If I were to ask if you were in total control of your smarthome, you’d probably say yes. It doesn’t matter if you use Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or a smart home hub; your answer wouldn’t change. “Yes, I am the master of my smart … [Read more...]
Got a first-gen Philips Hue bridge? Here are some hubless tunable bulb options
On our most recent IoT Podcast episode, Dwight called in with a great question that likely impacts a fair number of people. He has the older, rounded Philips Hue bridge, which we know has lost software upgrades and cloud support back in April. Dwight … [Read more...]
Just how secure is Home Assistant? (Hint: very)
On our most recent IoT Podcast, a listener with the same name as me called in asking about Home Assistant security. Specifically, he wanted to know how secure I thought it was and I'm super glad he asked. Why? Because as I've continued my DIY journey … [Read more...]
Tested: Home Assistant integrations, remote access and voice commands
Now that I’ve set up and configured a Raspberry Pi to run the open-source Home Assistant software, I decided to take a closer look at the device integrations and remote access of the system. Since this is a DIY solution, you don’t just get remote … [Read more...]
Home Assistant smart home setup: Easy for techies, less so for “normals”
This past weekend, we switched over to Daylight Savings Time and all of my smart devices followed suit. Well, one didn’t: My Samsung SmartThings Hub took an extra 24 hours to adjust, so routines for lights to turn on 15 minutes prior to sunset lit up … [Read more...]