The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been a boon for transportation, but it only works if the receivers can communicate with multiple GPS satellites. Though that’s not too difficult outdoors, it’s typically impossible or inaccurate indoors. Other solutions are normally needed to provide location services indoors. Proprietary solutions have been available and standard platforms like Bluetooth deliver basic location support. Bluetooth stands out because of its ubiquitous nature. The challenge has been implementation of location services in a standard fashion. To date, Bluetooth has supplied useful but low-accuracy positioning information (Fig. 1). The Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard allowed two Bluetooth devices to get the approximate distance between the two devices utilizing received signal-strength measurements. This provides good proximity information and is effective when detailed position information isn’t required. 1. Bluetooth has supported proximity and positioning systems that provide basic distance and positioning via triangulation. For example, a beacon that’s providing advertising only needs to know if a device is within a specified range to deliver useful information. This point-of-interest approach has many applications, such as conveying multimedia feedback in a museum about a particular exhibit. Applications like asset tracking in a warehouse requires more complex location support since relative position is also needed. Likewise, more accurate range results can be useful. Bluetooth supports real-time locating systems (RTLS) as well as indoor positioning systems (IPS). This requires multiple Bluetooth sensing systems to determine the position of a device using trilateration (Fig. 2). As of now, the accuracy of this system is rather course, ranging from one to ten meters of accuracy. It’s usually sufficient for systems like robots that need to navigate with a building or warehouse. 2. Multiple devices are used to implement a Bluetooth indoor positioning system (IPS). The latest Bluetooth standard (5.1) allows systems to employ antenna arrays to determine the direction of communication (Fig. 3). A single device with such an array can be used with any other Bluetooth device to determine the relative direction to each other. This is done by measuring the angle of arrival (AoA) or angle of departure (AoD) depending on the direction of communication and which device has the antenna array. 3. Bluetooth 5.1 can determine the angle of transmission to provide relative positioning from a pair of devices. A device without an array can obtain the information from the other device. Orientation of each device is also possible when both devices have the more advanced antenna support. New Bluetooth profiles are being developed to include this location feature, which can provide positioning down to the centimeter level. The standard is just out the door, but we can expect to see it in devices like smartphones that will be able to determine the location of existing Bluetooth devices more accurately. Likewise, Bluetooth devices specifically geared for location support will be common in buildings and on robots and drones. Bluetooth 5.1 stacks with matching antenna support will be available from most Bluetooth hardware vendors. As a result, incorporating this feature in a system should be no more difficult than including earlier Bluetooth support.

Short unboxing, setup and overview of the Yeelight Light Strip Plus.

Aqara, one of the many companies under the Xiaomi umbrella, responsible for many of the recent low price HomeKit compatible devices available from China, have made a semi-cryptic announcement on the subject of Zigbee 3.0 today via social media. All will seemingly be revealed at the CBD Trade Fair in Guangzhou, China, which takes place from 8th – 11th July 2019. What we do know is that the very recent update to their Aqara HomeKit hub (1.6.2) has something to do with bringing this hub up to speed for Zigbee 3.0 devices, many of which we first revealed in previous posts. This would include the new versions of their current sensor lineup, all with the T1 suffix; Water Leak Sensor, Temperature & Humidity Sensor, Motion Sensor, and the Door & Window Sensor. This would almost certainly also include their new Light detection sensor. Whilst these new sensors would be welcome, the one device that many have been waiting for since we first revealed it back at the start of May, is the new Aqara M2 HomeKit Gateway. From what we understand of this gateway so far, is that not only will it be HomeKit compatible, but it will most likely be powered either by a standard micro USB or USB-C cable, or a c7/c8 type power cable or connector, as opposed to the current hub having its power supply built into the hub. The hub will use Zigbee 3.o as well as Wifi and Bluetooth. Hopefully, this is the trade show where the new hub will be revealed, as so far, stock of the US version of the current hub doesn’t seem to be getting replenished any time soon, along with the EU hub having its own release date pushed further and further back.

