“A new Apple support document for HomeKit has now officially confirmed our earlier report that the Apple TV would serve as a hub for HomeKit devices,” Ben Lovejoy reports for 9to5Mac. “The document confirms an Apple TV is needed if you want to control HomeKit accessories while away from home.”
If you have an Apple TV (3rd generation or later) with software version 7.0 or later, you can control your HomeKit-enabled accessories when you’re away from home using your iOS device. Sign in with the same Apple ID on your iOS device and Apple TV, and you’ll be able to use Siri commands to remotely control your accessories. — Apple Inc.
More info, including HomeKit hardware requirements, in the full article here.
What’s missing? Via iTunes, you have considerable control of your TV.
There’s Remote HD, Airfoil, AirServer…. Of course, if you have a model that can be jailbroken, you can install stuff like aTV Flash that adds further control.
Does this mean the Apple TV will now become a prime hacking target? If home automation is linked to the ATV it would seem that it would become a prime target.
Well, if you’re going there, then you may as well just go the rest of the way and say “never have a garage door opener on your garage door.” Most garage doors operated by automatic openers are notoriously easy to pry to open.
Security is only as good as the weakest link, and we all have very weak links because we don’t want to live in prison-style fortresses.
My automation server is literally the last thing I worry about with respect to the security of my home.
Never use Windows to control your garage door lock
Yes DavGreg. ALL ‘Internet of Things’ devices are ALREADY prime targets. At least a year a go a huge botnet of IOT devices was identified running over the Internet. IOT devices have even been implicated in the generation of Bitcoin. The current rule is that security is an afterthought throughout the IOT and hackers LOVE IT.
Has Apple built sufficient security into HomeKit and TV? I fully expect they’ve done a better initial job than most other companies. But Apple is never perfect, as I always say. It’s going to be as interesting as ever. All this stuff is more computers providing further security flaws. It’s the State Of The Art. With time and overwhelming experience, hopefully computer security will mature and the current tsunami of security hacks will subside.
Or better yet that the hub will become obsolete and the bulbs can now be controlled by Apple TV. I’m excited about HomeKit and don’t want more than one hub cluttering up my house or my network signals.
Craig Federighi touted Home Kit at last years WWDC and Hue was one of the slide photos displayed on stage.
I hear you finally got your Watch. Congrats!!
Yes, “Apple TV (3rd generation or later)” is very exciting! I’ve been dreaming of a new Apple TV for a couple of years. Please let it be something super-cool!
Sooooooo Apple is moving computer programs to Apple TV.
Sounds like they realize that people aren’t going to go out and buy a Mac that they can leave at home(as opposed to a laptop, or Device) to run HomeKit. The end of desktop computing is very near.
You use it at home in a chosen room and, depending upon the model, it tells you remotely:
– The room’s temperature
– Air pressure
– Humidity
– Air quality
Then toss in accessories for:
– Door and window open & closed states
– Energy consumption
– Switch on & off states
– Analytics including durations, graphs
All of that would be feeding into your TV, iPhone, iPad. It’s a whole bunch of new tech toys! Home data out the ears while you’re off in the Fiji islands. 😉
Joy unspeakable!!! 🙂
I’m still waiting to be able to control my Apple TVs from my MacBooks. They’re often more convenient to me than my iDevices.
What’s missing? Via iTunes, you have considerable control of your TV.
There’s Remote HD, Airfoil, AirServer…. Of course, if you have a model that can be jailbroken, you can install stuff like aTV Flash that adds further control.
Does this mean the Apple TV will now become a prime hacking target? If home automation is linked to the ATV it would seem that it would become a prime target.
Good point, especially if the door lock or garage opener is linked to the system. Still most thieves will simply break a window.
Never have windows or a service door in your garage.
Well, if you’re going there, then you may as well just go the rest of the way and say “never have a garage door opener on your garage door.” Most garage doors operated by automatic openers are notoriously easy to pry to open.
Security is only as good as the weakest link, and we all have very weak links because we don’t want to live in prison-style fortresses.
My automation server is literally the last thing I worry about with respect to the security of my home.
Never use Windows to control your garage door lock
Yes DavGreg. ALL ‘Internet of Things’ devices are ALREADY prime targets. At least a year a go a huge botnet of IOT devices was identified running over the Internet. IOT devices have even been implicated in the generation of Bitcoin. The current rule is that security is an afterthought throughout the IOT and hackers LOVE IT.
Has Apple built sufficient security into HomeKit and TV? I fully expect they’ve done a better initial job than most other companies. But Apple is never perfect, as I always say. It’s going to be as interesting as ever. All this stuff is more computers providing further security flaws. It’s the State Of The Art. With time and overwhelming experience, hopefully computer security will mature and the current tsunami of security hacks will subside.
I’m hoping Hue has Siri capability built into it’s hub.
Or better yet that the hub will become obsolete and the bulbs can now be controlled by Apple TV. I’m excited about HomeKit and don’t want more than one hub cluttering up my house or my network signals.
Craig Federighi touted Home Kit at last years WWDC and Hue was one of the slide photos displayed on stage.
I hear you finally got your Watch. Congrats!!
I’m interested in seeing Apple TV v. “or later”.
Yes, “Apple TV (3rd generation or later)” is very exciting! I’ve been dreaming of a new Apple TV for a couple of years. Please let it be something super-cool!
Sooooooo Apple is moving computer programs to Apple TV.
Sounds like they realize that people aren’t going to go out and buy a Mac that they can leave at home(as opposed to a laptop, or Device) to run HomeKit. The end of desktop computing is very near.
I ran across this yesterday:
Eve by Elgato
“Works with Apple HomeKit”
You use it at home in a chosen room and, depending upon the model, it tells you remotely:
– The room’s temperature
– Air pressure
– Humidity
– Air quality
Then toss in accessories for:
– Door and window open & closed states
– Energy consumption
– Switch on & off states
– Analytics including durations, graphs
All of that would be feeding into your TV, iPhone, iPad. It’s a whole bunch of new tech toys! Home data out the ears while you’re off in the Fiji islands. 😉