“While many, including me, are expecting new Apple TV hardware to debut at next week’s WorldWide Developer Conference, it won’t just be for entertainment,” Kevin Tofel reports for ZDNet. “Apple TV is part of Apple’s HomeKit platform for your connected home.”
“That’s based on the official support document for how to set up and use HomeKit-enabled accessories with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, which was just updated on Tuesday,” Tofel reports. “Perhaps the best part of the statement is that even… the 3rd generation Apple TV launched in March, 2012 and will work with HomeKit devices.”
“Having a hub could… make it easier for HomeKit devices to work together. When a door sensor triggers, indicating that you’ve come home at night for example, the hub could see this information and turn on your lights,” Tofel reports. “Based on my own smarthome experiences — I installed an Insteon system back in 2010 — this is the type of scenario where a connected home really adds value; the home intelligently starts to take action based on events.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Hint: Sell your Apple TV 2nd-gen units now, while you can still get something for them.
“When a door sensor triggers, indicating that you’ve come home at night for example, the hub could see this information and turn on your lights”
Why would it need a door sensor for this? Certainly the fact that your iPhone has just automatically reconnected to your home wifi network 20 minutes after today’s sunset would be enough for HomeKit to know that it needs to turn on the interior lights.
… and what if a relative with no iPhone walks in?
I think it’s a bit strange to assume that absolutely everybody carries an iPhone with them. Lights should come on when they are needed by anybody. Remote control or re-programming is a more appropriate role for an iPhone in a home control system.
HomeKit will probably recognize when any trusted device connects to the network regardless of whether or not it’s an iPhone.
If a relative with no phone of any kind walks in…? Well that hasn’t happened in like 10 years.
Indeed you need a range of flexible triggers to make this a sophisticated system, the main problem being to make sure they don’t give contradictory commands or if they do there are ways to intelligently determine sensible priorities.
I’m wondering if all the different HomeKit providers need their own separate hub or bridge to function. I wouldn’t care to have 3 extra hubs laying around when I’ve got one for Hue and RedLink for Honeywell.
Same here. The way things are going my house is going to end up with more hubs than Zsa Zsa Gabor.
But I am keeping my Gen 1 Apple TV.
I love having a HD in it. I load it up and take it with me. No internet or connected mac required.
I still have a Gen 1 Apple TV packed away, too, but any iOS device with the appropriate HDMI cable adaptor is easier to carry around and use—to say nothing of supporting higher resolutions.
I also have my Photoshop v. 1.07 floppy. Wanna fight now?
I can’t wait for Siri to welcome me home.
“Hello _______, how was your day. You’ve had several calls today would you like to hear the messages? I see you had a package delivered at 9:23 AM and it was left at the back door. It was a warm day outside, is the temperature comfortable for you. Should I turn down the lights or would you like me to turn on the baseball game while you relax.”
My wife will hate her more than she already does. haha