Smart Homes

Amazon is at a crossroads with its devices. At the end of the last decade, Amazon’s ambition was to include Alexa in as many devices as possible. And that meant throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Echo Buds. The strange Echo Frames smart glasses. The cute Echo Input. And in 2021 the still niche Amazon Astro robot and drone-based Ring Always Home Cam, both of which have had limited releases since. There was even an Alexa microwave.

In short, Amazon seems like it would try anything. And it had the money to do so, of course, But such frippery can’t last forever and last year Business Insider suggested that 10,000 jobs were being axed at the company, with the Alexa unit one of the worst affected under new chief executive Andy Jassy.

It was suggested that the Worldwide Digital group was on track to lose $10 billion during 2022, with a lot blamed on the failure of Alexa to become a cash cow. Not that it ever would have been able to, of course. It doesn’t make additional revenue. Voice shopping? Doesn’t really happen. Apps? Free. Alexa devices? Sold at a loss or break even. It’s no wonder the cash didn’t come.

for the last decade, Home Assistant has been the go-to software for privacy-focused nerds who want all the benefits that Apple, Google, and Amazon products provide with infinitely better flexibility and fewer security risks. And now, for the software’s 10th birthday, the people behind Home Assistant are introducing a new product in the hopes of extending it beyond the domain of nerds: the Home Assistant Green.

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Priced at $99 and planned as a permanent item alongside the Home Assistant Yellow, what makes the Home Assistant Green novel is not that it has powerful, high-end hardware, although the RK3566 quad-core CPU is fast enough to run the software without issue. What makes the device unique is the 32GB eMMC storage that’s preloaded with Home Assistant’s platform. It’s a more affordable and much easier entryway for people who want to dip their feet in the water without having to flash a memory card from another PC. The unit also comes with 4GB of LDDR4x RAM, a few USB 2.0 slots, an HDMI out, and a microSD slot for expansion.

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“Currently we’re aiming for the audience we call the ‘outgrower,’” Schoutsen explained via Discord. “It’s the one that uses Amazon / Apple etc., runs into the limitations and wants more. Searches the web and finds Home Assistant. At that point users already know they want a smart home and are looking for solutions to their problems, which Home Assistant generally can solve. We believe that with requiring a Raspberry Pi to get started or the relatively high price of the Yellow (you don’t know if your problems will get solved for $200), we were missing out on a good chunk of outgrowers. So with Green, we’re trying to offer a way for anyone to get started with Home Assistant.”

Sensors are some of the most important components homeowners consider when piecing together their smart home system. These little gadgets may not look like much, but smart home sensors help to watch over motion, entry into your home, temperature, humidity, flooding, and even the detection of glass window breakage.

No one company services all of your smart-home needs. My lightbulbs are from Philips, my plugs are from Meross, my watering system is from Hunter, and my air conditioners are from Midea. In some cases, these products require you to purchase a separate hub from them, which acts as the controller, and almost all have an app you need to download as well. They use a few different connectivity standards like Zigbee, Z-wave, Ha-low and others, and no one standard dominates the market share.

Once the products are up and running, you can simply add them to a home control hub, like SmartThings or Google Home (and, in limited cases, Apple HomeKit or Alexa). The majority of the time, you interact with the home control, so you don’t need to think about the jumbled spaghetti of tech underneath it, but you still need all those random apps on your phone and extra hardware hanging out in your house. When your power goes out, it’s notification chaos, and it’s an extra hurdle when shopping to ensure the device you’re buying uses a standard that’ll be accepted by your home control hub.

In a Matter standard future, there are no separate hubs and apps—just one accepted standard used by everyone. No more having to decide between Apple or Google for home control: You can use whatever you want. The universality of Matter means you choose one home control hub and stick with it, aggregating everything else to it. Most importantly, any company can build a Matter home control hub, and it will work with all Matter devices. The devices work over wifi, ethernet and Thread, but you may need a bridge for Thread. (Some Matter home control hubs have that bridge, but some don’t—yet.)

You'd be lying if you haven't heard of Philips Hue, and I'd also be seriously surprised if you haven't got at least one of its products. Known for its incredible range of smart lighting, Philips Hue has been a driving force for the entire smart home industry. It really is no surprise that it holds top spaces in our best smart light switches and best smart bulbs buying guides. Philips Hue also recently announced the launch of several new products at IFA 2023, as well as a significant Matter update. Exciting times, right?