I am adding the HomeKit enabled water leak sensor by Aqara to my HomeKit setup. This sensor is very affordable and works great with HomeKit through the Aqara gateway. This sensor does require the Aqara hub.

Switches and buttons are a great way to control your smart home on the fly and they certainly make the transition easier for those who may not be as stoked on home automation as you. In this video, we take a deeper look at the Phillips Hue Tap switch, set it up, look at what we can do with it in the Hue app and Apple’s Home app, and then give you our opinion on it.

If you want to make your home smarter, the first step is to choose a platform for connecting your smart devices. The choices are simple, but the decision may not be. The simplest and least expensive approach is to use Wi-Fi, a point-to-point wireless technology that consists of a router connected directly to a modem, along with a series of satellite nodes or modules placed around your home to provide complete coverage. The router shares data and enables all the devices on your network to communicate with each other, typically using a 2.4 GHz radio frequency (5 GHz for older routers). You are probably already using Wi-Fi to provide access to the internet and streaming television. The other option is to set up a hub to control your devices. For those who choose this option, Z-Wave and Zigbee are the dominant protocols and control most of the market. Both Z-Wave and Zigbee operate as mesh networks in which all nodes are interconnected and work together to route data efficiently. Mesh networks self-configure, distributing workloads dynamically. Their greatest advantage is that as you add more devices, your connection actually becomes stronger. Range and Compatibility For most people, Wi-Fi is sufficient. You can add devices to what you already have at a low cost without buying any additional equipment. However, if you want a truly smart ecosystem that can control your home’s temperature, lighting, security, audio, video and more, a hub may be necessary. While Wi-Fi can connect, at most, a dozen or so devices into a network, Z-Wave and Zigbee can each connect more devices than you’re likely to ever need. Zigbee can handle as many as 65,000 nodes, while Z-Wave can handle 232 nodes. A node is a connecting point (or “touch point,” since it’s wireless). Connections to smart devices, bridges, and switches are all nodes, so the number of nodes needed can add up. Z-Wave and Zigbee have limitations, however. If you choose Zigbee, there are significant range limits. For Zigbee to function, all devices must be within a range of about 35 feet. Z-Wave has a range of 100 meters (over 300 feet), while Wi-Fi’s range is about 150 feet (although range extenders can increase that number significantly). In addition, when Z-Wave or Zigbee is used, all devices in your network must be compatible with your chosen platform. Wi-Fi is a communication standard. It’s based on technology that is continuously improving. Companies throughout the industry are constantly introducing new products designed for WiFi use. Z-Wave is an open protocol created by Zensys, purchase by Sigma Designs in 2018, and now owned by Silicon Labs. Z-Wave offers both forward and backward compatibility, meaning that it’s compatible with all Z-Wave devices, including those no longer on the market. Silicon Labs plans to keep Z-Wave compatible with products that have not been launched yet by Z-Wave Alliance members – ie. Z-Wave will always be backward and forward compatible with any Z-Wave product in the future. All Z-Wave devices must pass technical and market certification before they receive the certified stamp of approval. All certified devices feature the Z-Wave logo on their box, letting the consumer know the device in question will work with their Z-Wave smart home hub and other Z-Wave devices in their smart home network. Currently, the Z-Wave Alliance consists of over 700 companies, many of which develop Z-Wave products specifically for home automation. Other companies make products that are compatible with Z-Wave, but your choices for home automation will be limited to those products. Zigbee compliance is more limited, as all devices must be certified compliant by the Zigbee Alliance, an association that includes promoters (e.g., Amazon and Comcast); participants, who are developing compliant products; and adopters, who receive access to Zigbee standards and specifications. Gaining certification from a standardization board is an added expense and takes time, so some manufacturers avoid it. It’s possible to connect devices that are not compatible to your hub but doing so will require additional hardware and working around the compatibility issue can be difficult and frustrating. Connectivity A hub provides a common connection point for all devices in a network. It’s a central location for monitoring and managing all your electronic devices, so you can check and adjust everything according to your needs. A hub can provide total control, while the ability for your devices in a Wi-Fi system to communicate with each other is limited. Specific instances may not make much difference; it shouldn’t matter whether your smart garage door opener can communicate with your smart audio system, for example. But the ability for all devices to communicate with each other can be advantageous. Cost Cost is an important factor to consumers when deciding on a protocol to run and control their smart home. With Wi-Fi, everything runs through your router, so there’s no need to buy a separate hub or any other equipment. A hub can be relatively inexpensive, typically costing $50 to $150 (although the more functionality you’re looking for, the more you’re going to pay). You may have to purchase a higher quality router than the one provided by your internet service provider. In addition, Wi-Fi uses more power than either Z-Wave or Zigbee. All devices in your Wi-Fi network will need an ongoing supply of power or strong batteries (although many manufacturers of Wi-Fi devices have put growing emphasis on increasing battery life). Z-Wave is a low-power technology and Zigbee uses even less power. Both will use less power than Wi-Fi, and your batteries will generally last longer. Speed The more devices you connect to your Wi-Fi router, the slower and more crowded your connection will become. Most devices send infrequent commands that use little bandwidth, but some activities require significant bandwidth and can slow your Wi-Fi down. Conversely, with a mesh network (like Z-Wave or Zigbee) the more devices you add, the stronger your connection becomes, which improves speed and reduces the latency of commands. Interference If you already have Wi-Fi, you can keep your network intact and create a separate hub for any new devices, but you’ll need to be certain that they don’t interfere with each other. Z-Wave and Wi-Fi operate on different frequencies, so your Z-Wave hub won’t affect your Wi-Fi network, regardless of how many devices you have on it. One advantage of Z-Wave is operation in the sub-gigahertz radio spectrum, which means your Z-Wave smart home devices will never interfere with your Wi-Fi devices. The Future WiFi, Z-Wave, and Zigbee are all well-established and continue to evolve. Wi-Fi has been available since 1997. Z-Wave was introduced in 2001 and has been continuously developed specifically for the residential smart home market. Zigbee became standardized in 2004. Analyst firm Gartner predicts that products and services based on the Internet of Things (IoT) will generate $300 billion revenue by 2020, with sales of 26 billion devices. Given that home automation is a rapidly growing market, it’s unlikely that Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee will become unavailable anytime soon. New protocols are being introduced, but they will have to have competitive advantages to capture significant market share. However, the IoT is still in its early stages and a significant breakthrough could produce a new market leader. So which protocol should you use? It’s up to the consumer but a good recommendation is to weigh the pros and cons of range, compatibility, speed, security, cost, connectivity, and possible interference as outlined above and decide which solution is right for you.

