Smart Home Automation and Control

Smart thermostats are a good addition to the smart home, and if you use Alexa you have a lot of options. We’ve pulled out the best options to choose from.

This HomeKit-compatible air quality sensor brings PM2.5 and PM10 sensors to HomeKit at a great price point. We take a look at how it performs.

Smart ceiling fans are a category that lends itself well to automation. Here are the best options for smart ceiling fans available right now.

There are more smart thermostats supporting Apple’s HomeKit now than ever, here we look at the best on offer right now.

Does Ring support thermostats directly? Yes, but only a few. See the best supported models, and ways to get other models to work in some way.

Choosing a smart thermostat in Australia is not as simple as it should be. Here’s why, and what your best options are.

Not having a c-wire can be a pain when looking for smart thermostats, but here are some options to get around that.

Smart thermostats offer numerous comfort and energy saving benefits. If you’ve opted for the benefits of Z-Wave this guide has you covered.

After a long dry spell, Australia is getting more HomeKit compatible smart plugs

There are smart irrigation systems available that make watering easy and efficient, but if you need something simpler the Eve Aqua delivers full featured control over your outdoor taps.

Smart curtains present a host of opportunities for both convenience and energy efficiency. There are good options to add smarts yourself, and some professional options if you want more thorough makeover.

Chamberlain’s MyQ system allows for adding smart home connectivity to your garage door. But is their own bridge device the best way to do that?

The Sensibo AirQ smart AC controller has a lot to offer in terms of features and ease of use, but there are some caveats.

If you struggle with getting 2.4GHz devices to play nice, you might think going all 5GHz is the answer, but it may not be so easy.

Sometimes you want to add smart home control to something that just isn’t smart. Switchbot has the answer to those smart home ‘holes’.

Getting control of your garage door through your smart home has never been easier thanks to this cost effective add-on device from Meross. We take a look at how it works and if it gets the job done.

If you have appliances with RF remotes, like ceiling fans, and you want to add them to your smart home Bond provides a much easier way to do so than fitting WiFi controllers to them.

Smart blinds offer genuine opportunities for automation in the smart home, but finding a good option for your platform of choice can be hard. Hunter Douglas has a professional offering that supports all the major platforms, and delivers the goods.

Yes, smart showers are a thing. You can go the whole hog with a complete smart home integrated spa system, complete with Netflix, or you can go with something more humble. We take a look at all the options.

If your blinds are perfectly fine, you don’t need an expensive replacement to make them smart. Soma has the answer with super easy installation and great smart home integration options.

When looking to step up your smart home from just a voice assistant, Wink and SmartThings are common options. We take a good look at both from a platform perspective to help you choose.

Sometimes you want a simple solution for controlling your HomeKit devices, this button does the job.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since the Nest Thermostat made it’s smart home debut, there has been a wealth of good smart thermostat options hitting the market for pretty much any platform of your choosing. These devices are great for those with central heating or thermostat controlled ducted air conditioning. But those with stand alone split system air conditioners have been left out in the cold (or heat as the case may be).

While not strictly necessary in an age of voice control and mobile apps, the ability to have a nice, always on dashboard somewhere in the house can be an appealing addition to any smart home. Such a dashboard needs to provide an at-a-glance view of the status of key devices, sensor data, and provide the ability to control aspects of the home conveniently.  

If your looking for a quick review of the Amazon Echo Show, and why the new screen is good AND bad, look no futrther than Wired's video review. All your questions answered in just over 4 minutes...maybe.

If you’re a HomeKit user, and a Sensibo Sky owner, you really need this hack to bring the two together.

HomeKit automation rules can actually be triggered from any accessory value you have, not just what the Home app allows. See how to use sensor triggers in the Home app and popular third-party options.

Apple’s Home app may not seem to offer much complexity compared to more enthusiast focused platforms, but there is a lot more going on under the hood.

If you have ever doubted the printing industry's appetite for change, let’s round off all the advancements we have seen over the last decade as well as what we anticipate is just around the corner for this age-old industry.

Siri has a number of options when it comes to language, voice, accent, and how it refers to us by name. Here’s how to access and change those settings, and why.

You’ve probably heard about license plate recognition, but have you considered the possibilities it presents to the smart home?

When looking to upgrade your thermostat you’ll probably need a c-wire, but what is it, and what can you do if you don’t have one?

While there may not be many ceiling fans that support HomeKit, it’s worth getting them into your setup for the convenience and automation potential. We explore the ways to do this for any fan you may have.

Chamberlain doesn’t support Alexa natively, for reasons. But there are some inexpensive workarounds that will get your MyQ opener working with the popular voice assistant.

Motorized smart blinds are handy, but commercial offerings can be pricey. Here’s how to do it yourself for much less.

Smart homes are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners. And it’s no wonder as the technology used to create such an environment can help them to save plenty of time and money.

If all you’ve done is ask Alexa to play music or check the weather, then you’re definitely missing out. Here’s how to automate your regular activities.

Did you know you can use Siri Shortcuts in your HomeKit automations? Here’s how.

Dummy switches are a handy automation tool in any platform, and this simple plugin for Homebridge make it possible in HomeKit too.

You don’t want to waste two button actions to turn something on and off. Here’s how to use conditions to make a toggle button in HomeKit.

While Apple’s HomeKit has been designed to be easily accessible to the ordinary iPhone user, not having a permanent controlling device results in significant limitations

The Tuya platform offers integration with Alexa and Google Assistant via the cloud. But using Homebridge can give you access to these in HomeKit, and with local control to boot. Here’s how.

Smart thermostats are often talked up as big money savers. Not only do they allow for more efficient use of your HVAC system, but there are also more direct financial incentives as well.

Being able to control and integrate all our smart devices is a huge win, so getting SwitchBot and HomeKit to play nice was something I had to figure out.

Chamberlain’s MyQ system allows for adding smart home connectivity to your garage door. But is their own bridge device the best way to do that?

Smart home automation offers a cost-effective, energy-efficient solution for keeping your home cool and comfortable all summer while offering the convenience that modern homes crave.

Technologically optimizing your apartment makes it super convenient. It’ll look and feel more stylish, and like your own unique home.

Sometimes our voice assistants can be a little too helpful. Here;s how to tone down Google Assistant when it’s getting intrusive.

Alexa has grown a lot in both voice and automation capability. Here we look at what you can do with routines, how, and what the current limitations are.

Smart home connected pool sensors are not as common as you’d think, but there are some options.

HomeKit has become a capable and secure smart home platform. See what it can do, and how to get the most out of all the latest features.

HomeKit naming clashes can cause all manner of confusion and frustration when trying to use Siri to control your smart home. Unfortunately there is little guidance from Apple on how best to name your stuff. Follow these simple guidelines for reliable and argument free Siri interaction.

Online gaming has certainly progressed over the past decade, and home automation has as well.

Even as an established technology, smart home capabilities are still often found lacking when it comes to integration with EVs.

Wineries, sweeping scenery , and amicable locals. Why not enhance that lifestyle with these smart gadgets?