Google's Nest has today received a boost in that it can now be integrated with other home automation hardware and services from other vendors such as August, LIFX, Lutron, AT&T, P&G, Waxman, SkyBell, Simplehuman, Misfit, and WeMo.
It's hard to believe that it's been almost two years since Apple introduced HomeKit at the 2014 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco. The HomeKit protocols were originally revealed and exposed to developers and manufacturers as a way of addressing some of the problems that existed within the Home Automation market at that time, namely price of hardware and the complexities involved in getting started. Over the last two years, Apple has filed a number of patents to improve and push HomeKit forward, including this recently discovered filing that outlines how "automated behaviors in an environment can be implemented based on aggregation of individual user routines."
If you are lucky enough to own one of Amazon's fabulous and extremely popular Echo, Echo Dot or the Tap hardware, then you're about to benefit from even more added functionality thanks to a new and improved Amazon Alexa experience. Starting today, Amazon has upgraded its Alexa virtual assistant with some new abilities that will allow users to utilize the new found travel expertise of the assistant to be more efficient in the booking of all things related to travel. Alexa's new functionality, which waterfalls down to a variety of Amazon hardware including the Fire TV, is all thanks to an integration partnership with travel search engine KAYAK.
Own a Tesla? There is now a way to control your electric car using Apple's Siri and HomeKit framwework. Here's how it works.
Samsung's new Family Hub smart fridge is now on sale in the United States, featuring a giant 21.5-inch touchscreen display, and a lot more. Here are the details.
Philips may have caused a storm in achievable and affordable home automation when it introduced the excellent Hue range of connected bulbs and lighting solutions, but the same really couldn't be said for the accompanying Philips Hue app for iOS and Android. It could probably be best described as "functional", in that it did what it needed to do, but wasn't particularly precious about looking slick or offering a fluid user-experience.
Meet the world's first smart mirror + scale system that uses hardware and software to track a user's fitness goals in three dimensions. Here are the details.
It appears to have been a good few days for the folks over at Ring, and the company isn't being shy when it comes to sharing its successes with the world. After going through a successful process of raising a huge $61.2 million in Series C funding to progress the business, Ring has announced its new video doorbell hardware, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro. Fans of connected devices, and the connected world in general, but specifically those who love a good snoop to see who's actually outside of their property, will love the improvements made with the Pro version of the doorbell.
The Alexa-enabled Amazon Echo, Tap and Echo Dot will soon be able to control both Nest and Honeywell thermostats, with support set to arrive by the end of the month.
Amazon has officially unveiled two additional consumer tech devices that not only offer excellent functionality to the technology loving crowd, but instantly grow the Alexa-enabled product count as well. The online retailing behemoth has taken the opportunity to announce the Amazon Tap and Amazon Echo Dot, two new Alexa-powered devices that should have a huge appeal to the home automation crowd. The two devices should also appeal to the technologically au fait who love controlling gadgets through audible commands, in this particular case, via Alexa.