China-based Koogeek started out with a bang a couple of years back with quite a few great products, including a couple of smart plugs, power strips, colour bulbs et al,  but have been relatively quiet for most of last year, despite various new devices appears online, like the proposed Koogeek L1 Door Lock for example, that Koogeek now say has been shelved, or the Koogeek KC01 Smart Camera, that has been floating around the internet for over a year, with ne’er a whiff of a release so far. However, one such device that has been listed on the Koogeek site for a while, seems to be slowly emerging into online retail, with a listing for the A1 Smart Environment Monitor on Amazon.com and AliExpress.com, although at this time the Amazon listing states that the product is ‘currently unavailable’. AliExpress has two listings – one at the i3C Store for just under US$80, and Koogeek’s official AliExpress store – selling at almost double the price, at just shy of UK£120 – but listed as ‘sold out’. If you’re not aware, this device measures the air in your home, reporting on PM2.5 and PM10, Humidity, temperature, VOCs, in addition to an ambient light sensor, motion sensor and sound sensor. So, with these kinds of specs, it should be a popular item. One odd thing we noticed with the Amazon listing is that the product image is slightly different from the one used on Koogeek’s own site. If you look at the light/motion sensor at the top of the front face, the Amazon image has a series of dots encircling the sensor. This could be for sound detection, or it could be merely decorative. There’s no way to tell at this time, and even which version is the current or official version. Either way, we’ll never know if Koogeek can’t let us buy it. The KC01 Smart Camera isn’t listed on Koogeek’s public facing site, although it did appear on a hidden page within the site, that listed many of the yet to be released products. Interestingly, a manual for the camera has surfaced via the fcc.io website, which reveals that the manual was uploaded as recently as April of this year, so there may yet be hope for the camera after all. The Koogeek FL1 Fingerprint Lock has had a similar history and has finally made its way to Amazon.com and AliExpress, but with little to no announcements or fanfare on Koogeek’s part, which is very odd. Nonetheless, we have one here and will be reviewing it soon. Maybe we’ll eventually be able to say the same for the A1

