An interesting and slightly amusing voicemail came in to the IoT Podcast Hotline this week: The caller's guests are changing his thermostat settings by voice when they come over. The issue isn't specific to just a thermostat though since, in theory, … [Read more...]
How to get really bright lights for your smart home (Hint: Opt for smart switches)
This week on the 200th episode of the IoT Podcast, we received a voicemail from John who asked an interesting question we hadn't thought about before. John is looking for A19 smart bulbs that are 100W to 150W replacements so they have a higher lumen … [Read more...]
Amazon just pulled an Apple on the smart home
Amazon just solved several challenges associated with the smart home. At its event Thursday in Seattle, the online retailer attacked several pain points associated with the smart home to create a vision for the user experience I associate with Apple. … [Read more...]
Thoughts on Amazon’s smart home service
Ever since the Amazon Echo got smart home capabilities back in 2015, I've been advising people to buy one along with a smart bulb or outlet so they can start living a life of greater convenience. For those curious about the smart home, the combo … [Read more...]
Siri got smarter at WWDC 2018, but not the way you’d think
On Monday, the keynote kicked off Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference with a focus on software and services. Nope, there was no new hardware, so no new support for Z-Wave or Zigbee radios like I had hoped for HomeKit. Apple’s Home app is coming to … [Read more...]