Apple's Home Kit

Home automation gets easier with Apple's upcoming release of their "Home Kit"!

If you're anything like my husband, you have already watched the keynote address for the World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) at Moscone Center in San Francisco. If so, this is old  news. But for most of us not so "with-it" tech people this is is still very exciting!

In the fall of 2014, Apple will be releasing its iOS 8 operating system for their mobile devices. While there are currently some deadbolts like the August Smart Lock and thermostats like ecobee's Smart SI with special apps,  this will include home automation that can open even your garage door simply by using Siri! Along with Home Kit, Apple is trying to establish a standard for home automation devices. Having a unified standard will allow more manufacturers bring products to market quickly and ensure cross-compatibility with other devices.

Latch-key kids can now forget their keys and still get home safely, actually they don't even need keys anymore!

Savvy Thermostats

Piggybacking on last week's thoughts, I realize that I forgot to mention thermostats.

ecobee interfaces with your mobile technology

How do smoke detectors and thermostats relate? By their manufacturer. The same home owners living in San Francisco, no they're not paranoid, needed an alternate solution to the Google owned Nest thermostat. Something with a simple, well designed, user friendly interface that they could not only program but also monitor, pause and resume while on vacation. Who doesn't want to come home to a warm home after a ski week without paying a PG&E bill to match? 

Ecobee has come out with two great solutions, the Smart and Smart Si thermostats and they have a new App "Home IQ" in beta so that you can see your personal savings and energy usage. Their controls a digital interface, small profile and can interact with your iStuff, phone, computer etc. it can learn your patterns and desired home temperatures without reporting back to big G so that they can determine the best time to send you which advertising.

Welcome Home!