Just last week we reported on the Yeelight Light Strip Plus and the 2nd Gen Yeelight bulbs, showing up as HomeKit compatible accessories in the Mi Home app, when you went through the process of adding them, although at this time they don’t appear to be exposed to HomeKit unfortunately. Well, after a little more digging, it seems that there is another (admittedly similar) light that is showing up as HomeKit compatible – in this instance, the Mi LED Colour Bulb. Now the only reason for mentioning this after last week’s article, is that whilst the Yeelight Strips and bulbs areavailable, they’re usually only accessible via some of the Chinese online stores, like AliExpress, GearBest etc. which to some isn’t so convenient. The Mi LED Bulbs, on the other hand, are already available in Xiaomi Stores across Europe and further afield (Like Taiwan…), which makes it a lot easier to get your hands on them. If you’ve already dipped your toes into the ‘Xiaomi eco-pool’, you’ll notice that some products look identical but branded differently, and in the case of the Mi LED bulb, it’s really no different, as the Mi LED Bulb can appear with any one of three logos, even though, in actual fact, they’re the same product. It’s also good to note that there are currently 2nd gen bulbs from Yeelight that look quite similar, with the main difference being the diagonal pattern pressed into the body of the bulb of these 2nd gen lights. I do have to stress, that these do NOT currently work with HomeKit, but all the markers for some form of firmware or app software upgrade are there, as you can see in the screenshots I took earlier when adding a Mi LED bulb to the Mi Home app I purchased here in Taiwan. Having tested these bulbs, and as you’ll see from a forthcoming review, these are great value products, and it may just be worth stocking up on these before the price (almost) inevitably goes up when HomeKit (hopefully) does actually get added.

During CES 2019, Arlo Technologies, the Smart Camera division of Netgear, touted many new products, among them their new Arlo Ultra line, the 4K suite, comprising of the hub and 4K cameras (obviously). However, what did grab peoples’ attention just as much is their announcement that HomeKit, Apple’s secure smart home platform, will be supported by the Arlo Ultra 4K HDR Wire-Free and Arlo Pro 2 Security Camera Systems. Now whilst many promises and pronouncements are made, especially when it comes to future HomeKit support, many have learned to just ‘wait and see’, as timelines pass without much change – if any. Well Arlo seems to be getting closer to keeping their word, as one user – Anthony Guzzo – reported on the popular ‘Apple HomeKit Users Group’ on Facebook that he’d noticed  popup window via the iPhone stating that “Arlo cameras now work with HomeKit” (see screenshot below); So far, we’ve had no report that any of these cameras have been able to actually be updated to work with Apple HomeKit, so it would seem a forthcoming firmware up for either the cameras, the hub, or both is still due to drop at a later date. It’s also worth noting that so far, anyone with the older Arlo Pro (v1) cameras may not actually get any firmware updates for HomeKit compatibility, as Arlo made no mention of these models in their press release.

In this video, we briefly discuss using HomeKit with Siri Shortcuts. Siri Shortcuts are a very cool way to automate a series of task. In this example, we will have Siri give us the date, the first appointment on our calendar, the local weather, and set a scene using HomeKit.

