HomeKit support without a bridge device is coming to Belkin’s Wemo Mini Smart Plug thanks to a free firmware update rolling out on Thursday. The change comes thanks to the HomeKit software authentication feature Apple introduced with iOS 11.3. That means once the firmware update is installed you can start using your Mini Smart Plugs with Siri and the Home app. For your other Wemo devices, including the discontinued—and much bigger—Wemo Smart Plug, you’ll still need the Wemo Bridge. You can get the Wemo Mini Smart Plug on Amazon for US$29.99.
Apple officially killed off its AirPort product line, yet AirPort Express is showing up as a streaming speaker option in AirPlay 2 in the iOS 12 developer beta.
We’re still in the early stages of voice assistant technology so we can’t declare a winner yet, regardless of which you prefer. Based on what we’re seeing, however, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are putting Apple’s Siri in a serious catch up position.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook have been trading public barbs on privacy, and Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss the public tiff. They also discuss Apple’s hiring of Google’s former head of artificial intelligence and what it might mean for Siri (hint: good things!). They cap the show with a look at what it would take to make HomeKit the premier home automation platform.
John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to look at the state of Windows 10 security versus macOS, plus they respond to listener comments on Jeff’s HomeKit fail.
Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on the possibility of Apple designing its own Mac processors, plus Jeff explains how HomeKit failed for him.
Dave Hamilton and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to talk about getting started with smart lights now that Dave has some Philips Hue bulbs. They also share some smart home automation tips.
After two weeks of putting HomePod through real world use we’re ready to tell you if it lives up to Apple’s hype. Here’s how it holds up as a streaming music player, Siri voice assistant, and more.
Your HomePod is also a HomeKit hub, so what does that mean, especially if you already have an Apple TV. Read on to learn what that means for your smart home setup.
John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to share some tips on improving your online privacy in Mobile Safari, plus they look at HomePod’s place as a HomeKit hub.
iOS 11.3 for the iPhone and iPad is coming this spring and it’ll included the promised power management for worn out batteries feature, along with new Animoji characters, Health Records management, and more.
Apple made some major announcements about taxes, investments, and the company’s five year plan for contributions to the U.S. economy, and Bryan and Jeff take a deep dive into what it all means. They also examine their own potential for hypocrisy in criticizing Apple’s smarthome strategy. The cap the show with a listener comment about the Mac App Store security bug.
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit look at Apple’s Chinese iCloud occupation and what it says about Apple. They also think Apple is just plain missing the smarthome boat, judging by what we’re seeing at CES. John goes off on a tangent rant about parenting and Apple, and for the pop portion of the show, they talk about recent developments in The Curse of Oak Island. (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
The device can be programmed for three separate actions: press once, press twice, and press-and-hold, each with a corresponding buzz to confirm a successful click.