Well, John Lewis must be in the same celebratory mood as it has announced a huge 3-day sale across most of the Philips Hue range. It has discounted a huge amount of products by 20%, particularly across some of Philips Hue's bestsellers.

The Xiaomi Dafang IP camera is a indoor motorized WiFi camera capable of 1080P resolution and decent night-vision, its price is cheap but in exchange you are tied to the Xiaomi’s Mi Home App & Cloud.

The Xiaomi Dafang IP camera is the successor of the $15 Xiaomi Xiaofang Camera and continues the line of Xiaomi’s range of quality inexpensive IP cameras. The new model comes with a set of new features: better image quality, MicroSD Port, a rotating gimbal, on the back a USB port which can ¹be used to charge other devices, and a variety of alarm sensors and more. In this post, we take a closer look at camera CFW alternative open source firmware install.

I've got one but the house move seems to have made it shy (keeps turning to the wall), so it looks like nothing will be lost by trying this.

1. Best smart lock overall: Level Lock+
2. Best smart lock for a range of options: Yale Assure Lock 2
3. Best smart lock for Apple home key: Schlage Encode Plus
4. Best smart lock for existing deadbolts: August Home Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Generation)
5. Best value smart lock: Wyze Lock
6. Best smart lock for renters: SwitchBot Lock
7. Best smart lock for Airbnb: Lockly Vision Elite

In the context of the numerous announcements this week, one little thing has unfortunately been somewhat overlooked. However, in case of an emergency, this little thing could be worth its weight in gold for all of us. From October, Philips Hue will finally offer spare parts for its products.

“Lose a power cable in a move? Need new mounts for your Play gradient lightstrip? ” writes Philips Hue on its website. “Find the replacement parts you need to extend the life of your Philips Hue products.”

The consumer champion Which? found companies appear to be gathering far more data than is needed for products to function. This includes smart TVs that ask for users’ viewing habits and a smart washing machine that requires people’s date of birth.

Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which?, said: “Consumers have already paid for smart products, in some cases thousands of pounds, so it is excessive that they have to continue to ‘pay’ with their personal information.”

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For smart cameras and doorbells, Which? found Ezviz devices, sold by major high-street retailers including Argos, had by far the most tracking firms active. This included TikTok’s business marketing unit, Pangle, Huawei, as well as Google and Meta.

Every single smart camera and doorbell brand Which? assessed used tracking services from Google, while Blink and Ring also connected to parent company Amazon. Google’s Nest product demands a user’s full name, email, date of birth and gender.

I'm looking for a smart power strip, which allows me to remote control and schedule on/off.

Last year I bought Hey!'s smart power strip. Hey! is a UK brand, but turn out its products are just branded Chinese products. I used it anyway but it just bricked itself last month.

For quality, safety, and security reasons, I would prefer a non-made-in-China smart power strip.

Compatibility with Home Assistant is prefered, but not 100% required. I'm interested in switching to Home Assistant but I haven't yet.

Thanks for any suggestions!

cross-posted: https://lemmy.world/post/4556320

Home Assistant integration for energy consumption data from UK SMETS (Smart) meters using the Hildebrand Glow API.

This integration works without requiring a consumer device provided by Hildebrand Glow and can work with your existing smart meter. You'll need to set up your smart meter for free in the Bright app on Android or iOS. This will only work when using the Data Communications Company (DCC) backend, which all SMETS 2 meters and some SMETS 1 meters do (more information). Once you can see your data in the app, you are good to go.

My partner and I are getting a cat and consider getting a robot vacuum cleaner for our apartment to help keep it clean. Up until now, I've been against getting one due to privacy concerns and negative reports about certain manufacturers (e.g., iRobot/Roomba). Now I'm reevaluating, because my partner is sensitive to dust, and regular vacuuming will be a must.

Does anyone have any experience or recommendations about manufacturers or models with a light privacy footprint or good reputation on that front?

I am aware that most robots that actually work will also gather data, and newer models even incorporate photo/video to improve pattern recognition performance. Still, I would be more comfortable with one that does that within reason (e.g., collects as little data as possible, transfers as little as possible to remote servers, encrypts data for transfer and storage).

Self-described technologist and "dreamer of optimistic futures" Danilo Campos has put together an open source Espressif ESP32-based controller and home automation terminal for heat pump systems: the ThermTerm.

