HomeKit

Elgato unveils HomeKit-compatible smart devices for the connected home

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2015

Ahead of Worldwide Developers Conference which kicks off next Monday with a keynote, accessory maker Elgato has launched several smart devices for the connected home built on Apple's HomeKit platform that it previewed at CES 2015. These accessories use Bluetooth Low Energy and a special iOS app so they're battery-friendly and fully controllable through your iPhone.

As first noted by German blog iFun.de, the company's smart home sensor dubbed the Eve, along with other accessories such as the Eve Room, Eve Weather, Door & Window Eve and Eve Energy, can now be pre-ordered from Amazon.com.

These devices make a vision of the HomeKit-enabled connected home a reality by gathering data on air quality, temperature, humidity, air pressure, energy consumption and more.

iOS 9 reportedly includes new ‘Home’ app for controlling HomeKit smart devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 20, 2015

Enhancements to Apple's HomeKit are expected to be among a flurry of software and platform advances in tow for the Worldwide Developers Conference next month. According to sources, the Cupertino company is thought to be announcing a new app in iOS 9 called Home for managing and controlling HomeKit-certified accessories for the connected home, 9to5Mac learned Wednesday.

First HomeKit devices coming in June, Apple says

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The first HomeKit-enabled smart-home devices will be launching sometime in June, Apple told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. The statement refutes an earlier report that claimed that delays with the home automation platform would push its launch back until August or September.

“HomeKit certification has been available for just a few months and we already have dozens of partners who have committed to bringing HomeKit accessories to market," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told The Journal. "We’re looking forward to the first ones coming next month.”

Software hiccups delay Apple’s HomeKit launch until late August or early September

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2015

Apple was forced to delay its planned launch of HomeKit, a Siri-assisted platform for the connected home, as its software teams continue working around the clock to shrink down the code base to run efficiently on small devices, according to a report Thursday by Fortune.

Fortune writer Stacey Higginbotham claims that Apple’s connected home platform will likely arrive in fall — late August-ish or early September-ish — rather than in early summer as originally planned.

Broadcom releases SDK with support for Apple’s home automation HomeKit platform

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 4, 2016

Chip maker Broadcom, which supplies Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips for Apple products, on Tuesday announced a software development kit that supports HomeKit, Apple’s home automation platform supported across iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 8.

The announcement is the strongest indication yet that Apple has granted full HomeKit certification to Broadcom's hardware developer platform. It ensures that upcoming Internet of Things (IoT) home automation devices will be able to seamlessly connect with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Samsung’s SmartThings platform for the connected home will work with Apple’s HomeKit

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 12, 2015

Samsung's new solution for the connected home, based on a technology provided by SmartThings, a startup it announced acquiring in August of last year, will play nicely with Apple's own HomeKit platform, Cnet reported Monday.

Although SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson did not detail precisely how HomeKit fits into Samsung's strategy, he did confirm that his company's SmartHome platform will support HomeKit.

Many early HomeKit devices require Apple TV for remote Siri features

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Folks looking to take advantage of the onslaught of HomeKit products being introduced at CES this year will need to make sure they have an Apple TV. The Verge is reporting that many of the just-announced HomeKit accessories require the set-top box for select features.

More specifically, the outlet says that new smart home devices from iHome, GridConnect, Chamberlain, Elgato and others require users to have a third-gen Apple TV (running software 7.0 or later) on their network in order to take advantage of Siri remote control capabilities.

CES 2015: HomeKit-compatible Switch controls your home with Siri

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 5, 2015

Debuting at CES 2015 as the world's first HomeKit-certified products on the market, a smart power switch from an accessory maker called iDevices makes it easy to turn on anything in your home using your voice, no hub required.

Marketed as the Switch, this smart power switch uses voice capabilities of Siri to help manage your home from wherever you are.

First HomeKit certified chips now shipping to smart home device makers

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2014

Although Apple hasn't officially launched its HomeKit yet (they're still finalizing the protocol), first certified chips that run a beat version of the upcoming HomeKit firmware have begun shipping to smart home device vendors such as makers of connected climate controls, lighting, security cameras and door locks, Forbes reported Tuesday.

The iPhone maker requires that accessory makers use officially certified Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips from Apple-approved chipmakers Texas Instruments, Marvell and Broadcom, which have now started shipping HomeKit chips to device vendors. By all accounts, there shouldn't be too long a wait until first HomeKit-certified smart home devices arrive.

Latest iOS 8 beta enables HomeKit on Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 8, 2014

The latest Apple TV Software Beta 2 which was seeded to developers yesterday alongside new iOS 8.1, Xcode and Yosemite betas enables support for HomeKit on the $99 media-streaming box, as first reported by AppleInsider.

In addition to HomeKit, the software includes support for Family Sharing and contains functions allowing developers to test AirPlay functionality with their iOS apps. Although HomeKit functionality was spotted in earlier Apple TV betas, Apple has removed the feature last month without an explanation.

The best of iOS 8: from new features to developer tools

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

With the imminent introduction of the iPhone 6 will come the release of iOS 8, Apple's latest iteration in its mobile operating system. After spending the past several weeks with pre-release versions of the software, I can say that there are definitive grounds for anticipating its public availability. Whether you're planning on buying a new iPhone this fall or upgrading your current device to iOS 8, there are clear reasons to be excited about the features it has to offer.

Although it will be shipping with quite a few significant features – Apple claims this is their "biggest iOS release ever" – we've gone hands-on with the beta releases and picked our top ten favorite enhancements that will be available for qualifying devices this September. Here, in no sequential order, are the best of what makes iOS 8 great...

Apple iBeacon hardware revealed in FCC filings

Cody Lee ∙ July 13, 2014

Apple's iBeacon technology has seen a lot of success in its first year. The tech, which allows administrators to push data to smartphones based on their location, has already been adopted by a number of retailers and organizations.

But thus far, Apple's success with iBeacons has been limited to software, as it's left the hardware up to third-party firms. It looks like that's about to change, though, as FCC filings reveal that the company has built its own iBeacon...