ring has had a pretty good reputation for security, employing best practices for encryption and firmware management, but the existence of this antuentication issue is a head scratcher.

Canary’s Flex indoor/outdoor security camera may not be new, but still offers some capabilities that are lacking from the competition. It’s worth taking a look at how things stack up before deciding on a home smart camera solution.

Keeping track of device vulnerabilities that may impact you is a major headache. There is hope though, with a couple of free online tools that can give some peace of mind that your internet connection is not leaking like a seive.

Do you have an established Z-Wave smart home. Wish you could use those fancy digital assistants to tell your stuff what to do? Well, this may be what you've been looking for.