We're having a heat wave "I can't explain it, don't understand it…It's like a heat wave" I hope Linda Ronstadt isn't reading this, but I've contorted her words to capture a common misperception about thermostats. While we experience a week-long, or longer, summer heat...
Are you suffering from the irrigation shuffle? I don't have a smart sprinkler controller so this weekend I went through a well rehearsed routine for sprinkler maintenance: Walk to the garageOpen the dumb not smart sprinkler controller boxMove the mechanical dial to...
Stick with the four c’s When I design a smart home automation system, I follow a holistic approach by addressing the four C’s: Interactive ControlLocal ControlRemote ControlAutomatic Control Interactive control The obvious and minimum capability for a smart home....
Wall-mounted iPad touch screen interface Can't touch this! As our smart homes grow, it is tempting to turn to a wall-mounted iPad or touch screen for controlling everything. The allure is simple - a touch screen mounted to the wall is infinitely more configurable than...
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...
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...