"I love my heat pumps. They're energy efficient and the fastest way to heat or cool any room," Campos explains. "But I've always hated the remote controls that come with heat pumps. They're clunky and hard to read, especially in low light. In theory, you can program schedules for your heat pumps, but in practice the remotes are too frustrating to use for that. ThermTerm solves all the problems I've had with these physical controls, while integrating the heat pumps into Home Assistant via MQTT."

cross-posted from: https://radiation.party/post/94095

Nest Aware prices have increased to $8 a month or $80 per year, up from $6/month or $60/year, as first reported by 9to5Google. This is the first price hike for the video recording plan since 2020. Users still get 30 days of event video history, which records when the camera detects something.

Nest Aware Plus, the higher tier subscription, now costs $15/month or $150/year, up from $12/month or $120/year. Users still get the same 60 days of event history and 10 days of 24/7 video history.

The best home security systems constitute a series of interlinked devices that users can remotely manage through their smartphones or computers. The typical UK home would have two or three cameras with motion detection and at least one door or window sensor. SimpliSafe’s The Tower package, for example, includes enough components to cover an three-bedroom semi-detached home and offers an affordable, user-friendly home security solution.

Our researchers have considered 61 different packages from 17 providers, and refined these down to leave ten best home security systems suitable for a range of homeowners.

The other approach is to buy smart light switches that replace your existing wall-mounted switches. These attach to the existing wiring of your home and act as regular switches, but also connect to a smartphone app via your Wi-Fi network for enhanced lighting control. With such devices, you can install a regular-looking switch, but one that has smart functionality baked in.

Things are looking brighter for smart home owners. After months of delays and uncertainty, the Philips Hue Bridge is finally being updated to support the new smart home standard Matter. A software update will roll out in September, letting users connect their Hue systems with other Matter devices and apps. This means that every existing Philips Hue product will now work with Matter, all the way back to their original bulbs launched in 2012.

cross-posted from: https://radiation.party/post/93465

[ sourced from The Verge ]

Aqara, today announced its participation in this year’s IFA show, where it introduces an array of new smart home devices. Among these innovations are the Smart Lock U200, Camera E1, Dual Relay Module T2, Ceiling Light T1M, and an EU-style wall outlet.

Yale has launched a new line of its home security products specifically for the European market. In addition to a new video doorbell, the company revealed the next-gen of its smart alarm system, plus new indoor and outdoor smart cameras — all of which integrate with its line of smart locks.

Using the Yale Smart Video Doorbell, you can keep tabs on your doorstep with 1080p footage and a 154-degree field of view. The device comes in wired and wireless options, offering two-way audio talk, live viewing, and night vision. You’ll receive a notification when the doorbell detects motion and when someone rings the doorbell. The Smart Video Doorbell itself costs £129.99 / €159.99.

Meanwhile, the Smart Indoor Camera offers 1080p footage, a 110-degree field of view, night vision, and motion-triggered recordings. You can program the camera to enter a privacy mode whenever your door is unlocked, stopping it from recording while you’re at home. The device also offers customizable coverage zones, AI-powered human detection, and motion scheduling “to exclude notification triggers from regular occurrences.” It’s priced at £59.99 / €59.99.

Additionally, Yale is releasing wired and wireless versions of a new Smart Outdoor Camera with 1080p footage and a 154-degree field of view. For a price of £119.99 / €129.99, the device comes with a spotlight that turns on when it detects movement, motion-triggered recordings, and “enhanced” color night vision.

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While companies such as Ring and Nest offer similar smart home security products — in Europe and the UK, Yale’s has the advantage of a tight integration with its line of door locks.

Anyone have any experience with Yale?

SamMobile had a SmartThings Week, so I thought I might as well use it to kick off a general SmartThings thread:

• Samsung’s home automation app has evolved
• All about managing your smart home
• Automating your smart home
• Doing house chores has never been easier
• Never lose your settings and Routines

I've never used it (back in the early days it didn't sound so great) but I also understand that using Home Assistant and its ilk are (or were) more for hobbyists who didn't mind tinkering and some people just want a system that is a little more user-friendly. I'm just not sure I'd recommend it to such a person over HomeKit but I've used neither, so...

I was thinking about getting a presence sensor for the living room (so I don't wake up in the dark because I fell asleep in there) and I stumbled across Smart Home Scenes articles covering a few of them, so I thought I might as well bundle them together.

