Smart Bulbs vs. Smart Light Switches, Digital IDs, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 555

· Bryan Chaffin · Apple Context Machine Podcast

Apple Context Machine Logo

Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dive back into smarthome tech, with a focus on using smart light switches instead of smart light bulbs. This includes Jeff’s recommendation for a smart light switch. They also discuss digital IDs and the perils and promise they offer.

Remembering The Hokey Pokey — Mac Geek Gab 887

· John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · Mac Geek Gab Podcast

How much Cool Stuff Found can your Two Favorite Geeks share? You’re about to find out! Listen as John and Dave share all of your (and their) Cool Stuff Found, PLUS answering a slew of your networking and networking-related questions. Good stuff this week, folks, and it’s all because of you. Press play, listen, and enjoy learning five new things!

Arlo Update Fixes Apple HomeKit Issue

· Charlotte Henry · Link

Arlo Pro 2

Arlo confirmed to AppleInsider that it has fixed a bug that prevented users adding its smart home devices to Apple Homekit. The fix came was included in the latest version of its iOS app – version 3.5.1

That version, which has a release date of August 6, is currently available from the App Store. “Arlo appreciates the patience of our loyal customers, and is excited to share that an iOS app release with a remedy to the HomeKit issue is now available,” the company said. Earlier in August, AppleInsider began receiving reports from users about issues adding new Arlo devices to HomeKit. The problem appeared to affect HomeKit tokens, which caused users to get stuck on the “Requesting HomeKit info” screen when adding devices to the Apple smart home platform.

Offsite Backups, Blocking Scammers, Quick Tips, and More – Mac Geek Gab 872

· John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · Mac Geek Gab Podcast

As Apple users, we have lots of technology needs which extend beyond that which are made by the fruit company. Listen as your two favorite geeks share their thoughts and answers to your questions about Offsite Backups, Blocking Scammers, DVRing today’s video content, and much more. Press play and learn at least five new things along with Dave and John.

Adding Car to HomeKit for In-App Controls and Automation

· Charlotte Henry · Link

Self-confessed “home automation enthusiast” Siobhán Ellis integrated an electric car into her Apple HomeKit setup. In a blogpost (spotted by MacRumors) she explained what she did and how she did it.

After I initially wrote this blog post, I wondered if there was a HomeBridge integration into the Jaguar InControl API. InControl enables a number of things, such as remotely seeing if the car is unlocked, how much it’s charged and if it is charging. It also enables pre-conditioning, which is the warming up of the car before you travel somewhere so the batteries work at peak efficiency. As it happens, there is a plugin, called Jlr Incontrol. Installation was easy, although I must say it came up with a few warnings.

Using Open Source Software to Extend Apple’s HomeKit

· Andrew Orr · Link

Homebridge

Simon Bisson wrote a cool story for ZDNet. It involves using an open source tool called Homebridge that can be used to integrate smart home devices that don’t natively support HomeKit.

The plugin ecosystem is where Homebridge really excels. By having its own defined APIs, it’s possible for anyone with access to developer documentation to build a simple translation layer that links devices to HomeKit and to Home (and to Siri). Most of the plugins are on GitHub, so if you want additional features or support for alternative hardware, you can fork existing code and start to add your own features.

Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell Now Available From Apple

· Charlotte Henry · Cool Stuff Found

Netamo Smart Video Doorebell

Netatmo’s Smart Video Doorbell allows you to speak to people on your doorstep through your smartphone. Having been announced last year,  it is now available in the UK and other European countries via Apple. Its costs £269.95/€299.95 and supports HomeKit and Siri. It includes built-in infrared night visions and a 1080-pixel Full HD camera and HDR.