“Five startups are announcing the launch of the very first HomeKit-certified devices today,” Aaron Tilley reports for Forbes.
These five HomeKit-compliant devices include:
• Ecobee’s $250 WiFi-connected thermostat.
• Elgato’s line of sensors that collect data on air quality, humidity, air pressure, temperature as well as energy and water consumption.
• iHOME’s smart plug that allows users to turn on and off appliances wirelessly.
• Lutron’s bridge device that connects the HomeKit standard with its connected lighting system.
• Insteon’s bridge device that connects its massive catalogue of existing home automation devices with HomeKit.
“Each of these device makers had to go through Apple’s MFi (‘Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad’) program to achieve certification,” Tilley reports. “Apple requires device makers to install an authentication chip in their product as well as go through extensive usability testing to make sure the products live up to Apple’s lofty standards. ‘It’s a rigorous certification program,’ said Stuart Lombard, president and CEO of Ecobee, in a phone call. ‘Apple wants to ensure the quality is really high, and that’s a good thing. They want great user experience.'”
“HomeKit-enabled device also get access to Apple’s intelligent assistant Siri, which so far has been largely walled off for iOS developers,” Tilley reports. “At next week’s developers conference, it’s widely expected that Apple will launch a new Apple TV, which hasn’t seen new hardware since 2012 and could play a large role in Apple’s smart home vision. The new Apple TV reportedly contains a beefier processor and Siri integration. The five new devices launched today already work with any third generation Apple TV and later, said Ecobee’s Lombard — the Apple TV provides an always-on presence in the home in case users want to control devices while they’re away.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Here we go, into the future!
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Bill” for the heads up.]
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Apple TV’s 4K future – May 28, 2015
Apple’s desire to include local TV stations may delay its Apple TV service – May 22, 2015
How much would you pay for an Apple TV subscription service? – May 19, 2015
This will be bigger than iPhone and apple watch combined!! iCal it…
I recall some years ago – maybe about 10 years ago by now – Microsoft gave a presentation showing THEIR “Home of the Future.” It was automated, using MS software of course. Turning things on and off, and adjusting others. Bill Gates gave the presentation, in that exciting, inspiring, enthralling, and entertaining way for which he was famously known.
After that, I never heard about the MS “Home of the Future” again. Funny how that happens.
A couple of days ago Google and Levis announced that they’re collaborating on a pair of “Smart Jeans”(!) that will – fasten your seat belts – allow you to adjust and interact with your Android phone while it’s still in your pocket by you somehow playing with your jeans. I smell: (1) one of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever come across, and (2) desperation.
And I think this makes about the 37th time Google has come out with some phony announcement of how they’re going to really shake up the world with one of their technologies – technologies which somehow never seem to materialize.
MS Courier comes to mind and Gaagle trying to freeze a non-existent smart denim market. Maybe gaggle can come up with smart anything that can actually do something.
OF COURSE!!! I’ve had my ecobee3 for two months now, after waiting about 10 months at that point for Apple to finally do something with homekit hardware, here’s the homekit ecobee3, and I already contacted apple and NO, I can’t return or exchange it for the homekit version, and this is on ecobee’ site, but of course no mention of people like me who just bought one being able to exchange for the homekit version. So basically, everyone who’s bought one in the last few months just screwed themselves out $250 plus tax on old outdated hardware. I am COMPLETELY unimpressed with Apple and evobee. What a damn joke. Thanks for making us all wait and wait, then screwing us all out of a lot of money APPLE & ECOBEE. And yeah, I did my homework before ordering and ecobee just danced around the question and wouldn’t give a straight answer on homekit enabled hardware for the ecobee3. It never ends with Apple, make people wait and wait and wait and wait for something, then get SCREWED OUT OF MONEY at the last second.