In 2014 Apple announced that Homekit was coming to iOS, and predicted that it would enable broader adoption and easier implementation of the Internet of Things in the home—the smart home. Now Google, which already had its hands in the home automation cookie jar (Google owns Nest Labs and Dropcam, and Nest is one of […]
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Wireless LED light bulbs and wireless smart lights are among the easiest lighting control products to install and use in your house. However, with prices like $60 for the popular Philips Hue lights, they’re not cheap. One of the motivations (beside the cool factor) to switch to smart LED light bulbs from boring old dumb […]
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When Philips launched the original Hue smart light bulbs, they were revolutionary products for several reasons. First, they were LED bulbs at a time when LED was a new thing. Second, they were one of the first smartphone controlled lights for DIY users. Finally, and most importantly, they changed colors. That was the cool part. […]
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If you believe installing your own home security system is too difficult, there’s a good chance that newer systems on the market will prove you wrong. I’ve been using the Iris system by Lowe’s for a few weeks for a new home automation review, and above all what strikes me about this package is how […]
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Smart lighting, LED bulbs, wireless light switches… those are all great things for inside the home, but can you do smart lighting outside the home? The answer is, of course, yes. In fact, outdoor lighting control is not much more complicated than indoor lighting control, and often uses exactly the same devices, but if you […]
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Now that Philips Hue lights have finally added a portable product (the Hue Go), there’s hardly anything you can’t do with them. From the basic original Hue LED smart bulbs, to the light strip, and lamp-like things, the Hue Beyond, the company has covered most of the lighting device categories, and invented a few as […]
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Updated. Originally published March 2014. There are a lot of smart things in this review. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. In the case of this test I was probably the dumbest thing in the room. I’ve setup a number of smart home hubs (like this one and this one), programmed my own Control4 system […]
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Philips Hue is the most attention-getting, and probably the most popular, smart lighting product on the market. Philips Hue lights change color (well, most of them) and can be controlled with the Hue app and lots of other apps, and can also be integrated into DIY and professionally installed smart home automation systems. Today the […]
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These wireless home security cameras feature voice options, a temperature sensor, two-way audio and more.
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This new smart bulb offers color options like the Philips hue, but without the hefty price tag.
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