Blog

HomeKit backup app Apple should have made

Controller for HomeKit backup configuration I can’t get no satisfaction Sometimes I think the Rolling Stones knew about the missing Apple HomeKit backup app back in 1965 when they released this song. Apple smart home fans struggle with HomeKit. It’s got a lot of...

HomePod Mini puts HomeKit Bluetooth range within reach

The Bluetooth range conundrum Bluetooth low energy (BLE) smart home devices can make outfitting your smart home easier but they have a range problem. BLE is low power, so a small battery can power many wireless devices. Your bluetooth motion detectors, door or window...

HomeKit hub is Apple’s HomePod Mini secret

Apple HomePod Mini smart speaker with Siri and HomeKit Hub support Apple HomeKit basics Apple’s HomeKit hub smart home system, using the Apple Home app, is one of several popular solutions for controlling and automating devices in our home. HomeKit has several key...

Can You Solve SmartHome Automation Challenges With A Proxy?

Proxy-Powered Home Automation The dictionary defines the word proxy as “the authority to represent someone else” which is close to what it means in software programming too. In a nutshell, a proxy is when one thing stands in for another. You manipulate one thing, and...

Is the smart home hub dead now?

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” Mark Twain   It’s a bad time to be a smart home hub, because if you believe the trade press and media, you’re dead! I wrote about this previously ( Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Hub? ) but I guess the editors didn’t...

Should You Get An Apple HomePod?

Rip Van Winkle Is the Only Person That May Not Have Noticed The big news last week is the shipment (finally) of the long-awaited Apple HomePod smart speaker.  The reviews are in and now all the early adopters are jumping in with their reviews, blog posts, and...