In November last year, they did a comparison of three, then current, examples - Aqara's FP1 and Tuya's ZY-M100 and PS-HPS. It's a lengthy breakdown but they conclude:

As far as pricing goes, nothing can beat the ZY-M100 and the features it offers for half the price of the Aqara FP1. Considering the PS-HPS is around the same price, I would not regard it as a viable alternative as it falls short in so many categories.

Since then, Aqara have released the FP2 which they reviewed in April this year:

When it comes to price, naturally the Aqara FP1 is cheaper than it’s successor. The real question is, is the FP2 worth it’s price tag of $82.99? Obviously, that’s up to you to decide.

• Is multi-person detection something you need or want?
• Is native HomeKit and Matter support important for your setup?
• Is cloud dependency okay with you, perhaps until the FP2 is completely jailbroken?

I feel like the Aqara FP1 is still a capable mmWave presence sensor, if implemented correctly. Better yet, the Tuya ZY-M100 is an incredible alternative at a really low price. I may be biased, because I love local communication (Zigbee) and don’t really like to depend on Wi-Fi for these types of devices. The choice is yours.

They also compared the Everything Presence One to the FP2:

In comparing the EP1 to Aqara’s FP2, I could not decide for certain which one is the more capable static human presence sensor. In each test, they clocked in at the same second, making them almost identical as far as presence detection speed goes. The FP2 was faster by around 30 seconds in clearing presence though, so it might be able to save you a few bucks by turning the lights off earlier.

Regarding static human presence in a room, they both performed similarly with no clear winner. I suffered false positive triggers on both devices from my curtains, until I turned them to face the other direction. This is something that you will need to optimize yourself, as it’s largely dependent on your installation area/room.

It came up in the discussion about smart home set-ups but is important enough to flag up in its own post as this can be the key ingredient in your smart home network.

Before deep diving into the list, it’s important to differentiate between the types of Zigbee dongles available.

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The easiest of the lot are USB Zigbee sticks, you simply plug them in your server and you are good to go. LAN/PoE coordinator allow for a more versatile installation, you can attach the dongle anywhere on your network. Hybrids are a combination of the two with interchangeable operation/power modes.

The second important difference between current Zigbee dongles is the type of chip they carry. The EFR32MG21 [Datasheet] is newer, more powerful but is still labelled as experimental in many Zigbee applications, such as Zigbee2MQTT. The CC2652P [Datasheet] is a bit older, although still relevant and powerful enough to form a sizeable Zigbee network. It’s supported in all Zigbee applications.

The top 5 dongles;

1. Home Assistant SkyConnect
2. Sonoff ZBDongle-E
3. Sonoff ZBDongle-P
4. SMLIGHT SLZB-02 Coordinator
5. ZigStar Stick v4

There's a lot more information over on the Smart Home Scene page (where I was looking something else up when I stumbled on this).

A year ago at Berlin’s IFA tech trade show (think European CES), Verge reporter Jon Porter witnessed a Google Nest Hub control an Apple HomeKit smart plug. This “lightbulb moment for the smart home” was the first public demonstration of Matter. The new smart home standard is designed to fix the biggest issue facing tech in our homes: interoperability, and witnessing two fierce competitors in the space working together was exciting. Twelve months later, on the eve of IFA 2023, we’re still waiting for that lightbulb to turn on across the industry.

The smart home remains fragmented. Despite being developed by the biggest names in the industry — Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and more — Matter has yet to deliver on its main promise. You still can’t just buy a smart light bulb, screw it in, and have it work with every other smart light you have (no matter who made it) and with any ecosystem you want.

Today, if you want the full benefits of home automation, you still need to pick a smart home platform and largely stay within its walled gardens unless you want to tinker with more hardcore DIY options involving Raspberry Pis.

But trade shows like IFA, which kicks off this week, are about tomorrow. And I’m hoping the future that’s on display at this year’s show is more connected and less fragmented than what we’ve seen from the smart home so far.

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Or what about SwitchBot’s new robot vacuum and mop, which will not only refill itself with water directly from your water lines but can take that water to a humidifier to fill it up, removing another boring chore from your To-do list? The company also tells me it has plans to use the robot’s battery as a roaming charger for different household products.

If this works, it could make for a device that you can delegate chores to entirely, rather than needing to supervise, and it’s not hard to imagine a future where this charging functionality could even take over chores relating to other gadgets like charging smartphones or wireless air purifiers.

cross-posted from: https://radiation.party/post/84177

[ sourced from The Verge ]