It’s often too late when your home is on fire. Thus, advance knowledge of a fire emergency is critical. Mi have cooperated with Honeywell, an enterprise specializing in fire alarms, and designed this new smoke detector. It has a powerful detector, namely the high-precision sensor to detect the smoke density, and gives out alarms immediately when it detects any fire or smoke. Linked to the Aqara hub, it can notify you of an emergency wherever you are. It is never too late to install a fire alarm. Main Features: Audiovisual alarms are produced when the smoke density exceeds the limit Remote alarm notifies you of the fire in time via WiFi no matter where you are Self-checking function and reminder to guarantee long-term use Easy installation to be used independently or linked with the upgraded gateway or air conditioning companion Note: it is powered by CR123A cell battery (not included). In order to achieve full functionality, you need to connect it to the gateway / air conditioning companion. Specifications Brand: Xiaomi/Mijia/Mi Model: Mijia Honeywell Material: Plastic Color: White Product weight: 0.1kg Package weight: 0.17 kg Product size (L x W x H): 9.00 x 3.60 x 2.50 cm / 3.54 x 1.42 x 0.98 inches Package size (L x W x H): 12.00 x 5.00 x 3.50 cm / 4.72 x 1.97 x 1.38 inches

So….We’ve only just had CES 2019 launch and already HomeKit fans have been bowled over by the sheer amount of devices, updates and new functionality that has been announced. Given that Apple have deemed it wise to make their own appearance via an invite-only press conference for a selection of news outlets to announce all the HomeKit/Airplay news on behalf of many additional manufacturers and partners, it would seem the tide has turned somewhat for HomeKit – not that it was ever in any real danger of vanishing any time soon, but considering all the products that work with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, as a user of Homekit products, one was feeling a bit left behind. Still, this is 2019, and there’s already plenty to talk about, so let’s have a look at all the announcements so far. Honeywell T-Series Smart Thermostats and Sensors All new Thermostat designs to work on a room-by-room basis Advanced smart sensors with people detection (200ft range) Control the temperature in any room at any time HomeKit compatibility coming later in 2019 Lutron Ceiling Fan Designed to add smart control to your existing standard fan Works with Lutron’s Caseta hub – no mention of connection to HomeKit at present Works with a single 1.5A ceiling fan Neutral wire required, unlike their Caseta line of Smart light switches First Alert announce update to their Safe & Sound Smoke Alarm/Speaker Will be HomeKit compatible, as per the first version, as well as Google Assistant or with Amazon Alexa built inBuilt-in Airplay 2 speaker for multi-room audio The 2019 model will feature WiFi mesh technology to allow for expanded connectivity TP-Link Kasa Smart Plugs to gain HomeKit compatibility Already compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and even Microsoft Cortana HomeKit integration will come via a (we presume) Firmware update for Software Authentication HomeKit coming to Arlo Pro and Arlo Ultra Cameras Arlo Ultra combines a 4K Wire free security camera and HomeKit compatible hub Black and white, or colour night vision, thanks to an integrated Infrared Spotlight Arlo hub will also work with Z-wave and Zigbee devices – presumably acting as a hub for these devices too Both the Arlo Pro and Ultra will gain HomeKit support by an OT update later this year Brilliant Home Control to gain HomeKit support First released in late 2018, the Smart Home control switch will add HomeKit compatibility this Spring Already compatible with the usual platforms – Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant,  but also Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell, Ring, August, Philips Hue, Sonos, and Wemo. Capable of music playback (no mention of Airplay 2 yet), stream video (currently via Ring Doorbell cams for example), and of course control lights OTA firmware update for current models expected in Q2 2019 HomeKit support update for ‘U by Moen’ Smart Shower Already compatible with Alexa, with HomeKit and Google support due this Spring Allows voice control of the shower – start, stop, pause and even preset ‘scenes’ for different preferences, including temperature